Rip - Trust (Completed)

A House is not a Home

The boy followed Robert upstairs. The house really was massive. From what he could see there were three floors. Downstairs so far, he had seen the study to the right, and to the left he had noticed a long dining table. Beyond that a big fireplace with three big sofas and a few armchairs around it. 

Upstairs Robert pointed him to the first door to the left of the wide staircase they had just come up on. He was stunned when behind it, he found he was not just in a room but in a little two storey apartment. In front of him was another set of narrow stairs going up, a bathroom to the right and galley kitchen to the left under the stairs. Behind this a small space with a breakfast table and two chairs, and then the room opened up into a big open space. 

Robert nodded, encouraging him to walk all the way in. "You'll be sharing this with me" he said. "My room and bathroom are upstairs". He pointed at the kitchenette. "If you're ever hungry outside mealtimes, you can make yourself something here, we have a chef, Bernard, who looks after the main family meals. He doesn't like it when we use his kitchen." 

He nodded again, for the boy to go on in further. "This used to be Lee's bedroom, he moved out when he got married several years ago. He has a farm a few hours' drive from here. There was a door here separating the kitchen from the bedroom, but I had it taken out a while back to make it feel more like a living room. I can get the carpenter to come up and have it put back in if you like, but it won't happen right away." 

Rip looked around; he was unsure about this arrangement but didn't say anything. The idea of not having a door to close behind him at night made him feel uneasy. He put the black bin bag on the bed and sat down on it. It seemed comfortable. The duvet and pillows smelled fresh and felt crisp to touch. Rip didn't say anything. He didn't want to be here. Everything was strange and awkward. At the same time, he was glad not to be in the home anymore. 

"What's out here?" he asked pointing at the glass door beside the bed. "This is the nice part of your bedroom" Robert said and smiled, "It leads out to the balcony. From here you can see the whole valley. This is a really nice place to sit and watch the stars at night or have coffee in the morning." 

He opened the door and beckoned the boy to follow him. It was breath taking alright, even at night in the moonlight.

Robert turned back towards the house and pointed to the right and said, Jacob is next door. Samuel still has his bedroom up there" he pointed to a window one flight up to the right, and then straight above "that's my bedroom window up there". The boy nodded. "Jamie's bedroom is last." Robert told him, pointing to the end of the balcony. 

"Christ, how many of you are there?" Rip asked, immediately lowering his head when he realised what he had said and how.

There was no show of emotion as Robert told him, "There is six of us, Rip. Jacob and I are the only ones who still live and work on the ranch with father. Samuel lives in the city. He's a teacher there. Jamie is a lawyer. He has an apartment and an office in the city but since his divorce he spends just as much time here. And then there is Beth, she travels a lot and has not been home for a while." 

"Where does your father sleep?" Rip asked.

"He's on the other side of the house. The balcony goes all the way around. Will I show you?" The boy shook his head. "Come on then, freshen up and we go back downstairs for something to eat," Robert instructed.

Rip got the bag from the bed and went into the bathroom, where he changed his clothes, washed his hands and face, and brushed his teeth. He stared in the mirror for a while. What next? He didn't want to be here. This was not his home. He didn't know where else he wanted to be either, but not here.