I was a tall skinny curious 12-year-old and sort of a nerd. I lived in this old house with my family, and I was friends with the next door neighbor’s son, Don, who was about the same age.
When I walked through the front door of the house pass the foyer area, there was the living room to the right with the fake brick fireplace, a parlor, a dining room, and the kitchen.
One of the most unique features about the kitchen was the mural on the wall. It was a huge painting of bright green weeping willow trees. The mural didn’t really depict a happy feeling but one of being lost in the woods.
The basement had four large rooms, which included the room reserved for my Dad’s pool table. Don’t touch my pool table, I heard my Dad say more than once, afraid we’d play with his pool balls and loose them.
The upstairs had four large bedrooms. I had a bedroom to myself because I was the oldest of five children. It had a walk-in closet where I used to hide from my sisters and brother.
The Secret Passageway
My mom said the 2nd floor has a secret passageway big enough to hide a bicycle, but she wouldn’t tell me where it was. Being the curious 12-year-old, I frantically searched the house and would not rest until I found it.
The secret passage was in the upstairs hall closet. After I moved all of our stuff out of the closet, surprisingly, there was a door on the closet floor. I cautiously lifted up the heavy wooden door and there was a flight of stairs. The stairs were abruptly halted by walls on every side that was covered with gray and white striped wallpaper. I felt the walls with the palms of my hands touching every inch for a secret door, but there was none.
Who used the secret passageway? Why ?
A Hug Without A Touch 