Karen
didn't know a single person she could talk to about this that
wouldn't call her crazy.
Karen walked to the basket. “Henie,
can you hear me?”
Henie's dull eyes opened wide.
“Yes, of course I can hear you. I have excellent
hearing.”
Karen stood over her. “What are you
doing in this basket?”
“I sleep in it sometimes,” Henie
said.
“Why? If robots sleep, there is a
comfortable bed in the room to lay down on,” Karen
declared.
“Of course, there is, dear. I just
got used to using this basket I guess, and it feels natural to me
now,” Henie said, sounding confused.
“I'm pretty sure this basket
wasn't in this bedroom when I bought the house. Where did it come
from?” Karen asked.
“The attic. I slid it down the
stairs to here so I could use it.”
Karen asked, “What was it doing in
the attic?”
“Well, that is something I'm not
supposed to know. I guess the family that lived here had a use for
it once in awhile so they just kept it handy,” Henie said, her
voice fading as she lost energy.
“Have you charged your battery
lately?” Karen asked.
Henie paused. “You know I've been
so busy I forget if I recharged or not.”
“Where is the attachment that
plugs in to you?” Karen asked.
“In the satchel in the bottom of
the closet,” Henie said and closed her eyes.
“Hey, don't space out on me yet.
Where do I plug it in on you?” Karen asked urgently.
“On my left side under my arm is a
plug in,” Henie said, her voice growing weaker.
Karen rushed to the closet, dug
under the clothes and tennis shoes in the satchel to find the cord.
She plugged one end into the outlet. After she rolled up Henie's
dress sleeve she plugged in the other end.
By that time, Henie looked so out
of it Karen wondered if she might be fixing her own
supper.
The phone broke the silence about
mid morning the next day. Karen answered. “Oh, hi, Mom.”
“How's it going in the house by
yourself? Do you want me to come out and help you tidy
up?”
“No, thanks, Mom. I've been doing
that believe it or not. While I've got you on the line, Mom. I'm
curious about something. Did we ever have a woman named Henie in
our family?”
“That would be my grandmother and
your great grandma. Her and her husband was the first ones to live
in your house. They built the house when they homestead the land.
Actually, her name was Henrietta. Why?”
“Oh, I found a picture in the
attic from a long time ago and wondered who the couple was. That's
all. Did you ever see a long wicker basket in the house? Maybe the
attic?” Karen asked.
“Sure I did. My goodness is that
creepy thing still in the house. That's the death basket. Years
ago, my grandparents used it for visitations in the living room
when someone in the family died. The attic is where they kept it
all right,” Helen remembered.
“I see,” Karen said.
“Is everything all right out
there? Why so many questions?”
Mom's radar is
working well today . “Just curious about
all the old things in the attic. Did you know the whole top floor
of this house is full of junk? It would take forever to clean that
stuff out and haul it off,” Karen groused.
“I'm sorry, but I didn't know. I
didn't ever have a reason to go up there. After your grandparents
died, your father and I didn't go check on the house much. Even
then we just checked to make sure the windows and doors were
locked. There's always a chance of a break in when a house is
empty.
Maybe you can find a few antiques
worth something so don't throw away anything without getting it
appraised first,” Helen cautioned.
Karen changed the subject. “Okay.
Mom, do you remember if at one time there was more outbuildings
besides the barn?”
Her mother paused to think. “Yes,
there were two small buildings. One was a chicken house and the
other a hog house I believe. The buildings finally collapsed. My
father burnt them. The buildings dated back to the beginning of the
farm. Why?”
“Oh, I drive by
didn't know a single person she could talk to about this that
wouldn't call her crazy.
Karen walked to the basket. “Henie,
can you hear me?”
Henie's dull eyes opened wide.
“Yes, of course I can hear you. I have excellent
hearing.”
Karen stood over her. “What are you
doing in this basket?”
“I sleep in it sometimes,” Henie
said.
“Why? If robots sleep, there is a
comfortable bed in the room to lay down on,” Karen
declared.
“Of course, there is, dear. I just
got used to using this basket I guess, and it feels natural to me
now,” Henie said, sounding confused.
“I'm pretty sure this basket
wasn't in this bedroom when I bought the house. Where did it come
from?” Karen asked.
“The attic. I slid it down the
stairs to here so I could use it.”
Karen asked, “What was it doing in
the attic?”
“Well, that is something I'm not
supposed to know. I guess the family that lived here had a use for
it once in awhile so they just kept it handy,” Henie said, her
voice fading as she lost energy.
“Have you charged your battery
lately?” Karen asked.
Henie paused. “You know I've been
so busy I forget if I recharged or not.”
“Where is the attachment that
plugs in to you?” Karen asked.
“In the satchel in the bottom of
the closet,” Henie said and closed her eyes.
“Hey, don't space out on me yet.
Where do I plug it in on you?” Karen asked urgently.
“On my left side under my arm is a
plug in,” Henie said, her voice growing weaker.
Karen rushed to the closet, dug
under the clothes and tennis shoes in the satchel to find the cord.
She plugged one end into the outlet. After she rolled up Henie's
dress sleeve she plugged in the other end.
By that time, Henie looked so out
of it Karen wondered if she might be fixing her own
supper.
The phone broke the silence about
mid morning the next day. Karen answered. “Oh, hi, Mom.”
“How's it going in the house by
yourself? Do you want me to come out and help you tidy
up?”
“No, thanks, Mom. I've been doing
that believe it or not. While I've got you on the line, Mom. I'm
curious about something. Did we ever have a woman named Henie in
our family?”
“That would be my grandmother and
your great grandma. Her and her husband was the first ones to live
in your house. They built the house when they homestead the land.
Actually, her name was Henrietta. Why?”
“Oh, I found a picture in the
attic from a long time ago and wondered who the couple was. That's
all. Did you ever see a long wicker basket in the house? Maybe the
attic?” Karen asked.
“Sure I did. My goodness is that
creepy thing still in the house. That's the death basket. Years
ago, my grandparents used it for visitations in the living room
when someone in the family died. The attic is where they kept it
all right,” Helen remembered.
“I see,” Karen said.
“Is everything all right out
there? Why so many questions?”
Mom's radar is
working well today . “Just curious about
all the old things in the attic. Did you know the whole top floor
of this house is full of junk? It would take forever to clean that
stuff out and haul it off,” Karen groused.
“I'm sorry, but I didn't know. I
didn't ever have a reason to go up there. After your grandparents
died, your father and I didn't go check on the house much. Even
then we just checked to make sure the windows and doors were
locked. There's always a chance of a break in when a house is
empty.
Maybe you can find a few antiques
worth something so don't throw away anything without getting it
appraised first,” Helen cautioned.
Karen changed the subject. “Okay.
Mom, do you remember if at one time there was more outbuildings
besides the barn?”
Her mother paused to think. “Yes,
there were two small buildings. One was a chicken house and the
other a hog house I believe. The buildings finally collapsed. My
father burnt them. The buildings dated back to the beginning of the
farm. Why?”
“Oh, I drive by
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