It was one telephone call that would kick off a chain of events, events that would rock Samuel's world.
He was sat, shoulders back in a long armchair eating some porridge with a couple of raspberries on top to bring flavour to his food. Samuel was the type of person that always liked to jazz things up, whether it was food or just a bookcase, he would find a way to bring life and colour into them.
The TV showed the latest news but there was nothing to celebrate. The news always showed sad things and often put a damper on Samuel's day. He considered himself quite lucky having a roof over his head, that consisted of a small but cosy flat in the centre of a city. Having been a resident of this flat for a couple of years, Samuel liked to live through each day comfortably and with ease.
The clock had just timed eight in the morning when the phone on the table next to him rang.
Samuel paused with surprise. No-one called him at this time in the morning.
Carefully placing his porridge down, he slowly picked up and handset and placed to his ear, "Hello?"
"Is that Samuel Dodds?" asked a female voice.
Samuel's heart started to beat that little bit faster, "Yes, that is me."
"Excellent." replied the voice, "My name is Sally Pools and I work for a genealogist research company, we trace heirs to estates of the deceased."
Samuel frowned, "Um, no-one that I know who is close to me has died recently. The only person who has died recently was my mother and that was six years ago!"
Sally at the other end picked up, "This estate has nothing to do with your mother, it is to do with your great grandfather."
'Great grandfather?' thought Samuel in bemusement, "But I thought he died in the First World War?'
"Hello?" asked Sally.
Samuel sighed, "Yes, I'm still here."
"The reason that we've traced you and called you is because you are the only heir to your great grandfather's estate. He was in residence of a country house, a large one in a small countryside village. Therefore, you are entitled to it."
Samuel's mind began to ache, "Did you say a large country house?"
Sally sighed impatiently down the other end of the phone, "Yes, not in the best condition unfortunately but it has been given to you."
"Well, is there anything else that I need to do?" asked Samuel.
"Someone from our company will drop some paperwork round for you to sign," said Sally, "And then, the house is all yours!"
Paperwork to sign? A new house in a place which Samuel had never heard of let alone been to?
"Thank you for your time." she quickly added before hanging up the phone.
Samuel stared at the TV in a dumbfounded silence. What a surprise to hit him and so early in the morning too!
"All I can say," spoke Samuel aloud, "Is that Sally lady was a tad bit impatient!"
He stared down at his porridge which had turned soggy, his breakfast ruined before it was half finished.
"Damn porridge!" cursed Samuel as he stomped towards the kitchen taking the porridge with him.
As he pulled the porridge into the bin and washed the bowl up, he felt sweating on his forehead and his black hair damp. It couldn't have come from talking to a woman right? He wasn't into romance, love and all that stuff.
"I must be feeling like this because of the country house part," said Samuel, "I just don't want to leave the city."
As the sun shone down over the tall buildings in the distance, Samuel looked at himself in the mirror propped up on the hallway wall. His face looked like it had been aged after that call of five or even ten years. Frownlines had formed on the top of his forehead, his glasses caused a small mark to place on the side of his nose. This wasn't Samuel's usual look and all of this new information had triggered that.
And he did need to look his best for all of this and not like a lazy dog because it was going to be a special time. In reality, he would be learning about the great grandfather that he didn't really know lots about.
"Time for a wash I think." thought Samuel as he staggered towards the bathroom and clutched the handle as if his life depended on it.
Cold water seeped down his neck as he struggled to make sense of things. He was only young, no millionaires in his life and certainly no wealthy friends. But then again, a mystery was coming his way and to do that, he needed the house.
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