University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses 5-20-2005 The House that Jack Built William Loehfelm University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Loehfelm, William, "The House that Jack Built" (2005). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 226. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/226 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. 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THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in The Department of English by Bill Loehfelm B.A. University of Scranton, 1991 May, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One .........................................................................................................................1 Chapter Two.......................................................................................................................12 Chapter Three.....................................................................................................................25 Chapter Four ......................................................................................................................31 Chapter Five.......................................................................................................................45 Chapter Six.........................................................................................................................57 Chapter Seven ....................................................................................................................71 Chapter Eight .....................................................................................................................84 Chapter Nine ......................................................................................................................98 Chapter Ten......................................................................................................................118 Chapter Eleven.................................................................................................................132 Chapter Twelve................................................................................................................145 Chapter Thirteen ..............................................................................................................162 Chapter Fourteen..............................................................................................................180 Chapter Fifteen.................................................................................................................203 Chapter Sixteen................................................................................................................214 Chapter Seventeen ...........................................................................................................229 Chapter Eighteen..............................................................................................................236 Chapter Nineteen .............................................................................................................252 Chapter Twenty................................................................................................................258 Chapter Twenty-One........................................................................................................269 Chapter Twenty-Two.......................................................................................................277 Chapter Twenty-Three.....................................................................................................288 Chapter Twenty-Four.......................................................................................................304 Chapter Twenty-Five .......................................................................................................318 Chapter Twenty-Six.........................................................................................................331 Chapter Twenty-Seven.....................................................................................................348 Chapter Twenty-Eight......................................................................................................363 Chapter the Last ...............................................................................................................370 Vita...................................................................................................................................377 CHAPTER ONE Barefoot, Jack tiptoed out onto the porch, easing the screen door closed behind him. He sat on the steps and closed his eyes. For the first time in weeks, he could hear only the gentle rolling of the waves to the beach, the rustle of the palms behind the bungalow. He set down his coffee mug and fished a cigarette from the pocket of his denim shorts. He lit up, following the deep first drag with a long, low whistle of an exhale. Stretching his legs out into the sun, he watched the smoke float out over the sand where it caught a breeze and wafted off to his right, dissipating like a spirit over the dunes and sea oats that nestled against his bungalow. Jack’s gaze drifted up the steep, grassy hill on the other side of the dunes. Atop the hill sat a two-century old, two-story mansion, sparks of sunlight sun bouncing off its brand-new bay windows. Finally, they’re done. For the first time in three months, the house was quiet – no hammering, no power saws, no engines rumbling, no contractors hollering over the din. As big a pain in the ass as the renovation has been, Jack thought, it’s over now and private ownership of the old house was a lot better for the beach than another resort. Fearful rumors the house would be torn down and replaced with a resort, rumors of more fenced off beach and roped-off sea had floated up and down the coast since the Monroe House went on the market. But there was no reason for the new owner to fix up and move into a house he was planning to tear down. If the guy was a little strange, Jack thought, no big deal. There weren’t many people on the coast who weren’t. 1 Jack lit another cigarette and sipped his coffee. Well, the old joint’s been saved from falling into the sea, and I’ve got my mornings back. Best of all, now that he’s getting settled in his new place, Martin will finally get off my back about this one. In fact, maybe it’s time for a peace offering. Jack headed back into the bungalow, this time letting the door bang shut behind him. He grabbed two Coronas from the fridge, considered and abandoned throwing on a shirt, bounced down the porch steps, and headed through the dunes and up the hill. As Jack made the hilltop, Martin Michaels, a lean, jagged-faced man of sixty, appeared from around the side of the house. He snapped to a stop when he saw Jack. “Jack Donovan,” he said, narrowing his eyes, his creased khakis and pressed white shirt fluttering in the breeze. “This is a surprise, considering the tone of your last letter.” “Obviously, that argument’s over.” Jack raised his hands, showing off the Coronas and gesturing at the Monroe House. “Congratulations on finishing the renovations.” He sipped his beer, handing the other to Martin. “Welcome to St. Anne.” Martin took the bottle, holding it away from him and studying it. He glanced at his watch then set the bottle down in the grass without drinking. “A little early, isn’t it?” he said. Jack sipped his beer and glanced at his bare wrist. “Island time,” he said. He studied the house. “You’ve done a hell of a job with this place. Good move restoring that second-floor balcony; the view must be unbelievable. You can probably see the whole damn coast.” Martin ignored the commentary, quickly striding right past Jack and stopping at the edge of the hilltop. He stared down at Jack’s house. 2 “Place looks good from up here,” Jack said, easing up beside him. He smiled down at the wide, sugary beach that stretched from his front porch to the water. “A little slice of paradise.” “I know what it’s worth,” Martin said, “and I’m already offering twice what you’d get on the open market.” “I’ll take your word for it,” Jack said, sipping his beer, watching Martin from the corner of his eye. Martin’s gaze remained fixed on the bungalow. Obviously, the argument was not over. “What’s the answer here?” Martin asked. “Have I got competition? Am I in a bidding war that I don’t know about?” Martin chuckled. “Unfair but shrewd of you, Jack.” Jack shook his head. “There’s no competition going on, Martin. There are no other offers. Simple fact is I’m not interested in selling.” He gestured over the view. “Look at the place. How could I part with that?” Martin said nothing, frowning down at Jack’s property. “Look, Martin,” Jack