Susie had her hand in the air and was waving it like an eager student, and I laughed and said, “But perhaps you do? Linoleum on the floors and Formica on the countertops in kitchens and bathrooms; these are easy to clean and attractive, and not too expensive. But what else?”
“Repaint the cabinets and drawers in sage,” Susie said. “I assume the reason for all the cabinet door removal is that you’re painting them, and boy, do they need it. Yellow Formica countertops, yellow and green linoleum floors, pale yellow curtains, square yellow tiles on the backsplash. I must have seen something like it in a magazine, or maybe I’m just brilliant, because it popped into my head fully formed.”
“Like the birth of Venus,” I said.
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“She emerged fully formed from the sea, on a giant seashell. As in the painting by Botticelli.”
“Well, OK,” Susie said. “If you say so. I assume there was a reason.”
“Of course. The Titan Cronus severed the genitals of his father Uranus, the sky god, in a fit of rebellion, and threw them into the sea. They mixed with the waters to become sea foam, and Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, was formed from this foam and stepped ashore as a fully mature woman.”
“And Joe thinkshe’sa bad son,” Susie said, which made me laugh. I may have confided a little, as you can probably tell. She looked around. “I canalmostpicture it. How long to get it all done?”
“Longer than I’m planning, I’m afraid,” I said, “but certainly before the new school year begins, which is the important thing. According to Jean, renovations always take longer and cost more than planned. I’ve been fortunate to have her to supplyrecommendations of the people to employ, for we need everybody and everything. Painting, carpentry, flooring, plumbing, electrical work… oh, yes, a great many things. The stoves and refrigerators are antiquated and in poor working order also, so there will be fifteen of each to purchase. In white, do you agree?”
“Sure,” Susie said. “But can you afford that? To lay out that much, with nothing coming in? I mean, obviously you canaffordit, but …”
“But it’s rather a lot of investment,” I said, “and the loan to be paid all the while.”
“Well, yes,” Susie said. “I don’t understand the reason for the loan. Why not just buy the place—and the land—if you have the money?”
“Well, you see,” I said, “this is the most interesting part. I thought I would have to take a class to understand such things, but Mr. Parks, who helps with our investments, has kindly made it clear, and shown me how to do the calculations, too, so I can work it out for myself. I was correct about one thing; thereisa great amount of mathematics involved.”
“Ugh,” Susie said. “Better you than me.”
“No,” I said, “it’s truly a revelation to be able to find all the numbers for oneself, and Joe helps when I’m stuck. The loan is at five percent interest, but the stock market last year returned an average of thirteen percent, and this year is continuing much the same. So many new businesses springing up, you know, and so much purchasing that people couldn’t do during the war years. Although one must also put some money into government bonds, which is a safer investment, although not always as lucrative.”
“If you say so,” Susie said.
“So,” I said, “if we invest and earn, oh, let us say eight or nine percent on this money, but only have topayfive percent …”
“Right,” Susie said. “You make more money.”
“Exactly. And, of course, one can buy a great deal more property if one doesn’t have to use all one’s cash to do so. I drew up a budget for the renovations before we purchased the building, and added in the loan repayments and also what is called an amortization table, which shows how much of the loan is paid off over time. When I factor in the rents as well, I can see how quickly I’ll pay off the cost of the renovations, and then how quickly I’ll pay off the cost of the building itself. After that, once one allows for taxes and insurance and repairs and vacancies—this is the word when a tenant moves out and another has not yet moved in, yes? Other than these items, the rents will be purely profit once the loan is repaid. I do have another question for you, though. Would it be wise to put two or three automatic washing machines in the basement, along with drying lines? Or would the tenants rather take their clothes to the launderette? I don’t understand Americans well enough yet to know.”
“If you put in automatic washing machines,” Susie said, “the applicants will be lining up around the block.”
“Oh, good,” I said. “Thank you. Let’s go see how the men are getting along. If only Joe would let me help, it would go faster.”
I repeated this idea when we found the men again—they had progressed to the second floor—and Joe said, “Catch me letting you help. I don’t think so.”
“This is oddly caveman-like of you,” Susie said. “And here I’ve been telling Fred that you’re the model of a modern man. You’ll be glad to hear that your wife and I have answered all your decorating questions. Well, except for actually going to the hardware store. What do you think, Marguerite? No time like the present? Say … we could look at sinks, too. Surely you’re replacing these awful things. I’m really starting to be able to picture this place. Will it be finished by summer, do you think?”
“By fall, anyway,” Joe said. “Even if I have to be here with my boot on some backsides to get it there. Or if Marguerite does.”
“Your studies come first,” I said. “I’ll only involve you if necessary. I’ve already found that offering a bonus to be paid only if the work is completed on time is a very great incentive, and writing averyspecific contract is important, too. Joe has been helping with that. He’s learned a great deal about business law even while still in college.”
“With some help from my dad,” Joe said. He and Fred were still unscrewing metal cabinet doors. Some things, one couldn’t do any faster than the hand could turn, and many of these things, it seemed, were part of home construction.
“So are you going to live here yourselves?” Susie asked. “It sure beats our place, doesn’t it? Well, it will eventually. If Myrna and I weren’t graduating in June, I’d be asking you to reserve a unit for us.”
“Or,” Fred said,“Icould ask them to reserve a unit for us.”
“What?” Susie stared at him.
Fred said, “I’ll have another year of college after you finish—that darned war again—so I probably shouldn’t be suggesting it, but then, you’ve got that promise of a job teaching Home Ec, don’t you? And there’s the GI Bill, too. Seems like we could go ahead and do it now. What’s that saying? ‘Poor as church mice’?”
