Betrayed

by prettybluebirds

I was here when they came to me as a young married couple in nineteen twenty-five. I watched the family grow one by one; each child welcomed with love. I shared their anxiety when one of the children became ill with pneumonia and rejoiced with them when he recovered.

I was with them through the Depression when times were hard, and he worked in the woods for five dollars a week using his team of horses. I believe this was the year she made shoes for the children out of sheepskin. Those years were hard, but I stood firm, sheltered, and cared for them as best I could.

I enjoyed Christmas with the smells of pine and cookies being baked. The children seemed happy with whatever they received, even if it was only oranges. Some years there wasn't a lot of money, but no one seemed to mind. We created many happy memories together.

In nineteen forty-two, the unthinkable happened; they left me alone. While the family continued to grow, they no longer resided with me. The older children who had lived with me sometimes brought their younger siblings and played in the spacious rooms. It made me glad to hear the sounds of children's voices where silence reigned most days.

The years passed and I became very old. The remaining son decided I must go. He didn't understand; houses have souls too. For all the years I protected and loved them, this is what I got---death by bulldozer.

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250 Word Flash Fiction contest entry