the pool

"She tossed me out like yesterday's wash, she did.....took the business, left me all the debts and just one skillet. Come sell the house!", he pleaded.

The house the Realtor had sold prior was a small stone bungalow of English origins hugging a steep hillside and overlooking the river. It fairly dripped subtle charm and came with an elaborate stone terraced garden which effectively screened the house from roadside view.

The house had since been expanded with several tasteless additions and a large swimming pool had been added, the terraces removed. The house and pool had become public in all directions.

Stepping inside the home, a large room with the appearance of an opium den loomed ahead. Red flocked wallpaper and divans made a nauseating blurr. A bedroom, similarly done up in red offered a built in bed with a large mirror overhead.

Why did you make the house so large? the Realtor asked...."We had a home business," he answered. Fiona wanted the pool to attract customers.All she had to do was sun herself."

"What sort of business was that?" Realtor knew she should 't have asked and quickly changed the subject.... "all this red has to go and did you have an engineer site the pool?"

"No, Fiona wanted it right across from the new subdivision. She thought it would be good for business."

A sudden shower during a June showing displayed a large problem. Mud slid downhill from the new blacktop across the road, sluicing down the un terraced hillside and floated the pool quickly to an unappetizing brown. Mud and chlorinated water silted again into the river below.

Tons of steel and lots of money were necessary to put the soil retaining terraces back in place. The river protectionists would settle for nothing less.

It was more than 2 years before a buyer was located, proving there may be a buyer ultimately for everything....An effeminate fellow who had invited a number of "nephews" to live with him was happy to purchase. The boys were delighted with the pool and the near public displays of their tanning activities.

 

original story by Sarah Simpson