The Post It Notes

The Post It Notes

The hard times started 2 years ago in a small town in Kentucky. “We”, my friend and I were living there, and had been for almost 29 years. My friend owned a very nice mobile home, and had completely paid it off and was looking forward to retirement. You know how it is; you work hard all your life, looking forward to the day that you can, for the first time in your life, set back and enjoy the fruits of all your labor over the years. The park we lived in consisted of approximately 60 homes. I admit some were not up to par but within each home there lived a family. Most of the residences consisted of young families with small children. Then there were several of us old timers that had seen the park in its hay day when the town was not as busy. You see, it was said to be growing, the town that is. Some of these homes were owned and others were rentals. Some were taken care of and some were passed through. I am sure at one time or another you have all been in a trailer park for one reason or another.

It was the first of October, and we were looking forward to the holidays. There was a cold snap in the air. Something didn’t feel right. The Lady that owned the park had passed away 2 months before and left the property to a nephew. Along the highway, outside the park someone had put up a for sale sign. We didn’t think too much about it as we had been through this once before and we thought they wouldn’t sell it out from under us. On the third of October all 60 families received a certified letter in the mail giving us exactly 30 days to vacate the property. Because he didn’t want to fool with the maintenance and upkeep that was involved in owning a park, “so it is said” Everything was to be gone; lots were to be left clean. The news paper was contacted and lawyers were called, but always the same story. “There was nothing we could do”. Friends and family called offering prayers and verbal support. But no one seemed to know what we should do. Others were in the same predicament we were in. Some were lucky enough to have family to go to. Others had money and bought new homes in other parks. Some didn’t. Some had no reason to fight and gave up. My family wanted me out here with them. I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet anyway.

We thought about moving to another park but the mobile home although 23 years old looked good, it didn’t fit the rules of the nicer parks and they wouldn’t accept us. One park said they would take us, but where they wanted to put us was down in a holler. I, at the time was not able to climb up and down the slope they showed us. So we thought hard and started packing everything that meant anything to us, and giving away what didn’t. My friend ended up selling her retirement home for little or nothing. And we started a new journey. Her little piece of Heaven was gone. Everyone that saw her lot called it that.

We moved in with her nephew temporarily, it was said that another nephew had planed on buying us a house, and we were to live there till we died or were unable to care for ourselves. We were even going to be able to keep our dog and cat. Our dog was with us at the time but my cat was with a friend temporarily. When the time came for us to go into nursing homes the house would be used for rental or a retirement home for them. We were flabbergasted. When we walked into the house it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. There were 2 sisters and me and there was a 3 bedroom house, plenty of room for us all. We had all of our furniture moved in and things were slowly falling into place. For the first time in months, we were happy. Then the bomb dropped again. We had to move. The nephew couldn’t afford the house due to cut backs at his job. He came in trying to find another job. But his family was at home in another state and things were not working out the way he would like, so he had to go back home. We knew things would never be the same.

I was told that I had to move out with my son. I had declined in my health due to all that was going on in our lives. Really I think deep down inside we both had. We missed our church and friends we had made, and most of all we missed our home. I guess you could say we were set in our ways. My friend ended up going to Florida and is living with the sister that was to share the house with us. They will soon be moving back to Kentucky and their family. And due to my health problems I am now living with my son and his family. I know you have all wondered what had happened to me. I thought I would take a few moments and fill everyone in on what has been happening. I no longer have my kitty, Salem. She is still with my friend. I miss her immensely, but she is loved where she is. My journey is not over, it has just begun. I still hear from dear friends, and I have pictures to look at, although I need no one to jog my memory. My friend is somewhat contented, and I am sure she will be much happier when they get where their going. I keep telling her, were too old for all this excitement. We had often spoken about setting on the front porch in our rickety rocking chairs, in our old age and watching the sun set. I am afraid we will never see that day. We are both in the hands of the good LORD now. And HE provides.

After arriving here, I have had a lot of things to get used too. I have a very nice room and all my things around me. I have a loving family. They have a kitty, so I am not all alone. I am still very home sick and there are many times I find myself crying, or just depressed. I have my good days and I have my bad. The other morning after having a very rough day, I started noticing little things. Post it notes was turning up in odd places, with cute and quaint sayings. One was a smiley face, and another said “smile”, another “I love you”, a note on the chalk board said “I love my family”. It seems as if I were being sent messages. I asked my daughter-in-law and it turned out that my grand-daughter had done it and had been doing it for many years. They would lift the toilet seat and there would be “I love you”. In the fridge, on the stove, the bedroom door, nothing was sacred; the post it notes found their way all over the house and car. I have a special cupboard where I have my cereal and snacks, and that’s where I found the post it note with “I love you”. I had seen it but overlooked it, and it finally smacked me across the cheek and I cried. It hit home, “I would be ok”. GOD through my grand-daughter had gotten through to me. My journey was over, I will be fine, I am loved.

@K.L. Farnum

The photo's you see are taken on the property we called a little piece of Heaven.

Story ID:	3080
Written by:	K. L. Farnum (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Story
Writers Conference:	$500 2007 Family Memories Writing Project
Location:	Dry Ridge Ky. U.S.A.
Year:	2007
Person:	Me