Sam Abram revisited his Bowden Avenue home on Friday afternoon.

The longtime resident used crutches while navigating the rooms, which were cluttered with broken drywall and shards of glass. The charred walls smelled strongly of the fire that burned inside them late Wednesday night, Dec. 6. 

The blaze, which started in the basement and spread quickly, took with it many of Sam and Dorothy Abram's belongings. It also killed a pet cat and forced the couple to move into a nearby hotel room.

Sam joked that the fire ruined everything inside the house except for his bills, which were somehow spared by the flames. 

The fire also spared Sam's "girls" — a group of chickens he keeps in a backyard coop. He was one of the first residents to have chickens in Barrington, and played a key role in urging a former town council to draft an ordinance allowing hens in town.

Mr. Abram said he and his wife plan to have their home rebuilt. In the meantime, they are looking for an apartment nearby. They said they miss their neighbors and are very thankful for all the help they received following the fire.

On Friday afternoon, one of the neighbors stopped by when she saw Sam outside his home. She ran over to him, gave him a hug and then handed him a gift card. Another neighbor stopped over a few minutes later — she told Sam and his wife they could stay inside her home while the insurance adjuster checked out the property. 

"In such times of distress, real friends show up," said Sam. "The bonds grow stronger."

Sam, who wore special boots on his feet to protect the cuts he suffered during the fire, smiled and then remembered a favorite saying.

"Everything will be good in the end. If it's not good, it's not the end."