Chapter 10 #3
Upon entry, they stepped into a small mudroom, an area which was not actually a room nor a place that had ever suffered the indignity of southern mud.
From there, one stepped into a comfortable apartment: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a spacious dining room and sitting area combined.
Heart pine floors, the deep gold of spilled honey, were tastefully covered with oriental rugs and runners.
High ceilings and tall, ample windows gave a sense of spaciousness to the premises.
One with an appreciation of light and shadow, one with a love for the subtle changes that occur to a room as sun rays move from surface to surface — one like Theo — would find no end to the visual pleasure of such a place.
He shook his head and tsked three times. “Mr. Ponder, I am afraid I shall be a terrible nuisance now that I have seen it.”
Mr. Ponder was pleased by Theo’s favorable opinion of the residence.
But he was, at the same time, a man of caution. He was mindful that this genteel old man with the accent and affable disposition had been a total stranger little more than an hour ago and remained, for now, an unconfirmed inquirer off the street.
Mr. Ponder had encountered no small number of eloquent swindlers and charming charlatans during his days as a broker and consultant to the wealthy.
He had sometimes saved his clients from the grasp of ne’er-do-wells before damage could be inflicted.
At other times, he helped clients pick up the wreckage of their misplaced trust. And yet, something about Theo felt unassailable.
The cautious Mr. Ponder surprised even himself when he said, “Mr. Theo, I’d like a couple of days to think this over, but maybe we can work something out. And perhaps you’d like to think it over, too, especially those forty-five steps. They can be a real slog in summertime.”
Theo nodded and smiled. Who uses the word “slog” in America?
Mr. Ponder continued, choosing his words carefully.
“I would make one request that I hope won’t offend you.
This has been a most unexpected meeting, and very pleasant, but we are still strangers.
I owe it to my clients to know who I might be renting the apartment to.
Could you provide me with a list of references, or letters of reference, so I can do a bit of due diligence? ”
Theo nodded. “I fully understand, and I would want as much myself. I will gladly give you some numbers to call. But if you have a few more minutes, and if you will assure me that our conversation is confidential, I would like to tell you a bit of my story. Perhaps that will save you some trouble. If not, then I will bother you no more.”
They sat once again in Mr. Ponder’s office. As Theo spoke, the consultant sat in rapt attention. And then there were questions. Lots of questions.
Almost two hours later, Theo and Mr. Ponder rose and walked downstairs. They shook hands.
Theo was now tenant, client, neighbor, and confider to James Ponder.
Theo bowed to Mrs. Gidley on the way out and wished her a nice afternoon. She was not smiling.
Later that day, Mrs. Gidley walked to the second floor.
“Mr. Ponder,” even after forty years, she addressed him formally, “I thought we weren’t taking any new clients.”
He knew by the tone of her voice that she was displeased. Before he could respond, she spoke her mind.
“Mr. Ponder, I mean, I know the decision is yours, but there’s something about the man I don’t like.
I’m not sure I trust him. I don’t know why, but I just don’t.
He just seems a little too nice and a little too slick, if you ask me.
That’s my first impression of him. And we already have as much work as either of us wants. ”
Mr. Ponder was polite but firm in his reply.
“Anita, I know this is unusual, but I’ve already done some checking and made some phone calls, and I’m comfortable taking him on as a client.
I’m not going to be able to tell you an awful lot about him.
You know how our profession works. This is one of those times I’ll have to be very guarded. But for now, just do what I tell you.”
There was a decidedness in his voice that squelched any reply. Her face went pale, her lips closed, and her nostrils flared.
“Anita,” he tried to look her in the eyes but they were fixated on a pen in her hands, “please, trust me.”
She resisted the impulse to argue.
“Well, if he’s going to be such a secret, do you even want me to open a file on him?”
“Yes, let’s do that, but it might be empty for a while. I’ll be doing a lot of the initial paperwork and transactional work myself.”
“What name do I put on the file?”
“Theo.”
She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, she prodded. “Theo who?”
“For now, just put Theo.”
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
“Yes. Call our cleaning service, and have them do a deep clean of the apartment. Mr. Theo will be moving in soon.”
Her mouth dropped open, but she did not speak. Her face was a mixture of disbelief and mild horror. What was the cautious Mr. Ponder getting himself into?
“Yes, sir.” She turned to leave the room.
The guardian angel of Ponder House was not happy.