The Ranch 1
Apache

FOR SALE BY OWNER

The sign was on a small stick pushed into the ground at a slight angle.  I stopped my car and looked the place over.  The yard was as neat as a pin.  Flowers and neatly trimmed shrubs adorned the front and sides oh the house.  A red maple tree sat at middle left in the yard.  It had a red tile roof, not very common in this area.  I made up my mind right then to buy the place.

The reason I could buy the house was because, I had just inherited 17.5 million after taxes and lawyers fees.  It was safely tucked into interest bearing accounts at several banks in and around the city.

I got out of my car and walked up the drive to the house.  I rang the bell and a few seconds later a woman in her late sixties answered the door.

I asked if the place was still for sale.  She told me, "Yes, it still for sale.  Are you interested in buying it"?

I said, "Yes, I am interested".

She led the way and showed me a large living room, a dining room with a large table that would sit up to twelve.  On to the spotless kitchen.  It had every kind of gadget you could think of.  The bath was next, large but nothing special except for the large shower.  Next we went down a long hall.  It had a door on the end an two on the right and one on the left.  The end door opened on the back porch and a big back yard.  I could see a vegetable garden at the back of the lot.  Next we went into one of the doors on the right. It was a large bedroom and bath combo.  She told me that the other bedroom on this side was a mirror image of this room.  Next into the last door.  The room was huge.  It had to be, because it had the biggest bed I had ever seen in it.

She led me to the kitchen, and sat me at the table.  She sat across from me and said, "I have no idea what this house is worth, but I need to get rid of it.  My husband passed on just over six months ago, and it's too big for me to take care of."

I said, "I want to give you fair market value for the place.  Let me use the phone to call an appraiser, and my lawyer".

She got me the phone and I made a call.  I spoke to my lawyer and asked him to get an honest appraiser and himself to the house ASAP. 

Three hours later, the house was mine at a cost of two hundred and twenty thousand dollars. 

I told the lady that she could take as long as she wanted to move out.  She said, "I'll be out of here by nine AM tomorrow. 

I asked her, "What about the furnishings".

She replied, "I thought you understood, I sold you the house as is". 

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The next day at about nine fifteen, she called me and said that she was out.

I drove from my small apartment to the house.  The sign was gone.

I pulled my Bright Red Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 into the drive and parked.  I got out and looked around.  A big three car garage was at the end of the driveway.  I looked inside and found a 1957 T-Bird hard top convertible.  It was in excellent condition.  Next to it was a 1960 Caddy four door.  Also in pristine condition.  The last thing in the garage shook me up.  It was a small home built air plane.  The wings were folded back, so as not to take up a lot of room. 

I went into the back door and found a note on the kitchen table.  It said, "Mr Johnson, the titles for the cars and plane have been signed over to you.  You will find them in the safe.  The combination is:  Turn the dial four turns counter clockwise to 36.  Then turn it two turns clockwise to 18.  Then turn it counter-clockwise to 45, and it will open.  All of the things in the house are yours, along with the tools in the garden shed at the back of the property.  Enjoy!"

I went out and checked the 'shed', it was 12 by 20, and held every power gardening and lawn tool known to man. 

Now all I had to do was go to my apartment and pack my clothing.  So I got in my truck and drove to my old apartment and packed all of my stuff.

Three hours later I was back in the house, with all of my gear put in the proper place.

I went into the kitchen to look around and make a sandwich.  In the refrigerator, I found part of a small roast of beef.  I found some home-made bread and cut two slices.  Roast beef on one slice and a little Mayo on the other.  Put them together.  Take a bite.  Excellent!  I enjoyed the sandwich more than anything I had eaten before.  The rest of the afternoon I just walked around the place looking things over.  Nothing seemed in need of any kind of repair. 

That evening I had some more of the roast, with some vegetables that had been cooked with the roast.

With all of the excitement of the day, I was getting tired.  So to bed early.  I slept like a log.