When Natalie had told Jean to head downstairs after he was done with his preparations, Jean expected to have some chores to perform before they could commence with their tour. This was due to the fact that Natalie mentioned that his services were required.
But he was astounded when Natalie asked him if he was ready for the tour. A clear signal that the tour was on a brink of getting started.
Although, he was eager for the tour, he still had some doubts to clear.
Looking up to face Natalie, Jean blinked a couple times.
"Mom, can I ask you something?"
With a complicated look, Natalie glanced at Jean.
"Yes, of course."
Jean lingered for a moment.
"When you told me to come down stairs, you said that my service was needed down here. If you can make me understand, which service was that?"
Natalie glanced at Jean with an amused expression.
"What were you expecting?"
With a stutter, Jean stated,
"To… to clean the…. floor or maybe prepare breakfast. But when I descended down here, the first thing I noticed was that the floor was sparkling clean. Then moments later, I realized that you had already prepared the breakfast."
Natalie remained silent for a while and suddenly burst into laughter. This action from Natalie made Jean frown with resentment, after which he looked down in embarrassment.
'What is funny about what I just said?'
After a few moments of grave silence, Natalie scoffed and studied the surroundings.
"The floor, although you could clean it, but you would have been a bit slower, and the work itself is exhausting. However, on the other side, I don't doubt your culinary skills. I taught you quite early, and as a result, you have accumulated enough experience. Despite all that, there is something that you are missing. You are lacking in terms of knowledge, when it comes to handling modern kitchen appliances."
She then paused for a while.
It was true that Jean was taught how to cook quite early by Natalie. He had just turned seven when he was subjected to the first cooking lesson. At first, Jean perceived it as punishment, but when his mom started coming late from work, he came to understand how important those culinary skills were to him, and his family at large.
He could cook early when he was back from school, and wait for his mom to return so that they could have supper together. By doing so, he was saving his mom the headache of having to cook before attending to any other important matter. This increased the bond between the two, and as a result, Jean grew to love cooking. During his cooking sessions, he used local means of cooking and this included; the usage of local utensils, majorly made of clay. And cooking with firewood and at times stove. It wasn't an easy experience, but still, Jean managed to utilize whatever was at his disposal, at the time.
Which one is hard, using local means of cooking or utilizing the modern ones? The answer was just clear. But, in order to utilize it, Jean needed tutoring to some extent. That's where Natalie comes in.
She then added…
"Putting all that into consideration, there was no way I could subject you to such. But there is one thing that you are going to do."
Feeling a bit startled, Jean blinked a couple times.
Turning to face in the direction of the Kitchen, Natalie smiled with the corners of her mouth.
"…the dishes. Immediately we are done with the first face of the house tour, you need to clean them."
With a stifled smile, Jean nodded.
'I knew it. She wasn't going to let me just be.'
***
Some moments later, two figures were walking along a corridor with several doors on either flank. This corridor was located on the left side of the living room from the main entrance. Standing adjacent to one of the doors, Jean wore a complicated look.
As if noticing Jean's sudden change of mood, Natalie glanced at him with curiosity.
Sighing heavily, Jean's gaze turned distant.
"Mom, there is something else I would like to ask you."
Natalie took a few steps forward and stopped next to a door, prompting Jean to follow suit. Shifting her gaze from the door on her left to Jean, Natalie's eyes narrowed.
"You with these endless questions of yours."
Paused for a moment, then added.
"Anyway, this tour is a chance for you to learn about our new home and question me about anything concerning the tour. Come on, bring on the question."
In a gallant tone, Jean asked:
"The furniture in the dining area. Where did they come from? Because the last time I checked, the space was empty."
Natalie hesitated and turned in the direction of the door standing next to them.
"Here…"
With a perplexed expression, Jean glanced at Natalie.
"…Huh!"
'Is she implying that the furniture came from here… this door.'
At that moment, Natalie extended her hand and turned the knob of the door in front of them. She then gestured at Jean to push the door open.
'Why me and not her? Maybe she wants me to confirm…'
With that thought still lingering in his mind, he stepped forward and pushed the door open. Immediately his eyes caught what lied behind the door, he flinched. All his sight could catch was a veil of impenetrable darkness that nested within the walls of the room.
'How eerie!'
Giving way for Natalie who looked indifferent to his reaction. She nonchalantly stepped forward and entered the room. In the next minute, a button clicked, and in an instance, the veil of darkness within the room was decimated, leaving no trace. Stepping closer to the doorway, Jean studied the room with a complicated look.
On the furthest end from the door he was standing, a double metallic door stood. The right side of the room was empty. The left side where Natalie was standing, there was something, covered in an impenetrable fabric.
Standing close to the door, with one of her hands fixed on the switch, Natalie glanced at Jean.
"Step in, if you really need to clear your doubts."
Jean was dazed for a moment. Walking into the room vigilantly, he fixed his gaze on a heap that was covered by the impenetrable fabric standing on the left side of the room.
'What could be that?'
Almost simultaneously, Natalie approached the heap. She then spared Jean a glance and suddenly pulled the fabric off the heap.
This action made Jean to shudder. But after seeing what was lying under the fabric, that was now on the floor, he was amused.
There were some furniture and some other things such as canvases of old paintings and drawings. Unlike the other parts of the house that Jean had managed to visit, this place was somehow dusty. Jean noticed this when he approached the collection of items and touched one of the paintings.
'Now I see. This must have been the place where mom picked the furniture from. This looks like the main store for this house.'
This was indeed the main store for the house. Its design and appearance could explain everything.
Its floor was somewhat rough, and it was made from pebble like tiles. Its walls were bleak and it was spacious in terms of size. Its size though smaller than Natalie's room, it was close to it.
Although he was sure with his guesses, his consciousness couldn't allow him to remain mute. Without looking, Jean blurted.
"The furniture in the dining area must have come from here."
Natalie smiled at Jean reassuringly, and then nodded.
"Now you know."
With that, silence settled between them. Everyone acting busy for some few moments.
A few moments later, Jean had grabbed one of the ancient paintings and was now staring at it curiously. He was about to ask a question, when he noticed Natalie standing at the door with her back facing him. She looked like she was about to leave.
After a few moments of silence, Natalie turned around and faced Jean.
"Any question?"
Slowly lowering the painting in his hands back to its initial position, Jean glanced in Natalie's direction. He then made a few steps towards her and stopped.
"Hmm! This is a store, isn't it, mom?"
Natalie straightened her hair and snorted.
"According to you, what do you think it is?"
Jean's face paled.
'Responding to my question with another question. This is irritating.'
He then scratched the back of his head.
"It looks like one to me."
"What else would you like to know?"
Pointing in the direction of the double metallic door, Jean lingered.
"Do that door open to the outside of the house?"
A little perplexed, Natalie wore a complicated look.
"Of course, it does. It is the most used. Because of their broad breadth, they can accommodate wider items and tools."
With a frown, Jean stared at the door for some moments.
"…but how comes I didn't notice it when we were walking in, because if I am right, they are in the same direction as the entrance door."
Crossing her arms and leaning on the frame of the wooden door with one of her shoulder, Natalie scoffed.
"Oh! That, there is a wall between the porch and the doors. But that might have not prevented you from noticing the door. What prevented you was the fact that the exterior of the door was painted the same color as the wall. Therefore, the door camouflages with the wall. Somebody can easily mistake it as a part of the wall."
With a startled expression, Jean blinked severally.
'Why did the former owner had to do that?'
Jean was confused by the fact that he didn't notice the metallic door of the store from the gate because it was painted the same color as the wall. Why would anyone do that? What was the intention behind the idea?
But who knows, maybe it was just the former owner's preference that ended up creating something this remarkable.
----(😊)----