“Excuse me,” he called from several feet away, he didn’t want to scare anyone.
“Can I help you?”
“I hope so. My name is Christopher Evans, and I lived in this neighborhood years ago. The house I grew up in is no longer there, but my best friend lived in thishouse. I was wondering if you knew anything about the previous owners.”
“Well.” The man frowned and looked at his son who was about ten. “Go get your mother, she’s better about these things.” When the child ran away, the man turned to Christopher. “How long ago we talking?”
“Twenty years.”
“Oh, wow. We’ve only been here for twelve years. I don’t know if I can help you or not.”
“Oh. Well, thank you for your time.” Christopher went to leave, but they were joined by a woman.
“What’s up?”
“This gentleman lived in the neighborhood twenty years ago, the house he lived in isn’t in existence any longer, but his best friend lived here. But it was twenty years ago, I told him we lived here for twelve.”
“That’s right, and we bought it from a family named Morgan, who lived here for only a few years. Then before them were the Parkers. What family are you looking for?”
“The Perkins’.”
“Sorry, that name doesn’t ring a bell. Did you try the town hall? Maybe they could tell you if they owned it and where they moved to.”
“That’s next on my list. Along with the church I attended while I was here.”
“I don’t mean to sound skeptical, but you couldn’t have been very old when you lived here.”
“I was five when I lived here, but we moved to Japan after leaving here. Thank you for your time.” He shook their hands and left. His next stop was to the church, and he was in luck that it was open.
“Can I help you?” a man asked when he tried the front door, and it was actually locked. But there were several cars in the lot behind the church.
“Yes, I’m looking for Pastor Jones.”
“I’m sorry, but that name doesn’t sound familiar.”
“He would have been the Pastor here twenty years ago.”
“Oh my, way before my time. Do you have a few minutes so I could make a phone call?”
“I’ll wait.” He watched as the man stepped to the side and dialed, five minutes later, he was back.
“I just called my grandmother, sorry, but she’s lived here all her life, she’d know everyone who lived in the area in the last fifty years. She said that Pastor Jones passed away three years ago.”
Christopher deflated, he actually flopped down on a bench beside the walkway and sighed.
“Was it important that you contact him?”
“Yes.” He didn’t know what to do. He frowned then looked at the man. “Could I possibly talk to your grandmother? I’m looking for a family that lived here twenty years ago and attended this church. It’s crucial that I find them.”
“Let me call her back.” This time he walked further away. He returned in ten minutes and joined Christopher on the bench. “She said to send you over, but I’m sorry, I don’t know you, and I won’t send a stranger to my grandmother. If you can wait about an hour, go get something to eat, while I finish up my work, I’ll have you follow me over.”
“Thank you.” Christopher shook the man’s hand and left. An hour later he returned. He followed theman to his grandmother’s house, and introductions were made as soon as they arrived.
“My name is Christopher Evans. Twenty years ago, I lived in the area with my family. I’m looking for a family named Perkins.”
“Why?” The older woman who was introduced as Agnes Manners demanded.
“You probably won’t believe me, but here’s my story.” He laid it all out and before he’d come back to wait for the man to bring him to his grandmother’s, Christopher had gone to his hotel room and retrieved the shoe box of photos he’d gotten from his mother. He even showed them a copy of the marriage license, and when he was done, sat back, and sipped the iced tea offered when he arrived.
