Moving Without Your Clothes (Replacing Your Wardrobe)

If the sale of the house was considered to be at the speed of sound, the move was at the speed of light. Within a few weeks of selling Ma's house, we found her a new home just around the corner from us (which was the whole purpose of this move, to have Ma close by). The close and purchase was not only on the same day, but also within the same hour. While Ma was signing her name on 78 different documents, her son, Lonnie, had organized a work crew to move all of her earthly possessions to their new location. Now remember, this is the house where she had resided for the past 30 years; that translate into 436 nick-nacks, 128 jars to "put stuff in", 84 quilts, 49 rugs, and 162 plastic 64 oz drinking glasses from Taco Bell. Plus you have to add the 4 bedrooms of furniture, 237 pots and pans, and a whole lot more stuff. Despite the obvious challenge to move Ma's household from one location to it's 40 mile destination, "the crew" did a fantastic job. From the time we left for the signing until we returned with the papers stating that this new location belong to Ma, the moving crew had finished their transference. When we returned to the sold house to finish packing, it was obvious that it was no longer Ma's. There was nothing left (or least we thought). I have heard a number of testimonies to what had transpired from this point on. I am not here to judge which siblings was at fault or to break open old wounds and pour in a jar of Morton's. But I must look at the facts. Each siblings thought that someone else had checked the house out for leftover belongings. When Ma said, "Don't forget about my clothes in the basement", there was an assumption that she was talking about the flea market clothes that no one had picked up yet (or that these were just the rants of a crazy old woman). When the few pieces of clothing were unpacked and hung up at her new location, no one questioned the disappearance of the remaining items. These clues would of brought any dime store detective to the same conclusion, something was left behind.