“I tell renters not to come through the middle like this, but it takes you right out to the water wheel. We don’t really use this space other than to store old farm equipment that one of the guys will eventually either fix or sell off one day.”
As I move the flashlight back down to the ground, I catch sight of something hidden within the cobwebs above us.
“It’s on my to-do list to clear out this space and eventually use it for something good. Maybe an extension of the gift shop or a craft area. There are atonof people who have requested flower arrangement classes so I thought I could do that.”
I pause, focusing my light at the discolored white rubber above me.
“But honestly, I’m not so great at the whole arrangementthing. That’s kind of Rory’s thing. My friend Rory owns the local flower shop. I grow the stuff, she sells it. Maybe she can run the class or something.”
She stops, turning when she realizes she lost me.
“You okay?” she asks, doubling back.
She aims her light toward the rafters near mine, and it quickly becomes clear what I’m looking at.
“Eve, you’ve got knob and tube wiring up there.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Knob and tube?”
I lower the phone so I can see her face and inadvertently blind her. She scrunches her eyes shut, taking an automatic step back as I take one toward her and grab her so she can’t trip over the old piece of nondescript equipment behind her.
She’s pressed against my chest, her hands fisting in my shirt as she steadies herself.
And then she takes a step away from me, redirecting her light back to the rafters.
She clears her throat. “What is knob and tube wiring?”
I raise my phone and move the light until I find it again. “That whitish rubbery looking thing up there. A relic of early electricity that's not up to code anymore.” I pause, lowering the light and squinting at her in an effort to judge her facial expression. Idon’twant to upset her, but she really needs to get that fixed if she has renters staying right above it. “It’s not really considered safe anymore. You should get that updated soon, if you can.”
She nods. “Is that expensive?”
I bite my lip. “Probably.”
She sighs, turning on her heel and refocusing her light on the dirt floor in front of her. “Well, the shots just keep on coming, huh?”
I take a few quick steps to catch up with her, narrowlyavoiding an upturned rake that seems to have fallen from its resting place. “It’ll be worth it, I think. Better to know you have a problem and fix it than to wonder why your barn burnt down.”
She turns suddenly and I careen right into her, grabbing her upper arms to steady both of us before we topple undoubtedly to our deaths.
“It’s a fire hazard?” she asks.
I shrug. “Well, yeah.”
“Fuck.”
I purse my lips, wondering if she’ll accept my help.
“You know, Steve has a guy for just about everything. If I had to bet, I’d say he could have somebody out to give you a quote by the end of the week. No commitment, you know? But that’ll give you an idea of what it might cost.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah, that would be great if I could get a quote.”
I nod. “Done.”
She sighs as she starts walking again. “I guess I’ll be starting those craft classes sooner than I thought.”
