antithesis of my house

Driving my 99 VW one-door (the result of a collision with a semi) cabrio that also has what I call a cannon ball wound (a rust hole of such a size) down my street I come to a Caldwell Banker OPEN HOUSE sign. This is in front of the mansion on the street. Granted I live on a street with not a few luxurious water-front homes. But this one is the definition of extravagance. It was quite the street stopper not three years ago before they (whoever it is that lives here) had top name contractors, plumbers, landscape designers, chimney specialists, stone-work masons, state of the art gardeners, etc there to refurbish the place. Well...Thus it was I pulled my not quite yet a car that would qualify as a rust bucket but with just a little more salt spray from the Atlantic it could deserve such an appellation. I was careful not to pull such a car into the driveway of such a fortress of wealth. I would park descreetly up the street and walk in. It was a chance to visit this place that I would have to say is the antithesis of my 430 square foot cottage of old books, second hand wooden furniture, scuffed up wooden floors, and more old books.

I walked past the latest BMW and the sparkling black Lexus SUV (do they still call them SUV's when it is a Lexus?), past the Japanese cutleaf maple, past the dandelion free manicured lawn, by the carefully spaced holly, onto the exquisite stone walkway up to the door. Yes, the sign out front: "OPEN HOUSE" so really no need to knock. I opened the made to look old and worn door---much like high-end dungarees are nowadays---and walked boldly into the hall. I could have been inside the MFA---not because of the magnificent works of art on the walls---there was none---they were bare and white and clean---but because of the space. I don't remember now as I write but I would be willing to bet that I treaded upon a marble floor. Not because I particularly noticed the floor---but it was the all around marble feel of the place. Where my little cottage is wooden, this place was marble. Where my place was cramped with books, this place was spacious as a marble purgatory. Now, why did I just use that word? I suppose it was because it did feel like a purgatory in a sense. Especially when I turned the corner and came to two people in the vestibule at the other entrance (my house is a one entrance house). They looked at me as I 'ahemmed' and spoke actual words: "I imagine the open house is still going on?" The man with the kind face and the suit smiled and laughed good naturedly: "Ah, I'm so sorry, but the open house is over. It was just one for brokers." He shook his head and continued never losing the good nature that put me at some ease. "I just forgot to take in the sign. Sorry about that." The woman had a tight face and crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and her eyebrows were lined in thin italics emphasizing the fright and anger in her eyes. To her it seemed my innocent mistake was likened to a home invasion. I walked by them to the 'front door' (the other one could just as easily been accorded this privilege as well) and as I passed them the woman watched me as if I might have had been Jean Beljean and had some of the bishop's candlesticks and silver in my pockets. "I realize I freaked you out," I said to the woman's intensity that still watched me. I hoped that such an admission would at least lessen her irritation. It didn't seem to do so but might have even increased it.

Once outside I walked on the exquisite stonework, by the carefully spaced holly, by the japanese cutleaf maple, past the dandelion-free manicured lawn, through the Lexus-width opening in the stone wall, and over to my one-door cabrio with the cannon ball wound on the passenger side parked discreetly up the street, turned the key, and went around the block and parked and then entered my little cottage (some may call cramped) with the old books, second-hand furniture, scuffed up wooden floors, and more old books feeling a renewed appreciation for my space which even at 430 square feet feels to me at times like this as large as a universe.