The House on Mill Lane

Clara and Tom buy an old house on Mill Lane. It needs a lot of work. The expert writes a list. “Repair the roof before winter,” he says. “And check the wires.”

Clara and Tom are not good at practical jobs. A builder repairs the roof. An electrician puts in new wires in the spring. In June, the kitchen is new and the windows are clean. “If we do everything ourselves, the house falls down,” Tom jokes.

The neighbours are curious. An old woman says, “The house was a flour mill. People say there is a secret room behind the chimney.” Clara laughs, but Tom looks at the wall.

A week later, the builder phones. “There is something behind the chimney,” he says. It is a small wooden box. Inside, there are letters, a pair of glasses and a photo of the mill with fifteen workers.

A woman from the museum comes to see it. “The letters are very old,” she says. “They go to the museum.” Clara and Tom say yes, but they want copies for the house.

That evening, the house is quiet. The photo hangs over the fireplace. Now the house is not only a job. It is a place with a story.