Return to Tara

(a short story)

By

Linda Laughlin

  Charlotte was driving down the road with “Boo-boo Kitty’s” top down and the radio blaring, she really loved her yellow Volkswagen convertible. She didn’t come this way often, but it was a beautiful day and she was enjoying the warm sun. Suddenly there it was, sitting on a large lot, her dream come true: “Tara”. It wasn’t exactly like the Tara in the movie because the exterior was of rose colored brick. Everything else was the same however, including the two-story porch and large columns. Charlotte’s heart raced at the sight, and then she saw the realtors’ sign; the property was for sale.

  Charlotte’s mother had taken her to see “Gone With The Wind” in 1954 when she was nine years old. It was then that she had fallen in love with the grandeur and beauty of the old south.  Charlotte could still remember the music and Vivian Leigh, so beautiful in the long gowns with hooped skirts.  She had gone back to see it when the film was re-released in 1965 as a twenty-two year old. She still loved the majestic homes and the beautiful clothes, but at as an adult she was more impressed by Clark Gable’s portrayal of Rhett Butler. Why Scarlett would look twice at Ashley Wilkes was beyond Charlotte’s comprehension.

  Charlotte turned the car around and went back to see if it was a dream, or if Tara was sitting there on what looked like around eight acres. It wasn’t exactly a plantation, but close enough for Charlotte. As she drove, she grabbed her phone to call the realtor’s office despite the logic her brain kept trying to point out. She was too old for this and couldn’t afford to even think of buying such a place. The realtor would take one look at her and realize it on the spot, but oh how she wanted to see inside.

  “Hello, this is Alma Realty, how can I help you?”  a feminine voice answered, interrupting Charlotte’s thoughts.

 “I wanted to inquire about a house you have listed,” Charlotte said and then gave the woman a brief description of the property.   

   When Charlotte finished, the woman on the other end of the phone asked her to please hold. Within a matter of seconds her call was transferred.

 “That’s a beautiful home with four bedrooms and four baths.” Mr. Smith said when he picked up the phone. “May I ask who I’m speaking with?”

  “My name is Charlotte Miller.”

  “Well Ms. Miller, that’s certainly a prime piece of property. Do you have a large family?”

   “Mr. Smith, I’m an older lady and have no business wanting such a large house, but it’s a dream come true for me and I would love to see the inside. I guess if I bought the property, I’d turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. I certainly don’t need that much space for just myself at my age. Do you think there would be a problem with zoning?” Charlotte asked.

   “The property isn’t within the city limits so that wouldn’t be a problem. When would you like to see it?” Mr. Smith said.

   Charlotte laughed. “I’m trying to be sensible, but what I would like is to see it right this minute. When would it be practical to make an appointment and see the inside?”

   “Where are you now?”

   “I’m sitting down the road from it, in my car. I was driving by when I spotted your sign.”

   “Let me make a call and see if we can take a look at it now,” Mr. Smith replied. He knew when he had someone who was really interested and that house was in a price range that would be hard to sell in sleepy, little Alma, Arkansas.

   Charlotte sat in the car thinking as she waited. Why was she doing this? She couldn’t afford this house in a million years. Why put someone through all the trouble of showing it? As her phone rang, Charlotte realized that if it was possible to see inside of the home in front of her, she had to do it. She needed to know if it lived up to her dream.

  “Ms. Miller?” the realtor’s voice came over the line. “The owners are out of town and I can be there in fifteen minutes if you want to see the house.”

   “I’ll be waiting, Mr. Smith.”

   Charlotte turned her car around and pulled into the circular driveway of her version of Tara. How perfect, there were two magnolia trees in the front and what a wonderful  spot it would be for a gazebo, maybe with azaleas planted around it.  Getting out to look around, she realized that there was a lot of room for parking. Maybe a Bed and Breakfast wasn’t so far-fetched an idea after all.  She could imagine what a good landscaper would do with the yard. Just then another car pulled in, interrupting her thoughts.

    Charlotte decided she was going insane; maybe she even had early onset dementia. Still, she spent the next half hour going through the house she thought of as Tara with the realtor. She didn’t have that kind of money but she sure wished she could find it. If there was a way to come up with the funds, she could buy this beautiful home and turn it into a business. Then she could live here in her own version of Tara.  Yes, Alma was a quiet little town, but it was close to Fort Smith and growing  Northwest Arkansas.  She could offer it as a wedding destination and it would be perfect for small ceremonies. Charlotte could just see a bride walking down the beautiful staircase and through the big double doors. Weddings could be held in the gazebo on bright, sunny days, or in the living room in front of the ornate fireplace in bad weather. Charlotte smiled to herself; a bride and groom wouldn’t care where they honeymooned as long as the bridal suite was private, and soundproof.

    “What do you think Charlotte?” Allen Smith asked.

   “I love this home and I have some ideas, but I’ll be honest, I would need to line up some investors to be able to afford it. Let me see what I can do and I’ll get back to you.” Charlotte extended her hand to Allen. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

   Charlotte was back in the car and driving toward the interstate that would take her to Fort Smith as she laid out her plan. She would see if she could get the investment she needed, starting with her best friend.  Sammi was a professional photographer, although she wasn’t currently working. A fire had totaled her studio and she hadn’t replaced her equipment, or found a new place to work. They could turn one of the garage bays into a new studio. How perfect would it be to have a photographer on site?  Charlotte smiled as she pushed the button to wake up her phone.

  “Suri, phone Sammi!“

   It didn’t take long to get to Sammi and Don’s house. Once they had taken a seat in the living room, Sammi politely waited until she had heard Charlotte out before proceeding to burst her beautiful bubble.

    “Yes, I have some insurance money, but not enough to do what you’re thinking. I know you have your retirement income, but are you willing to risk that? I just can’t see any way we could make this work.”  

Samantha Steele was a seasoned business woman and she knew they would need a lot of capital to do what Charlotte was proposing.

  “Come on, Sam, no rich relatives you can get to invest?” Charlotte teased. “I knew it was a long shot, but I just had to ask. I can just see it in my mind, there’s even enough room in the attic to make two more bedrooms with private baths. If it went over like I hope, we could build cottages as we grow.”

   “Wait a minute,” Sammi interrupted. “Don has a great aunt who has been wanting to move somewhere close to us. Aunt Melanie doesn’t need to be alone; she almost burned down the house last week while trying to cook her breakfast oatmeal. A cottage connected to a Bed and Breakfast would be perfect. She would have someone to fix her meals and she could visit with the other guests. Did I mention that Aunt Melanie is a little eccentric, and very loaded? Maybe I do know someone who would like to invest.”

    Nine months later, Charlotte pulled into the circular drive of what had become her dream come true.  The landscaper had done wonders, with not one, but three gazebos gracing the grounds. It was spring and the azaleas were in bloom. Later, the guests would be able to enjoy the roses, as well as the clematis climbing the posts that made up the gazebos. There were three cottages planned and one had already been completed for Aunt Melanie. How perfect was that? They could name the three new cottages Scarlett, Melanie and Careen, after the characters in “Gone With The Wind”. Eccentric Aunt Melanie had already nicknamed her cottage “PittyPat Manor”.

   Charlotte turned to see the newly erected sign. “Welcome to Tara” was printed in large, gold letters and hand painted, red roses were intertwined around the border. Below the lettering was a picture of a horse held by a boy dressed in English riding togs.  At the bottom was the message “Tara Bed and Breakfast” with the hours and phone number. They had ads in all of the Bed and Breakfast magazines and reservations were pouring in. It would be awhile before they could count Charlotte’s dream as a success, but things were looking good. Charlotte went inside and opened the door that led to her private space. It was a small room, but the perfect place in which to dream another dream.

   Dreams are important, they help us to grow. There is a home for sale in Alma, Arkansas and if it was mine, this would be my dream. Unfortunately I no longer have the energy to make it happen. As you age, your body no longer does what you want it to do, but your mind continues to be active and nothing can stop the dreams.

Happy reading, Linda