That's a nice start. I am off to read the next part right away!
One thing I noticed in your stories is frequent use of the word manse. By convention, I think it is meant to be a minister's home; not sure if there is an informal meaning to this. I hope you intentionally word it so!
BTW, @nrajesh, that was very perceptive and I'm pleased to have such an insightful response:)
ha ha...I'm not like Nabakov with a subtext of esoteric meaning, but you're right about the original meaning of the word, but I'm using the secondary meaning because it complements the artistic texture. Yes, I do use recurrent words and images - particularly, rain.