The locals from Away

Just as they came, they disappeared into the night. The rain beat down on a dark parking lot with only two familiar cars parked. I sat for a long time thinking about the strange occurrences that had happened that afternoon. It would be a while before the family would return so I had the luxury of puzzling in quiet for a few hours.

As with every guest, I try to steal a few moments to sit and talk. Ask some innocent questions. Or at least they may seem to be innocent. The single dad with his wired son. He was unsure of his address at check in. I recall him trying very hard to remember which one to to use. "Don't worry about it" I said, "Happens all the time". I could hear the satire echo in my mind. Who doesn't remember where they came from that morning........

At last, in the upper dining room, over a big black cup of coffee, dad started to relax. With each sip of coffee he talked more. Until a picture began to emerge. One for the story books. "My wife left us last month" He said. "She had the job, insurance, checkbook and took care of all the bills" "ooooh" I replied not sure if I wanted to open up this chapter. But....after all what else have I to do.

"Left huh" I said. Using a perfect mirroring technique to not really ask questions but to urge him to continue.

"Yes, she took care of everything. But left us with nothing. We had to move out and find an apartment. I only had enough money for one month rent. When I get back I will have to find some work" a long pause " I don't know" He said straight into the bottom of his coffee.

"More?" I said, refilling his cup. "I wonder who's paying for this room" I thought to myself.

"I can barely take him anymore. I apologize if he gets out of line." he said

"Hey, I got kids too, I know what they can do."

"No..... You don't." " If I give him his medication to early than we can't go out tonight, if I give it to him to late, than I won't be able to go to sleep tonight."

"Wow, I said, that's gotta be tough"

The dad shook his head. I felt for him, really I did. But this story just added to my confusion of the family and their history. Now we add a beaten dad, left with an over medicated son, no place to go, one month rent money and the best thing is to spend a chunk of his rent money on a room in my Inn. Good thing I had the sisters credit card. I was guessing at this point that she might pick up the tab. It turned out later that I was right.

I was going to have to find out more about this family. The quiet grandpa, stilled with an unknown trauma, the domineering sister who control's everything even the conversion, the sports fan husband who knew nothing of sports and the dad caught up more tragic events than bad romance novel. All traveling across the country for a one night cookout and returning home the next day.

I had made up my mind that I would wait up for them to return and see how there cookout went. A cookout indeed. Hidden away in the western Maine mountains was more than a charcoal fire and a couple of wieners.


When I return, a twist, they have returned to the Inn and I of course was listening.

The Opening of the Top of the Crest

Today the new mattresses arrived for the "Top of the Crest". This a new space on the third floor of the Inn which will be used next summer for longer stay guests. The Top of the Crest has two bedrooms, Bathroom and fully equipped kitchen.

I have been wondering again about the Family who arrived for a single night from all parts of the county. They toted along an elderly man who spoke very little. Either by design or by some mental deficiency was he unable to speak. But his eyes said more than he ever could have. It appeared as though he was attempting to communicate by just looking. I starred at him quietly only for a few moments. But it was enough for him to tell me that he had a story to tell. Was this seemingly last minute trip just a circumstance or was it planned well in advance and by design. My mind wandered about this. The silent aged father figure, the young tired brow beaten dad with the equally tired son suffering from over medication. The domineering wife and yet another submissive husband who showed the most interest in watching the latest sports scores. He seemed to watch anything sports but knew nothing of the teams. Carrying on in a relentless tirade about players from bygone years and teams that no longer existed and cities that no longer had pro games. Did he watch the same game I did? It was in front of him but he saw nothing. Just like the grandfather, he saw everything but could show you nothing. Beneath all of this was an underlying fear.

Fear of what I thought. I had to pose some innocent questions to each in some privacy and then compare the answers.

When I return, I'll tell you the answers to some disturbing questions I had not asked.

It has now been 6 weeks since we took over the PineCrest Bed and Breakfast Inn. A plan that took several years to create sprung into action in just a few short weeks .

So here we are, in Gorham Maine, the only Inn in town, a beautiful 1825 home, convenient to all and known to none. I believe that everything happens for a reason although the reason may never become fully known to us. Why did we end up here when so many other attempts failed. Yes, I'm aware that Edison invented 2000 ways not make a light bulb. But in the end, we have light don't we. Ok, In this end, we have an Inn. And guests. So that's a step, right.

The list of Inns we've looked at over the years was to say the least, long and interesting. From abandoned beautiful properties in the middle of nowhere to smelly-not-so-nice ones in the middle of everything. (Names left out to protect the guilty.)

What you will find here in this InnBlog are my thoughts of this adventure. I don't know, but my wife and I may be the youngest innkeepers in the state of Maine. Certainly my assistant innkeepers are. Abby, age 9 and Zoe, age 7, have become our assistants in "All-Things-Inn" They help with cooking and serving, cleaning and even have the arduous task of playing with the guests children.

I may even write about some strange guests, like the family who showed up for a night on a seemingly secret trip. They came from all over the US, for one night, some driving a dozen hours to get here. For a cookout? I don't think so. I think they might have committed some horrible act and rejoin each other once a year to re-commit their code of silence. What did they do? Why the secret trip. I know. I will tell more in the days to come.

InnBlog, out.