Childhood Memories

I spent part of yesterday in Lancaster SC, after wrapping up I decided to head back to Atlanta via Rock Hill SC.
Rock Hill is where my grandparents lived and my Dad spent the better part of his early years and where as kids we spent many a summer vacation. My Grandpa passed away in 1993 and I hadn’'t been back to his old house since we held “"The Great Estate Sale of 1993"”. His house sat vacant for a few years (no one in the family really wanted a vacation house in Rock Hill SC) until it was finally sold to a Chiropractor who planned to turn into their office.
I pulled into the drive knowing that I wouldn’'t see my Grandpa’s' early 1970’s Buick (what a tank); I really didn’'t know what I would see.
The doctor had added a lot more pavement for parking, took down a fence, removed an out building and added another set of offices on the back of the property. For the most part the house still retained its South Carolina single story brick charm.
My grandparents had a huge garden in the back, where as I kid I would remember “"helping"” my grandparents pick vegetables that were to be prepared for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately now the garden sits under 4 or 5 inches or blacktop. The doctor did leave a sizeable amount of the azaleas that my grandpa had planted and watered each day.
I left the car and walked to the front door, prepared to introduce myself, and planning to act as if I still had some kind of family claim to this property after all these years (hey, we were here first).
When I got to the door it was locked and the sign spelled out “"Hours 2:30 - 5:00"”, being a Chiropractor may not be that bad of a gig with those hours (yeah I know they spent many years in school).
I peered through the glass door and could see the doctors desk was sitting where my grandma’s grand piano sat (out of tune) for so many years. They had installed hardwood floors, and the fresh white paint really brightened up what I could see.
When I walked away from the door I noticed the storm door was gone, I remember that storm door would slam behind us as we entered and exited the house I guess no one ever thought to tighten the spring.
I headed back to the car bummed that I didn’t get to see the inside of the house that I had so many summer memories from, but content in knowing that the new caretakers were taking care of the place in a manner that would please my grandpa.