Daddy's Barn

Gathering her courage, Susan reached into the hidden area beside the old barn where the key was kept. It was too tight a squeeze to do more than be able to reach her hand in, so she silently prayed there would be no creepy creatures ready and waiting to pounce. As she grasped the key within her hand, she moved quickly away from the dark to inspect and make sure she did not have any new friends attached, catching a free ride.

After shaking off her fear, and a few cobwebs, she then moved to the old padlock and turned the key to unlock. It gave a little resistance at first, but soon she had the padlock off and was able to budge the door open with her hip. Now to get down to business.

Last year, when her father died, she knew that she would have to come to the old barn, sometime, to take inventory. Her mother did not have the energy, or the heart strength needed to figure out what was stored in the old barn that should be sold or kept. The task had fell on Susan’s shoulders alone, and as she glimpsed into the old barn, she saw just what type of task had been left to her to manage.

The sun filtered in through the door. She knew her father was a bit of a hoarder, but she forgotten just how much he had kept in the old barn. She remembered when she needed a piece or a part or some bit of hardware around the house, that dad had been the first one to call. She knew he kept his “stash” of items to be used again, but she never had seen it through the eyes of wondering what would have to be done with all these items after he was gone. The task seemed overwhelming as she contemplated if she needed to find an expert in antiques to help with some of the larger items gathered in the corners.

As she took in the full view of the barn items, a blanket of grief rolled over her. She went to the small drawers where her dad had taken the time to sort bolts and screws and nuts. She ran her hand lovingly over each handle, knowing he had been the last one to open and close the drawers. As she shed a few tears, she gathered her courage and decided to make a plan.

She grabbed a nearby pad of paper with a carpenter pencil that dad had left out on a counter. She decided first to see if there was anything worth keeping for memory sake within the barn. From that initial look through, she figured she would be able to tell if there was anything larger, or of value, that might require a professional opinion. Lastly, she figured she would call the local salvage yard, and see if they had in mind anyone who would be willing to come clean the old barn out, for a portion of the pay of what was inside.

Now that she had a plan, she decided to start in on the first task on her list. She knew the drawers on the counters only included the various hardware, but she still opened each one to make sure she was not overlooking anything of more importance. Next, she went around the corners to the various pieces of antique farm equipment and noted on her pad the general condition and possibility of what the item had been at one time. As she was headed to the very back corner, she spotted an old, wooden writing desk.

The top was covered in a layer of dust. She noticed it was the type of desk where the top lifted up and she could not help but be curious if there was anything significant inside. Hoping to not disturb a spider or something worse, she turned on her phone's flashlight and quickly raised the desk top.

Inside was a worn bible. Next to the bible was a wide-ruled, navy, spiral bound notebook and an ink pen. Gently she picked up the notebook and flipped it open to the first page. Her father's handwriting was scrawled along the page and she took the time reading his thoughts and cherishing the treasure she had just found. She was able to figure out the notebook had started about a month after his cancer diagnosis, and inside he had took the time to write out his bible studies and thoughts. Also he had included his prayers for her, and her mom and others in their community.

As she read, she knew this was something she needed to immediately share with her mother. She grabbed the bible and pen too and put the desk top back down into place. She went back to the door and locked up, this time keeping the key in her pocket instead of returning it to it's normal hiding spot.

She headed to her parents' home, which was a short walk from the barn. She knew she would have to head back soon to finish the task she had started, but it could wait another day. Her main course of action now was getting the notebook and bible into her mother's hands. She knew that the words written inside the notebook would ultimately help her and her mother in their healing journey.

Wrote for the Old Barn Summer Challenge. If you liked what you read, leave a heart. If you want more to the story, how about leaving a tip? I am rusty in my writing, trying to get back into the hang of it, because this year I start my graduate degree, and I am slowly trying to work those muscles for creative writing that have not been in use since I was back in college some 15 years ago.