Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A House in Lafayette

On the edge of town, shrouded in trees, sits a two story white house. The porch is rickety, sagging with dejection, the wooden panels a dingy gray. The whole thing looks tired, lonely, and mysterious. It is impossible to pass without turning to take a look.
When we first saw the house, abandoned seemed the best description. Every night when we passed by, the porch light was on, as if protecting the neglected residence. It went on like is for several weeks, until one day, the light was out. Now, it might seem that compulsion to check on the place would slowly fade, especially as it faded into even darker obscurity, but this was not the case. Instead, quite the opposite took place. Each day in passing, we craned our necks to get a view, feeling ever the more curious.
Lafayette is a sleepy sort of antique town. The old two story school has been repurposed into a literal antique mall. It seems the primary goal of the tiny strip is to slow life down and recall another era. The past just seems so close. Perhaps this is why we felt so compelled to watch, to wonder, and to wait.
The light came back on. No longer on a timer, it was on all the time. It seems someone wanted to highlight the darkened dwelling in the wood. Looking up through the arch of the white front gate, it seemed that something had been altered. That night, when we drove past, the change was brought to light. The upper left hand window was illuminated. A bright glow emanated through the lacy window treatment.
Who could possibly have taken up residence in the ancient place? Had some grandmother been returns to her home to sit quietly in the evenings, reading with her heavy glasses perched on her nose? Had a family moved in, ready for a new beginning?
But here's where it gets interesting, the lights are only on at night. Some might think that sounds normal, but it is more than something so basic and simple. On a dark morning, not a glimmer to be seen, except the porch light, which still blazes at all hours. But come sunset, the upper light is there, and so it goes all night long. Curious? I say, indeed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A timer maybe?

Transient Drifter said...

But it varies , because now that I go home in the light it isn't on. I'm thinking something more along the lines of vampires or hobgoblins personally...