Chapter Text
IT WAS January 1952, in New York lived Therese, an aspiring photographer, whom was newly married to Richard, she had no family, almost no friends and her previous job gave her no money, she didn’t love Richard as much as he loved her but she felt like getting married was the right thing to do at this age, since Therese’s mother-in-law lived in Ridgewood, and she wanted them to be close to the family, She asked Therese and she accepted, then she got Richard a job at his father’s material’s store as a manager, and she said to Therese she might find a job at the market because they were hiring.
Since then, they went to live in a small cottage in Murray Avenue, which has pretty country around, but the house contrasts with the other houses around it, it is very small, Therese thought. She soon realized that this was a neighborhood for wealthy people, and the small house she was moving into belonged to Richard's grandfather. The house was quite old, but she told herself that she would try to feel happy, and maybe it's not so bad living in a small town, maybe she would feel even better and manage to be fine.
In the car, Therese saw the streets and the houses extravagant with their New Year's party leftovers, everyone seemed to be tired from the night before but ready for another year, Therese wasn't scared, she had nothing to leave behind. She was taking her few possessions along with her little life to live in that little house, she felt like another one of Richard boxes, but she was used to it anyway, she never felt the love of her mom, and of course she stopped asking for it, and since she just gives people but expect nothing in return.
It was raining when they got to the house, Richard’s mom cleaned everything for them, and the house had some furniture already, Richard’s mom said she bought it from Gerhard’s, it was a furniture shop nearby,
“They refurbish very well” – Richard’s mom said, “It seems brand new, doesn’t it”
“Yes… and thank you one more time, I loved it” said Therese.
“Everything for my Richard, oh so grown up, with a wife already!”
“Oh mom, ha, thank you very much, I already feel like home” said Richard “I can’t wait to have children running around this country, and my wife also would love, don’t you honey?”
“Um, yes” said Therese suddenly shy, “Now would you excuse me I’m going to walk around to know the place better”
The houserooms were simple but outside had a backyard, with some wild flowers, she thought she might make a garden, but suddenly her sight was struck by the house in the back, it was much bigger, certainly from a wealthy family, and where she could see that it’s backyard had an S-shaped garden, a blue-green statue, and freshly cut bushes, around it she could see some chairs like it was being taken out from the New year’s party, but the rain came and no one was there for her to see, soon Therese saw a Bright Betsy doll in the mud, and soon assumed that a child lived there, she knew the doll because she had worked at a toy store for a short period of time.
So, it was late afternoon, and Richard’s parents were gone, there were only a few things left to put in their place, but they were tired, and the rain had stopped, in just a few minutes Therese decided to go on a stroll by herself, and Richard didn’t care because he was too tired. She went to the market, to see if they had a job, and they had a cashier spot, she would start next Monday, she also bought groceries and was going back when she saw the Gerhard shop, where her furniture was from.
She went in.