Chapter 15
The older neighborhood was quaint and had a welcoming feel to it, like if she were to walk down the sidewalk, people would wave to her from their porches. Bette tried to take in all the details and keep her eyes mostly on the road at the same time. Neatly maintained sidewalks lined both sides of the road. Most of the houses were red and brown brick with round-topped windows and concrete driveways. Black oak trees towered overhead, creating a canopy with power lines going through. It was an old, charming area that Bette couldn't remember driving through before. She already loved it.
Kerrie's little pickup truck turned down a driveway that led to the back of a house with a detached two-car metal carport. Bette parked and grabbed her phone. The house was made from the same red and brown brick as several others in the neighborhood. The small front yard had been neatly maintained, and the back appeared larger, with a small shed not far from the carport.
"This is cute," praised Bette as she stepped out, staring up at the three-story house, including the basement. "Why are there so many houses with the same brick?"
"There was a brick factory in town in the 50s when this neighborhood was built. All the brick is from there. I guess it was the trendy material at the time."
The curtain on the back door window moved, catching Bette's attention. "Looks like we have company."
Kerrie followed Bette's eyes and then laughed. "That's Kenny. He waits at the door for me. "
The door opened, and a petite older woman stepped out, purse on her shoulder and keys in hand. "Hello there," she flashed a polite smile at Bette, then turned to Kerrie. "I've got to run, Kerrie. I'm going to bingo at the church tonight."
"Have a good evening, Mabel. Hope you win big," wished Kerrie, then she turned to the back door. "Kenny, do you want to come meet my new co-worker?"
A timid, hulking figure stepped out of the house onto the small porch. He swayed a little, prompting Kerrie to quickly take the three steps to his aid. They were built similarly, both tall and heavyset, and reminded Bette of those oversized teddy bears at fairs where you throw a baseball to knock all the pins down to win a prize. Same little pointed nose, though Kenny was wearing glasses and Kerrie wasn't. Kenny was balding on top, and both were going gray. He was dressed in a matching navy blue cotton tee shirt and shorts set, his legs tiny in comparison to the rest of him. Like two pale, knobby-kneed sticks.
Smiling, Bette held her hand out to the man when he came to the bottom step. "Hi, Kenny. I'm Bette."
"Hi, Bette," greeted Kenny; his voice was a little higher pitched than Bette expected. He laughed lightly, looking back at Kerrie as if to make sure she was still there. His hand was cold.
"Bette wants to look at the apartment and see if she likes it. Do you mind if I show her?"
Kenny looked between them a couple of times and nodded, answering with drawn-out words. Bette liked him already. "Yeah, you can."
"You want to help? Be a gentleman and show her to the door."
He nodded with the same infectious smile and began walking to the door, which went down a few steps to a landing where Bette could already imagine putting a small table and chair to enjoy morning coffee.
Kerrie quickly dashed into the main part of the house and returned with a little silver key in hand. She motioned for Bette to move beside her. She leaned down, speaking softly to Bette. "He thinks the apartment is his, but he lives with me to keep me company, so just go along with it. He doesn't bother anyone renting. Our aunt and uncle had it converted into a separate, functional space in hopes that he would be able to be independent one day. Unfortunately, that never happened, so we rented it out for extra cash."
Bette nodded in understanding. "Got it. He seems really sweet."
"He's a freaking angel unless he gets hangry," chuckled Kerrie. "But that could be said about me. "
Cool air with the scent of fresh paint hit her the moment Bette followed Kenny inside, followed by Kerrie. Kerrie flipped on the lights, and she realized she was in an open floor plan with a living room and kitchen. The floor was laminate hardwood, and the walls were plain, bright white. The kitchen area was immediately to her left, with yellow oak cabinets and a small matching island. The space wasn't large at all, but it was enough for her and, despite its plainness, felt warm and inviting.
"Obviously, this is the kitchen and living room area. The appliances all work." Kerrie's voice echoed in the open, empty space.
Bette watched Kenny go down a small hall with two doors across from each other and one at the end. She followed.
"This is the bathroom," he explained, turning on the light. The bathroom was a good size with a shower/bathtub combo and the same golden oak wooden vanity as the kitchen cabinet. "That's the toilet, and the shower, and the sink."
Bette nodded to him, opening a drawer of the vanity. It slid smoothly out. She detected a small scent of bleach, making her nod approvingly. Someone had made sure the apartment was clean. "It's a nice bathroom, Kenny."
"Yep."
"I know it's a little dated, but everything works. You can decorate how you want. I can cover any nail holes you make when you leave," Kerrie explained, hanging back at the door to keep from crowding the small space.
It was a bit dated. The beige tiled floor and golden oak looked right out of the 90s. All that was missing was a small basket on the vanity full of maroon and powder blue decorative soaps in the shape of hearts and seashells. However, everything was clean and appeared to be of good quality, and that counted high on Bette's list of important things. Right under getting the hell away from her mother. "Could I paint?"
Kerrie hesitated, then shrugged. "I'd prefer you didn't paint anything that's wood. The walls are okay, but not the cabinets. We like the wood, right, Kenny?"
"Yeah, I like it," he agreed quickly, nodding.
"That seems reasonable," Bette said and turned to follow Kerrie across the short hall.
"This is the bedroom."
It was small—smaller than her room at her mother's. Plain white walls and a short, half-sized window looked out at ground level into the neighbor's side yard. It allowed some natural light. "The closet is small, but you're more than welcome to store some stuff in the laundry area. "
"Laundry area?"
"Here," Kenny instructed Bette to follow him. His gait was a little unsteady, but Kerrie didn't seem worried about it, so Bette assumed it was normal for him. He showed her the door at the end of the hall. It had its own outer lock.
He opened it, and Bette walked through. Inside was a cement brick-lined basement with stairs, a washer and dryer, and boxes. Odds and ends of things stacked on a long row of shelves that went from the cement floor to the exposed beams of the ceiling. She turned to find Kenny and Kerrie behind her. "Is this your part of the basement?"
Nodding, Kerrie pointed to the stairs. "Yeah, that door leads to our first floor. Both your door and ours are lockable from our respective sides. I'm usually the only one that comes down here for laundry, but if needed, Mabel occasionally throws a load in."
"And Mabel is?"
"The woman that was here when we arrived. Kenny's caretaker during the day. She stays with him while I'm at work."
"We watch Wheel of Fortune and SpongeBob."
"Kenny likes the lady models on Wheel of Fortune, don't you, Kenny?" teased Kerrie.
Her brother laughed, shifting from foot to foot and rubbed his head. His cheeks reddened. "Yeah, and we have lunch. Then we watch Mabel's soaps and have hot chocolate. Sometimes, we sit on the front porch when it's not hot."
"Your sister doesn't like the heat either," mused Bette, smirking at Kerrie.
Kerrie met her smirk with a grin. "Like brother, like sister."
They went back into the kitchen and stood around the little island. Bette looked back over the room. She wanted the unit but needed to know the most important factor. "How much is rent?"
"$800. That includes water, electricity, and trash pickup. You'd have to pay for your own internet and cable if you wanted those. I take care of the lawn."
"$800? That seems so affordable compared to the prices I've been seeing on the internet. Especially with utilities included."
Kerrie shrugged. "I'd rather rent a little cheaper to entice good renters to stay. I use the rent to beef up Kenny's trust. I'm not trying to be greedy, though."
Bette took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous about her next question. "Could I break the deposit up into three installments over the next three months?"
Kerrie nodded without hesitation. "Sounds reasonable to me. "
Bette turned around again, biting her lip. She could manage the rent for sure on her salary, and if she didn't have to put all the deposit upfront, then she could buy some necessities. Starting over wasn't cheap. She was already trying to imagine the space decorated and how it would look when she got her stuff out of storage. The small amount of things she was allowed to keep. She wouldn't fret over that now, though. For the moment, she would appreciate finally having a place to call her own.
Turning back around, Bette smiled at the twins. "I'll take it."