At last, Karen gets to see their new home. It’s so close to the stables, she can walk back and forth—just like she wanted.

Scene 7: The New House

Mama parked in the driveway and turned to watch her daughter’s reaction.

“Mama, it’s beautiful! This is so much nicer than anything I ever dreamed of. It’s just as magical as the ranch.”

They left the car and went up the three steps onto the full front porch. Karen turned back to admire the yard and the flowers.

“Look at all the planters, Mama! And the yard has so much grass. Pegasus could practically live here. This looks like a real ranch house, just like at the stables.”

Mama explained, “This house was built a long time ago, sweetheart, back in 1920, the same year your Mama was born. It’s a Craftsman ranch-style bungalow. It’s a real classic California house. It isn’t very big, but it’s perfect for us.”

Mama unlocked the wide oak door, and they went in. As she showed Karen around, they planned how they would use each room. Mama would take the den in the front of the house as her bedroom, so she could watch TV late at night without disturbing Karen. Karen would get the bedroom in back. They did not like the dark colors of the walls and agreed that they would replaster some and put lighter wallpaper on others. The feature Karen liked best was the pergola, a covered outdoor seating area that opened off the dining room. They could eat outside, while Pegasus grazed in the yard.

As they returned to the car, Karen asked, “Mama, we’re only two blocks from the ranch. Can I try walking over and back, right now? Just so I can see if I can really do it? I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll just say hello to Pegasus and let him know how close we will be to him. Is that okay? Please?”

“I should’ve known you’d want to do that, my Krana Layala. That’s the whole point of our moving, isn’t it? So you can walk back and forth and have your independence while being interdependent with me. So, go ahead for now. You can walk over, but I’ll follow in the car so we don’t lose too much time. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough, Mama!” and off Karen hurried.

Mama sat down in the driver’s seat. With her heart elated, for a moment, she felt fully relaxed. Then she started the car and put it in gear.

©2021, Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.