Recap, 1&2-Dorothy's childhood home filled with a lifetime of memories told every Sunday afternoon to Eric and Stacey Best. The new owners to whom Dorothy sold her beautiful home to for $ 1.00. They fell in live with the 100 year old house. It takes as much money to restore the house as what the home was valued at. That is why Dorothy sold it to them for that amount. Thus guaranteeing it's restoration. That was her goal above anything else. Worth every penny say Eric and Stacey.
Once the home was renovated. Dorothy was given a personal tour of her former home. She cried all the way through the tour. Eric and Stacey continue to visit Dorothy every Sunday at her assisted living facility. She tells them stories with so much passion about her old home, Stacey leaves upset. "It's not right" she explains to Eric. He ask "what do you wish to do?" "My wish is for her to come live with us" Stacey says. Dorothy is asked, she moves in with one stipulation. She is mentally sharp as ever, still running her many businesses, one ironically is the assisted living facility she is at. If at any time she becomes a burden she makes Eric and Stacey promise to bring her back to the home.
Eric and Stacey Best and Dorothy Elizabeth Vaughn are extremely happy in the 100 year old freshly restored home. Eric and Stacey make the observation that Dorothy seems to moving more fluidly. She tells them that she has an incentive now! Back living in her childhood home makes her feel renewed.
Eric has searched high and low for the trunk that is Dorothy's time capsule as she states it, with no success. Eric is in the basement cleaning up, that is where the majority of the work happened. He was sitting down taking a break looking around and he thinks to himself there was always a cellar years ago for storage of garden vegetables. It was cooler in the summer and below the frost line to keep from freezing in winter. He looks around and "Wa-La!" a piece of plywood lies against the wall. When he removes the plywood an old and very rickety door appears. Just as he suspected a cellar. After getting a flashlight he shines it into spider heaven. There it is! Dorothy's trunk. He pulls it out cleans it up and takes it upstairs. It contains her life of memories so she should be the one to rediscover her treasures.
Dorothy cries upon seeing the trunk and gives Eric a hug. "Thanh you" she says and opens it as if a 10 year old. We leave her alone with the time capsule of memories. She spends all afternoon, laughing, crying and reminiscing. She ask Stacey "please sit with me" and they they laugh together. It was simply amazing. The whole house is full of love.
Dorothy says all the excitement has taken a toll and she is going to bed. She takes a photo and a booklet, she seems to be carrying the 4 toed cane instead of it carrying her. Most unusual, I believe all the excitement and emotions have made her feel 20 years younger. I love it!
Dorothy reads the story that she wrote when she was a mere 12 years old about her first pet "Tiger. " He was a large orange male. He was just weaned when her father gave him to her. Tiger sleeps with her and they were always playing. Dorothy places his picture on her nightstand. She drifts off thinking about all the fun they had. She dreams about Tiger and can feel his fur as she strokes his back and hears him purring. Something wakes her up jumping into bed and walks to her side, the purring is familiar, she is not the least bit afraid. She rubs his back and falls back to sleep. As she wakes up she thinks what a dream! She has not dreamed so vividly since childhood.
Dorothy tells the dream at breakfast and Eric and Stacey smile. Later on they say the trunk has made a big impression on you thus sparking the realistic dream. Stacey and Dorothy look at pictures and Dorothy tells stories. All that reminiscing has wore her out, crying, laughing her heart is full of memories. The photograph or her and Tiger still lies on her nightstand. During the night she wakes once again to the sensation of something jumping on her bed and walking to her side. She reaches down and pets Tiger. His purr was ferocious and she would recognize it anywhere. She laughs I cannot be having the same dream. She reaches for her glasses, I would not be reaching for my glasses in a dream. Looking at the clock it is 1 A. M. I'm not dreaming so how can this be possible? My mind has to be playing tricks on me. It's so beautiful. I'll enjoy Tiger and keep it to myself. Eric and Stacey won't believe me. Me and Tiger together once more.
Dorothy, Eric and Stacey spend countless hours looking at memorabilia and listening to her discuss with so much enthusiasm all the details. They say to her later that her memory is amazing. Eric says "living here and reliving the trunk memories has improved her well being, have you noticed how much easier she is getting around." "Yes" replies Stacey.
Dorothy questions her health improvements. She doesn't understand and certainly is not going to knock it. She feels 20 years younger. One morning she decides I don't need that cane anymore and goes to breakfast without it. The look on Eric's face was priceless! "Wow look at our young girl" teases Eric.
"Glad to see you looking so chipper and feeling better without the cane" Stacey replies. "All thanks to you two, inviting an old cripple a place to live in you fine and I must emphasize a one of a kind home. It has much improved my outlook in more ways than I can ever repay" Dorothy says. Dorothy moves spryly over and gives us a kiss. "This has and will always be your home, you are the one that have instilled into us your lifetime of love, memories and help make your home our home" emphasizes Stacey. "Farther more we love you as if you are our mother." Dorothy cries, Stacey cries and big ol manly Eric wipes his eyes. "Well isn't this family togetherness" quips Eric.
Dorothy ask "since we're so full of love and while I feel so chipper how about you young-ins walk with me around your lovely property. I might not feel so chipper tomorrow." Eric and Stacey say "sure." We stroll under the gigantic old oaks to the rail-road where a young and curious Dorothy lay a penny on the tracks and thought that penny was about the funniest thing she had ever seen. She stops at one particular spot marked with a small boulder. This is where my father wanted to place a small family cemetery. It was approved by the county and I believe it to still be good. He for whatever reason he changed his mind. I wish to be buried here. Of course it is your property now and I harbor no ill will. Since I have no family and you two have no family what if the 3 of us make this our family plot.
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