Page 6 of Generation Lost

“Midwest Mortgage and the insurance company is HomeRight,” said Annie. “They convinced everyone that taking a modified reverse mortgage was the way to go, except it wasn’t a reverse mortgage at all. It raised our interest rates by nearly double and continued to raise them on a monthly basis, and then the insurance problems started.”

“We’re all on fixed incomes, obviously,” said Sarabeth. “We’re retired and living on social security, some of us with small retirements, but we should have been just fine. Our places were small, maybe a thousand square feet or so. Two bedrooms, one bath, they were post-war cottages.”

“Oh, those were lovely old homes,” said Irene. “I used to walk by them when I would go down to the farmer’s market now and then.”

“Yes,” nodded the woman. “Some of our folks had gardens in their backyards and would sell any items they didn’t need. Joan, she used to quilt pillows. They sold real well, but folks now don’t appreciate that sort of thing.”

“I do,” nodded Irene. “I got quilts all over the house, and my children all have them too. I bet some of them were hers.”

“We all worked hard. All our lives,” said Annie. “I don’t want you to think we didn’t.”

“We never thought any such thing,” said Nine. “It’s obvious that you were all hard workers who were fighting for their homes.”

“We’ve got truck drivers and sanitation workers, teachers and daycare providers. Grace and Herb owned a little corner store, but it burned down two years ago. We always thought it was intentional, but the police said it was just an accident.”

“What did they tell you about the mortgages?” asked Jean. The women turned toward the deep, rumbling bass voice, staring at the handsome man.

“Oh, my,” giggled Sarabeth. Jean laughed, shaking his head. “Aren’t you about the most handsome thing ever? And now I see it! You’re all brothers. You, you, you, those three, oh goodness!”

“Yes, ma’am,” laughed Gaspar. “We are all brothers. My parents had fifteen children, nine boys, and we look alike. Our sisters are the prettier versions of us. All of these men are my brothers from the military.”

“I see,” nodded Clinton from his side of the table. “That’s making a whole lotta sense now.”

“The mortgages,” smiled Jean.

“When we all got the notices that the mortgages had been sold, we didn’t think much of it. It gets done from time to time,” said Jim. Jean nodded at him. That was true, at least. “Then we get the first payment notification, and it’s twenty to thirty percent higher. The interest rates were supposed to be locked in, but they’re telling us when it’s sold that doesn’t hold true any longer.”

“They lied,” said Jean.

“We figured that, but no one would help us. Before we knew it, the houses were being foreclosed on or sold, and the entire neighborhood was getting bulldozed. The park where our children played is gone, all of it. All the memories are gone, all the street fairs and garage sales and bake sales that the kids had. It’s all gone.”

“Why did they bulldoze the houses?” asked Ian.

“They want to build a bunch of modern townhomes, or at least that’s what they told us. Our neighborhood is close enough to the trendy spots but far enough away from the chaos of Bourbon Street. All these young folks with money and good jobs want to move in now. All these years in our little houses that no one wanted, and suddenly, it’s the place to be,” said Jim.

“Let us dig into this and see what we can find out,” said Gaspar.

“We can’t pay you,” said Jim.

“It’s alright. This is what we do,” said Nine. “You folks stay here for now. The small beds are comfortable and warm. The kitchen is fully stocked. You’ll be able to fix your own meals if you like. There are the showers, as you saw, and full laundry. If we need help with something, we’ll let you know. For now, just stay safe and healthy.”

“What’s in this for you?” asked Sarabeth. “I mean, people don’t usually help unless there’s something in it for themselves.”

“My mama not giving me dirty looks. That’s what’s in it for me,” smirked Gaspar. Sarabeth and Annie laughed, Jim nodding in his direction.

“Smart man.”

“Really, we do it because this is what we do,” said Gaspar. Matthew walked toward him, nodding for him to come to the side. “What’s up, Pops?”

“I made a call to Midwest Mortgage on the pretense of wanting to buy the mortgages. Charlotte looked up the value of the homes and the land for me. It wasn’t all that much, and the mortgages were nothing. Nearly paid for a year ago, now almost triple that amount.

“I offered them double the value, and they turned me down. They said they already had a buyer for the homes and the land. I said I’d double whatever they were paying.”

“What did they say to that?” asked Gaspar.

“They laughed at me,” frowned Matthew. “They laughed and said I didn’t have enough money to buy that land no matter who I was, and then they hung up on me. This ain’t about building condos, Gaspar. There’s something else happening here.”

“Shit.”

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