THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507200179
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 54 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Goodness grows on Wingina Street. It has been cultivated there for years.
Right smack dab in the middle of worldwide poverty, violence and general human suffering, it thrived in the hearts of two ordinary people.
These folks committed an act of kindness with nothing to gain in return, except perhaps a richer spirit. They had everything to lose otherwise.
After living their entire life in Dare County, Horace and Viola Midgett were ready for a change. Horace was forced to retire early due to a serious back problem. Viola, in her mid-50s, worked full-time at an average job.
The Midgetts decided to move to Raleigh, where their two sons lived. This way, as they grew older, there would be someone nearby to help Viola, who was already saddled with all the household chores that required any lifting.
They renovated their 1960s home, hoping to get top dollar for it. With a shortage of reasonably priced homes in Manteo, it was only a matter of hours after putting the house on the market that they got an interested buyer. She was a single parent of two children with a below-average income.
The price was right, and there were enough bedrooms. New vinyl siding, newly installed central air and heat, new windows and extra insulation made this home particularly attractive to the financially strapped woman. At age 40, she was more than ready to own her first home. It would be her sixth move in nine years.
It always seemed to happen at Christmastime, when she would be informed that the home she was renting was going to be sold and she was asked to move. Once she even had to take down her Christmas tree, tinsel and all.
She wanted this new home something fierce. Since the price of the home and physical description fell within the guidelines for a Farmers Home Administration loan, she applied. With this loan, her payments would be manageable. She was told that the wait would not be too long.
The Midgetts agreed to wait. They wanted this woman to have their home. They were her neighbors and knew this might be the only chance for her to become a homeowner.
Several months passed, and it looked like money would be available soon. The prospective buyer had a big yard sale to get ready for her move. Her children kept asking when they would be in their new home. They dreamed about the soft carpet, the easy-to-open windows, all the electrical outlets and closets and the satellite dish in the backyard.
She told her son that they would be celebrating his Halloween birthday in the new house. She told her daughter that they would be in before Christmas. She told herself that soon she'd have security.
The For Sale sign remained in the front yard. She could see it from across the street. Cars would slow down to copy the phone number and she would smile and think, ``My house.''
September came and went. When October dawned, the woman was informed that the government had cut back the Farmers Home Administration program by 60 percent. No more funds would be allotted until January.
Horace and Viola agreed to wait.
The mother would lie awake at night and plan every room in the new house. Her son drew a sketch of where they would plant the red tip bushes, flowers and vegetable garden. She promised her daughter pink curtains with a bedspread to match.
In January it became clear that there could be another year's wait before any money came their way. Patience was wearing thin. Already the Midgetts had packed much of their belongings. Their broker had received more than 300 calls on the home.
Guided by her real estate broker, the buyer attempted to get a conventional bank loan. She had just been offered a new job.
The bank officer told her that things looked good after she supplied him with countless documents, but he also said there may be a few stumbling blocks. While her credit was good and she was gainfully employed, some of her jobs were new and seasonal.
There was nothing unusual in this. Living on the Outer Banks, it was a given to have seasonal work.
After more than a month of waiting, she was turned down by the bank.
Discouraged but unwilling to surrender, she turned to a local mortgage company. After repeating the ``paper process'' for the third time, she was told that she was accepted for an FHA loan. The interest rate was much lower than the bank loan, and she'd have the opportunity to pay on the principal.
Once receiving the good news, she rushed over to the Midgetts' house. They wept openly. The year's wait was over. She knew in her heart that there would be no way she could ever repay them.
In a matter of days they were gone. But goodness still grows on Wingina Street in the hearts of the Riddle family.
It was planted by Horace and Viola Midgett. MEMO: Mary Ellen Riddle writes the arts column for The Carolina Coast.
by CNB