The House by the Side of the Road
by
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It was a dark and gloomy Friday evening as Helen Wagers headed out of her office building to her car. The weather was not supposed to improve, and while it may not have been prudent to strike out on a wild goose chase in it, she had one more loose-end to tie up before she could call it a week.
The air was cold and whipped around the precipitation that hadn’t yet decided whether to be rain, sleet, or snow. It being Chicago, it was possible to have all three within the same hour. The sky was steely gray and hung like a heavy pall over those brave individuals who found themselves hurrying to their next place of shelter, whether that be an El train, a subway, a building, a car, or a restaurant.
As she got to her battered old car, a green 2001 Honda Civic, she greeted it by name. They had been through many adventures over the years.
“Thank you for waiting for me Edith! I know this weather is tough on your old bones.”
Helen had decided that she and Edith would continue their adventures together if Edith was able. Edith had some job security in that Helen barely covered her rent on her caseworker salary, much less a new car.
“It may be a long shot, but I need to try this lead to see if I can find Marty,” she thought. “Such a good kid with so much baggage.” He’d failed to return to his group home all week, and more baggage was going to accumulate if he didn’t check in by the end of today, which was basically now.
“I can’t believe he would do this. Things were going so well. I could tell it wasn’t easy for him, but he was toughing it out,” she thought.
Marty reportedly had taken a train out from downtown to the far south suburbs of the city, and beyond. The terminus for the train was a “park and ride” in the middle of nowhere. She was familiar with it, having driven by it many times on her way to and from the school she attended in central Illinois. It was primarily used by travelers coming from “downstate,” as the area south of the Chicago metropolitan area, that is, most of the State of Illinois, was called by the urban dwellers. Those who were uncomfortable driving in the city or didn’t want to pay exorbitant fees to park for a few hours, could leave their cars in the lot and board a train into the heart of downtown Chicago.
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About the Book
Helen is a young social worker in Chicago who can’t find one of her clients, Marty Munoz. Marty was released from detention, and it is Helen’s responsibility to get him through the first six months, but he has not checked in for a week. Despite a snowstorm, she heads south to check out a house where his roommates say he may have gone.
The only house she finds in the area is an abandoned, dilapidated, overgrown mess, but she decides to get as close as she can. Maybe Marty is there but can’t get back to the train due to the weather? When Helen enters, beautiful sights, sounds, and smells welcome her. Lively conversation floats from the dining room, and there she finds Marty.
In the short week he’s been at the house, Marty has been transformed; he looks different and sounds different and is happier than she’s ever seen him. When Helen leaves the house that night, she wonders if she has walked out of a dream, or is what she saw something miraculous? Just as the house looks broken and crumbling on the outside, it is exquisite on the inside, just as the residents appear to have fallen to the lowest rungs of society—but is that who they are inside? Helen quickly learns appearances can be deceiving.
About the Author
Jean Bremer was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb bordering Chicago, but eventually relocated to Champaign, Illinois. She holds a doctorate in educational organization and leadership from the University of Illinois. Her professional pursuits in the field of education have taught her that outside appearances can often be deceiving.