I find that old houses, and the people who have lived there, often have unusual stories to tell. The house at “10 Pine Street” was no exception! It was around 50 years old and only 3 families had lived there. The most recent was Bernie Stevens and his wife Vonie, who were retired, and had only been in the house for a couple of months. Before them, a man named Wesley Myles had lived at the address for nearly 40 of the 50 plus years.
The original family were the Tuttles and their two children, who lived in the house for a little more than 10 years. They moved out, however, shortly after a tragic accident took the life of their 7 year old son, Nolan. On his sister Hanna’s 6th Birthday, the kids were playing hide-n-seek and Nolan climbed inside an abandoned refrigerator. The fridge had not yet been hauled away, and no one knew where Nolan was hiding. By the time he was found, nearly 4 hours later, he had suffocated. Nolan was at the age where he felt it wasn’t cool to play with his little sister and he never actually told her he loved her. In fact, he would always tell her that no one likes little girls!
That old abandoned refrigerator was still sitting in the garage when Wesley Myles bought the house. The door had been removed and was stored in a shed behind the garage. When Wesley plugged it in, it worked, so he replaced the seal on the door and gave it a coat of paint. He was unaware of its history and used it off and on for years. When he sold the house to Bernie Stevens, two months ago, he just left the old ugly fridge sitting in the garage. Bernie had no idea how old it was or if it even worked. When he finally plugged it in, he could hardly believe that it did!
One Friday, Bernie promised his wife he would do some yard work while she was away for the weekend. He gathered some soft drinks and a few snacks and put them in that old fridge. It was roughly around 10 am when Bernie decided to take a break and have a cold drink. As he entered the garage and approached the old refrigerator, he heard what sounded like bottles rattling inside!
He walked over to the fridge, but instinctively hesitated for a moment. When the noise quieted, Bernie slowly opened the door. When he looked inside, he nearly fainted! Sitting there in front of him was a small boy! Fighting the urge to scream, Bernie exclaimed: “How did you get in there”? “You need to get out”! “You could die in there”! Bernie got more panicked by the second, trying to comprehend how this was possible! “I’ve been in here a long time”, said the boy! Bernie: “What do you mean a long time”? “You really need to get out or you could die”! The boy: “I already died 32 years ago”!
Still in shock, Bernie took the boy’s hand and helped him out! Bernie: “Who are you, son and how did you get in there”? The boy: “My name is Nolan Tuttle and when I was 7 years old I got trapped in there and couldn’t open the door”! “By the time they found me, it was too late, no one knew I was in there”. “You have to understand that when you’re a kid, you think a refrigerator is a safe place”! “That’s where your mom keeps your food”! “When you go to hide, you try to hide really well”. “But when I wanted out, no one could find me”. “I guess there is really No Safe Place”!
Bernie: “Well, you’re safe now, son”! ”But I’m not sure I understand why you’re here”? Nolan: “I’ve waited a long time for this day, and for you to find me”! Bernie: “But why now, and why me, what is it that I can do”? Nolan: “I’ve come back to see my sister, the way I left her was terribly wrong and she doesn’t know I love her”! Bernie: “Who is your sister”? Nolan: “Her name is Hanna Tuttle, dosen”t she still live here”? Bernie: “No, I live here now, but I know who she is”. “She works at the bank and I believe her name is Masters, now”! Nolan: “The bank”? “She’s only six”! Then Nolan paused for a moment. “Oh yeah, she’s older now, isn’t she”? Bernie: “She’d be 38, I believe”! Nolan: “I hadn’t thought about that”! “Well, will you please go get her anyway, I need to see her”!
Bernie explained that he doesn’t actually know his sister, and he had never met her. But the little boy pleaded with him, saying that he must see her today! Bernie, still wondering if this was some kind of dream, agreed to go to the bank and at least try to get her to come.
When Bernie arrived at the bank, they were having a 38th Birthday party for Hanna. He stood there and watched for a moment. Then, feeling a bit apprehensive, he decided it would probably be best if he left. But as he turned to leave, he heard Hanna say: “Someone please help that gentleman”? Bernie: “Actually, I came to see you”! Hanna: “Me?, Okay”! As they stepped aside to talk, he knew he would most likely have only one chance to convince her”! Bernie: “I found a big bag of cash with your Bank’s name on it and I need you to come claim it”! Hanna: “Really, a big bag of cash, huh”? “Maybe I can get security to go with you”? Bernie: No no, I need you to come to my house, he needs to see you today”! Hanna: “He”? “He who”? At that point, Bernie knew he needed to tell her everything. He assured her that he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t believe him or want to come. He said he knew it sounded crazy, but today may be the only chance, and then he left.
Bernie did his best to explain to little Nolan that he had tried, and they needed to appreciate how Hanna must feel. Then inexplicably, Hanna’s car pulled into the driveway! What made her come back home to “10 Pine Street”, she didn’t really know. Bernie met her in front of the garage and thanked her for coming. Suddenly, Nolan emerged from the door! Hanna paused and stared at him in disbelief. Then, she gave him a great big smile and cried: “Nolan, it’s really you”! For the next few moments, amid mixed emotions and tears, they quietly embraced!
Hanna took a step back and asked: “What is happening Nolan”? “How is this possible”? Nolan: “I left 32 years ago without saying goodbye and telling you, I love you”! “Matter of fact, I never told you that enough, Sis”. “And I’m sorry I ruined your birthday, and probably every one after that”! Hanna: “No, no, you didn’t Nolan”! “It took me a while, but I realized that we were all just playing a game”! “But what I don’t understand is why today, 32 years later”? Bernie spoke up, clearing his throat he said: “I think I know why that is”! “It has to do with the date, among other things”! Your brother has waited 32 years for exactly the right circumstances to occur”.
“You see, when I was Nolan’s age, I had a younger brother”. “The neighborhood kids always play together, but one day my little brother became lost”. “We all panicked and searched for him everywhere”! “I suddenly remembered the old junk pile behind my neighbors garage and started to go there”! “My parents yelled for me to stop and get in the car, because they were going to the neighbors farm to look for my brother Monty”! “I wanted to check that junk pile, but I guess when one of your children is missing, you don’t just leave the other one there alone”!
But Monty was not at the farm, and my father was just about to head down the dirt road to the creek, to see if Monty was watching the older boys fish”! “But, I told him about that old refrigerator and the other junk behind the garage and he drove straight back”! “We all jumped out of the car and ran, but I got there first”! “When I opened the door to that fridge, Monty had crawled inside”! “I never wanted to find him like that”! Hanna: “I know you didn’t, Mr. Stevens”. “It’s not your fault”! Bernie: “At that time, the date didn’t mean much”. “But it turns out that your birthday, when Nolan was found, and the day I found Monty, are the same date”. “The fridge that took my brother Monty’s life, was destroyed years ago, but Nolan’s fridge has stayed here in this garage throughout all these years”! “I guess it just needed me to open it and find Nolan”! “And that’s what happened today”!
Nolan nodded his head, confirming that Bernie was right! Nolan and Hanna talked a while longer, then he turned and walked back into the garage. Hanna: “He says he needs time to think; he wants to do the right thing”. “Our parents taught us to always make responsible decisions”. “He knows that he didn’t do that 32 years ago, but wants to now”! “I asked him to come home with me and we’d try to figure this out, but he is afraid of what could happen”! “He’s afraid he may never age another day, or that he will simply disappear, tomorrow”. Bernie: “That’s a decision only he can make, Hanna”.
Soon Hanna and Bernie heard the rattling of glass bottles and rushed into the garage! There was no sign of Nolan anywhere! Bernie walked over to the fridge and grabbed the handle! Every possible thought raced through his mind and he stood there for a minute like a stone statue! Both he and Hanna were seemingly on pins and needles! He wasn’t sure he dared open the door! What would they see? What would be there? All of a sudden, he pulled open the door! Nolan was gone! The row of glass bottles before them felt strangely like the “Rolling Credits” at the end of a long, mysterious movie! But, was this the end?
Hanna watched nervously as Bernie closed it, and then slowly reopened it one more time, just to be sure! It was true, Nolan had made his decision, and he was gone! Bernie sadly unplugged that old fridge and together they removed the door! The following day, Hanna and her husband Mark, helped Bernie load the refrigerator on a truck and take it to the dump. “While at the dump, they saw several very old discarded refrigerators in a field”!
Together they said a prayer for Nolan, Monty and all the other small children who had lost their lives that same way. As for Hanna and Bernie, any feelings of guilt or responsibility they may have had in the past, had now been reconciled. They could take solace in knowing entrapments were no longer a common thing. But most of all for Hanna, she now knew that her brother had loved her as much as she loved him! □
Author’s note… Between 1946 and 1956, 115 children died in the US from refrigerator entrapment; most were 5 to 7 years of age. In 1956, the US passed a federal law called the “Refrigerator Safety Act”, mandating magnetic closures on all refrigerators after 1958. There was a sharp decline in the number of entrapments during the 1960’s, 70’s and thereafter.
