{"id":118,"date":"2025-05-14T21:55:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T21:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/?p=118"},"modified":"2025-05-14T21:55:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T21:55:23","slug":"the-small-town-curse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/?p=118","title":{"rendered":"The Small Town Curse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Littletown, Ontario July, 2000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, Grandpa,” shrieked Julie as she bolted from her Dad’s sports car for their monthly Sunday lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby Mitchell heard his eight-year-old granddaughter through the open living room window of his century home in the old part of Littletown. The summer sun warmed his legs as he sat in his favourite chair by the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shuffled out the front door as Julie scampered up the squeaky steps onto the large front porch. She wrapped her arms around her Grandpa and gave him a big hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Julie, it looks like you have a lovely new dress; where did you get it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Mommy bought it for me in Italy; she said it’s made of silk,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hey, Dad,” said Paul, his son, as he climbed out of his brand new 2000 Chevrolet Corvette. “How are you feeling today?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Your wife isn’t joining us for lunch again?” asked Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“She’s on a business trip,” replied Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Does she spend any time at home?” Bobby asked his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, she’s got a big job at her insurance company. The porch is looking tired. Are you going to get it repainted?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Maybe next spring. I still think you and Julie would be happier living in Littletown. You know this house is yours if you want to move back,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, we’ve been over this many times; I have a good job at the university in London. And the elementary schools here closed, so where would Julie go?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby grabbed Julie’s hand and led her into the house. The original dark woodwork lined the walls in the hall and up the stairs, having survived three generations of Mitchell’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Come back into the kitchen and help me get lunch ready, Julie,” said Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, can we go to the park before lunch?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sweetheart, someone stole the swings, and the town hasn’t replaced them,” said Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, we should talk about you moving to London to be closer to us. You are on your own, and I’m worried about your health,” said Paul as he walked into the kitchen, which still looked the same as when he was a kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I can’t leave this house. I was born here and raised you here. My parents, bless their souls, would be horrified if I ever sold this house,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Do you still see Dr. Williams at the clinic for checkups?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He retired recently, and nobody wanted to take over his practice,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What about the Littletown Hospital? Can you go there?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The bosses at Main Street General claim they are losing money at our community hospital because there aren’t enough patients anymore. So I suspect they will close it soon,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What are you going to do about a doctor? Aksed Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is a doctor in Coopersville who takes new patients, so I will use that if needed. You know I’m really healthy, right?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You should be getting out of the house for some exercise and meeting people in town,” said his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I get some good exercise walking up the stairs to my bedroom and down into the basement for the laundry,” replied Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Those stairs are dangerous at your age, Dad; you really should move to a one-floor house or condo. Have you thought about a retirement home?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not a chance; I plan to live out my life in this house,” said Bobby, “Besides, the only retirement home left in Littletown is full of old folks.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But Dad, it looks like your neighbourhood isn’t safe anymore. There are three vacant homes on your street, and I saw squatters go inside one. There’s trash all over the front lawns.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They are actually nice folks, just down on their luck. They don’t cause too much trouble, and the cops drive by at least once a week,” said Bobby<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And those house for sale signs have been there for a long time,” said Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Son, it’s normal to take time to sell a house these days, even at their discounted prices,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, are we going to the fair again this year?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Oh, sorry, Julie, the agricultural fair has closed, and they just sold their land,” replied Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, no fair, what happened?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There have been too many years of low attendance. Not enough people live here anymore, and tourists are going to the big cities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What a waste; the fair was such a fixture growing up in Littletown. What’s happening with the land?” asked his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Some big company bought the land and wants to build a dump for Megaloposis’s garbage.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, what’s for lunch?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“How about grilled cheese sandwiches?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, the refrigerator looks almost empty. Are you eating okay?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I shop once a week on Mondays because I have to drive to Coopersville to buy groceries. The A&P in town closed down,” said his Dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, you shouldn’t be driving anymore; I noticed more scratches on your car door.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yeah, some idiot did that in the parking lot,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie listened to her Dad argue with Grandpa about his health. She thought Grandpa looked just fine, even though his pants seemed too big for him, and his sweater had worn patches around his elbows. Julie was thirsty, so she filled a glass with water from the tap in the kitchen sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, the water tastes funny,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Julie, please don’t drink water from the tap; the town has told us to boil the water first,” said Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Why’s that?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It just means that the water from the tap can be harmful to drink. Apparently, the underground pipes bringing water from the river have so many cracks that dirt gets in.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, why doesn’t the town fix the water pipes?” asked his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They claim there isn’t enough money left in the budget, and no one wants to see our taxes increase. In fact, a few residents forced the town council to lower our taxes,” replied Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After lunch, Grandpa, Julie and his son went onto the front porch and sat in the white wicker chairs. Julie waved to an older woman walking her dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Afternoon, Mrs. Gilbert, nice day for a walk,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What’s nice about it? Some guy in a sleeping bag yelled foul words at me,” she replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Be careful of the cracks in the sidewalk, Mrs. Gilbert,” said Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is that you, Paul, getting old, are you now? The smartest thing you ever did was move away from this god-forsaken town. Even my church shut down, and it became a halfway house for crooks .” said Mrs. Gilbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Gilbert’s dog dropped his load on their front lawn, and she walked on before Paul could call after her to clean up the mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, why did her dog poo on our lawn,” asked Julie. “In our neighbourhood, people pick it up with a bag.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I will get it later; you stay away from it,” said Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, do you still get together at the pub with your old buddies?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Only two of us left, and the pub only opens for dinner. And they charge two bucks for a beer now. The downtown used to be nice, but now it’s more of an eyesore,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I remember you and Mom taking us to a bookstore downtown on Saturday mornings to get some new books. Red Robin Books, right?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I heard that the guy who ran it retired, and nobody wanted to buy the place. So the store is still full of books, but the door is locked,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What happened to all those new houses that were going to be built?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Well, a group of residents didn’t like that idea, so they formed a small team and took over control of the local town council. Once elected, they tried to stop all new developments,” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I thought the province could overrule the local council?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“True, but a big fire swept through a new area north of Abbott Street and destroyed all the houses under construction. I think the land developers gave up and went to other towns more willing to see their population grow,” replied Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Did the police figure out what caused the fire?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Everyone suspected it was intentional, but the police claimed fireworks caused it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, why don’t people like new people moving here?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s complicated, Julie, but newcomers cause problems with traffic, and they want new libraries, swimming pools and hockey rinks that we can’t afford,” replied Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sounds like a town curse, Dad. If Littletown doesn’t grow, it will become a ghost town before long,” said Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Maybe so, maybe so,” replied Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, are you going to die in this house?” asked Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One day, my dear, and then I will move next to your grandmother in the Littletown cemetery,” replied Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But Grandpa, if you came to live with us in London, then you could live forever,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Julie,” said her Dad, “Grandpa is stubborn and likes it here in Littletown, and this is the only home he has ever known. We will come and visit with him again next month.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Maybe your wife could join us next time?” said Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“How about we go out for lunch at a nice restaurant? She would like that,” replied Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The only place left for kids is a pizza and wings joint,” replied Bobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I like pepperoni pizza, Grandpa,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Littletown, Ontario \u2013 July 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie walked out of her century home in the old part of Littletown with her son, Bobby Jr., close behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Gramps, Gramps,” shouted Bobby Jr. as his grandfather pulled into the driveway for their monthly Sunday brunch. Paul still drove his 2000 Corvette, which is probably considered a classic car now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Hi, Bobby Jr.” He said, “How are you, little buddy?” I’ve got a present for you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, come inside; the sun could give you a burn,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul, now a grandad, Bobby and Julie went into the house owned by generations of the Mitchell family. Julie and her partner Susan inherited the house when Paul’s father passed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Have you finished the kitchen reno yet,” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie replied, “Come see for yourself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul walked into the kitchen and felt a strong longing for the old kitchen he grew up in, but he thought this modern kitchen looked great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dad, said Julie, “Susan and I were thinking that you should move back to Littletown from London to be close to us. It’s been a few years since your ex-wife left you, and you’ve been retired for five years now.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Well, I must say the town looks much better these days,” said Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There are so many young families in the neighbourhood now, and we are getting a new library. Things were quiet when we opened the bookstore, but now we have to expand to meet the demand,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Where would I live? Bobby Jr. has my old bedroom?” Paul asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Susan and I have renovated the space above the garage into a charming bachelor apartment. It would be perfect for you, and you could park your car underneath,” said Julie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Bobby, would you like Gramps to come live with you guys?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby Jr. replied, “Gramps, you could take me to all my baseball games.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Then it’s settled; when can I move in?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bobby eyed the wrapped present on the kitchen counter and asked if he could open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside, he found a brand new baseball mitt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Thanks, Gramps,” said Bobby Jr.” it’s the best present ever.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Okay, now what’s for lunch?” asked Paul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Mommy’s making pizza with pepperoni,” replied Bobby Jr.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How did that happen to Littletown?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118\/revisions\/120"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}