House on the mountain
A story with unusual ending
Sergey Blohin

© Sergey Blohin, 2022

ISBN 978-5-4493-4320-8

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Introduction

1980’s of the year. Brooklyn, United States.

Dan Smith was an ordinary guy. He grew up in a small middle-class house, in an ordinary family: father, mother, sister and grandfather. Father Dan is called Peter. He is 52 years old. He used to work as a fireman, but now he works as a taxi driver. Dan’s mother’s name is Sarah. She is 48 years old. She has worked all her life at a garment factory. Sara herself is from Canada. They moved with their family to the US, because Sarah’s father was offered a good job there.

Dan’s parents met at the time when his father came from the army. He served in the Navy. Since then, they have been together for 25 years.

Dan’s sister’s name is Mary. She is only 8 years old. She recently finished third grade. Mary loves helping her mother at home, reading books, and playing dolls, like any girl at her age. In the future, she wants to become an art teacher. For the most part, it’s not because she loves the subject, but because she likes her art teacher.

Granddad Dan is called Scott. He is 83 years old. He used to be a farmer, but later he lost everything when his farm was set on fire by some hooligan. Grandpa to this day grumbles that it was his longtime enemy Tony Pavlo. However, according to the official version, the arsonist was an ordinary teenager who set fire to his grandfather’s farm just to show his friends courage. The farm could be restored, but it required a lot of investment, and there were not any of them at that time. Therefore, everything that survived after the arson was sold, and my grandfather took a job as a security guard at the local port, where he worked only for 3 years, and then retired.

Dan recently defended his diploma at the university. He studied for 6 years at the Medical Faculty. Dan was very anxious about studying, but, despite his efforts, he was not the best student. The young man was sent to an internship in Oldwood – a small town in the north of the US with a population of no more than 15 thousand people. Although it was far from Brooklyn, Dan, however, was not very upset, because for him was important career. He wanted to receive a decent salary to help his beloved family.

So Dan collected things, said goodbye to his family, bought a ticket to Oldwood and went on an independent life.

Chapter 1. Arrival

Dan safely reached Oldwood. The train was very hot, but there were not many people. Dan tried to sleep on the train, but he could not do it, because he could not stop thinking about the upcoming internship.

Leaving the station, Dan decided to sit on the bench, take a breath. The street was warm enough, 25 degrees Celsius. So he was hot: he wore a jacket, jeans and sneakers. This is because when Dan left Brooklyn, it was a little rain and Dan dressed warmly.

Sitting on a bench, Dan saw a newsagent near the station. He decided to buy a couple of newspapers with ads on renting a house.

Approaching the kiosk, Dan asked:

– Excuse me, can I have a couple of newspapers with ads?

“Of course,” said the woman, who was selling newspapers. – Anything else?

“A pack of Marlboros, please.”

Dan bought the newspaper, went back to the bench, lit a cigarette, and began to look for a place to settle for the internship.

Polistav little newspaper, Dan drew attention to the fact that prices for homes in this city were much lower than that in his homeland, in Brooklyn. That was good news. But still he did not want to spend a lot of money on rent, so he chose the two cheapest options. He circled the phone number in the newspaper, looked at a couple more ads, finished and went to the phone booth.

Dan put the coin in the phone, dialed the number and waited for an answer. For a long time no one raised, when suddenly a man answered.

– Yes?

– Good day, you rent a house? Dan asked.

“Yes,” answered the man, coughing occasionally.

“Can I make an appointment?”

– Of course. Green Street 28. I’ll be waiting for you.

– Thank you. See you!

Dan was delighted that he already has a house. He was impatient to see him as soon as possible. The young man caught a taxi:

“Green Street 28,” he told the taxi driver.

– Go.

Chapter 2. Home sweet home

Dan drove in a taxi, when suddenly he saw the street on which the house is from the ad.

– Stop here, please!

Dan paid for the taxi and went to look at the house, in which he, possibly, will spend the time of the whole internship. Approaching the door, Dan heard a dog barking in the house. He knocked. After a couple of seconds, on the threshold appeared a short stature, a slightly plump man, looking about fifty years old.

– Hello! I called you …

– Ah, it’s you … Come on.

In appearance the house was in good condition, with traces of recent renovation, clean and tidy.

“Let me show you the house,” the owner of the house continued the conversation and led Dan into the first room. – Here is the kitchen.

The kitchen was in good condition, with all conveniences: a kitchen cupboard, a table with chairs, a refrigerator, a gas cooker, dishes, cutlery. A large old clock hung over the table. Dan was completely satisfied.

Then they went into the living room. There was a large sofa, a coffee table, two armchairs, bookshelves with a radio and a TV set.

Then the host showed Dan a bedroom. It contained a closet, a large bed, a table, a bedside table, a mirror, a couple of photographs and pictures. Dan more and more like this house.

“Well, everything suits me,” Dan began, when the owner of the house interrupted him.

– I almost forgot to say. You see, he hesitated, they did repairs in the house and did not have time to connect water and sewerage. Actually, therefore, and such a meager price.

Dan was very upset. How can he live in a house where there is no water? How to cook food, take a shower, go to the toilet, after all?

– No, sorry. Your house does not suit me, “Dan said and headed for the door.

– As you know…

Dan was very upset. He liked the house so much, but it turned out … Well, there is one more option.

Dan lit up, sighed and headed for the phone booth. “Above the nose!” He thought to himself.

Reaching the next street around the corner, Dan saw a telephone booth. He went inside, put in a coin and began dialing a phone number.

– Yes? I’m listening to you, “was heard at the other end of the line.

– Hello! I’m about the announcement. Do you rent a house?

“Yes,” answered the woman.

“Can I make an appointment?”

– Oh sure. Empire Bay 15.

– Good. I’ll arrive soon.

– I will be waiting for you.

What a nice woman, thought Dan.

***

Arriving in Embyre Bay, Dan immediately saw the house. It was a large two-story building on a mountain, with a balcony and a terrace. It was even somewhat strange that this house is one of the cheapest in the city. However, maybe there is something in it, for example, as with the old house.

At the terrace, Dan was met by an elderly woman aged 60—65. She was dressed in dark slippers, a dark blue skirt, a light blouse and a dark, under the color of shoes, a bowl-kettle.

– Hello! I called you.

– Hello! I immediately understood. Are you not local?

“Yes, I’m from Brooklyn.”

– Wow so far! She was surprised.

“I was just sent to you for an internship, to your city,” Dan explained.

– Got it. Well, welcome!

They entered the house. Traces of recent repairs were not observed, rather the reverse. However, it should be noted that it was quite clean and cleaned.

First they went to the kitchen. There was a table, chairs, a refrigerator, a stove, a toaster, kitchen cabinets, dishes and two small pictures above the table. The sun shone right out the window and Dan liked it. He loved it when he was a child when the sun was in the house.

Then the woman offered to go into the living room. There was a big sofa, an old TV set, a closet. In the middle of the room was a table with chairs. In the corner stood a grand piano.

After that they went up to the bedroom. There was a large bed, a huge old wardrobe made of oak, shelves and a rocking chair.

At the end, the hostess showed Dan a bathroom.

“Excuse me, is there water?” Dan asked.

– Of course, of course! – the woman was indignant.

Dan really liked the house, and even for such a ridiculous price. How lucky he was!

– Well, everything suits me perfectly.

– Great. You, I understand, for a long time with us?

“That’s right,” Dan replied.

– Perfectly!

Dan paid the amount, a nice elderly woman gave him the keys and left. “Home sweet home!” Dan sighed with relief.

Chapter 3. The first working day

Early July morning. The sun was about to rise. The streets of Oldwood are singing birds. It seems that the whole city is happy with the warm summer morning. Dan woke from the voice outside the window, which swore loudly. It was his neighbor. He scolded his dog, who once again chewed on the fresh newspapers that the mailman had just brought.

After a bit of lying in the bed, Dan began to gather in the medical hospital – the place of his internship. Today he had to arrive there by 10 o’clock in the morning. He washed himself, prepared a strong black coffee and began to gather in the hospital. Dan liked shirts more than other clothes, so he put it on her. It was a size bigger, so it hung slightly. Under a white shirt Dan wore a black tie, and under black trousers he put on shoes with a small heel. Dan did not like shoes very much, because he was not comfortable with them, but on the first day of his internship he still decided to wait a little. Dan drank his cold coffee, polished his shoes and went to the hospital. He was two blocks from Dan’s house, so Dan decided to walk.

Arriving at the hospital, he noticed an interesting feature of the building: it looked very modern for those places. Entering the hospital, Dan greeted the guard:

– Good morning!

– Hello, sir.

– You do not tell me whom to contact me? The fact is that I was sent to you for an internship …

“Ah, it’s you,” the guard said. – I was warned about you. Rise to the second floor in the office number 27. They will help you there.

– Many thanks!

Dan went to the office number 27 and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” was heard from the inside.

Dan went into the study:

– Good morning! I was sent to you for an internship from Brooklyn.

“Dan Smith, if I’m not mistaken?” Asked the woman in a medical gown and glasses, about fifty years old.

– That’s right.

“Aimee Jones, head physician at the Oldwood Medical Hospital,” she said.

– Very nice.

They shook hands. Amy asked Dan about how he got there, whether he likes the city and what he thinks about the hospital. Dan replied that he was satisfied with everything. Then Amy Jones told him about the hospital, about his history. It turns out that it was built in the 18th century! And the appearance of the building so you will not tell. After that, the head physician showed him the hospital.

“And here you will conduct your internship.” She pointed to room number 18. “This is the cardiology room.”

Dan studied on the specialty of “cardiology” and therefore he had to work here.

Amy and Dan went into the study. At the table sat a doctor of about thirty or thirty-five with a shaved head and a small beard of a large build. He put down the folder with the documents, stood up and held out his hand to Dan:

– Jim Richards.

“Dan Smith,” Dan shook his hand.

– This is the head of the department of cardiology Dr. Richards. He will supervise you.

Further, Amy Jones briefly gave directions to Dr. Richards about the forthcoming work and went into her office. At this time, Dr. Jim Richards and Dan talked a little about life, about the hospital, about work and about every little thing. Dan liked to talk with Dr. Richards, because his voice was very calm and it was relaxing.

After lengthy discussions about everything in the world, Dr. Richards gave Dan the first assignment. It was relatively simple: to get acquainted with the personal affairs of the patients of the cardiology department. This was the only assignment for today. It seemed easy for Dan, however it was exhausting: the patients in the department were about twenty-five and it was necessary to study each case.