several generations - grey-haired codgers, middle-aged and younger couples, some holding sleeping babies on their knees - sipping coffee and discussing who would organize the Fourth of July picnic and should they cut down or try to save the old oak in front of the school.
"Would I need to dress up?" Maggie asked.
"No," Dyna flapped a hand. "I'll go like this."
Maggie looked at Dyna's Baltimore Ravens swea tshirt and faded blue jeans. "Okay , just let me hop in the shower."
"Wait, I'd better turn on the hot water first." Dyna went to the door opposite the side door in the foyer. "We turn the water heater off when the cabin's going to be empty," she explained. "Saves electricity. C'mon, I'll show you the whole thing, in case you need it when I'm gone."
Maggie peered over her shoulder as Dyna opened the metal cover of the circuit breaker box inside the utility closet. "This is the switch for the hot water," Dyna said, then pointed to the inside of the cover. "See, they're all marked on this diagram. And this is the main switch for the whole cabin. But you only need to know that if you want to re-wire switches or something. I don't suppose you're going to do that, are you?"
Maggie laughed. "No, I left my tools back in Baltimore."
Dyna closed the breaker box. "The water gets hot pretty quick. I picked up a frozen pizza. Should I put it in now? You'd have thirty minutes."
"That's all I need," Maggie called as she ran up the stairs and began pulling things out of her bags. By the time she stepped out of the shower she could smell the pizza baking, and her stomach gave a healthy growl. She dressed quickly, then struggled with her short, brown hair - always a frustrating experience as the curls stubbornly resisted nearly every direction she tried to lead them - until Dyna called up the stairs that the pizza was ready.
Maggie looked at her reflection in the mirror and shrugged. "That'll do. I'm hungry ! " She put down her brush, stepped over a pile of clothing, and trotted down to dinner.
<><><>
Night had fallen, which in New Hampshire in January meant the temperature had already dropped another ten to fifteen degrees by the time Maggie followed Dyna down the cabin's steps and climbed into the Ford parked in the driveway.
"Tonight I'll pull it into the garage," Dyna said. "Dad and Mom had the garage built after they bought the cabin. Sometimes it's a pain having to walk outside to get to it, but they couldn't attach it, and it's better than nothing. There's only room for one car, but I won't be here that long anyway." They had bundled up in parkas, boots and gloves, and, hearing the wind whistling through the trees, grabbed hats on their way out the door. As Dyna backed out onto the driveway she said, "We could actually walk to town. It's close enough if you go through the woods," then added matter-of-factly, "except we might freeze to death on the way back."
Maggie watched eagerly as they drove down Hadley to the turn, then rode along Main Street. Street lights glimmered on the snow, and store fronts glowed, lit softly to show their wares. Dyna explained that since it was a Sunday night most shops were closed. Probably the best time for everyone to gather for a meeting, Maggie thought, images of what she considered a typical small town assembly still floating through her head. This was such a pretty, peaceful town. The perfect retreat for working on her project.
As Dyna turned down Washington Street to get to the school, however, all Maggie's cozy It's a Wonderful Life scenes splintered, like a windshield hit with an icy snowball.
"Down with Warwick!" an angry group of people shouted, tramping in a circle and jabbing hand-drawn signs into the air overhead with their thick-mittened hands.
"Keep Warwick out of Cedar Hill!" one burly man demanded, his glare aimed furiously at Maggie and Dyna as they drew near.
"Stop the Rape of Cedar Hill." a housewife screamed, leaning menacingly in their direction.
A small boy
"Would I need to dress up?" Maggie asked.
"No," Dyna flapped a hand. "I'll go like this."
Maggie looked at Dyna's Baltimore Ravens swea tshirt and faded blue jeans. "Okay , just let me hop in the shower."
"Wait, I'd better turn on the hot water first." Dyna went to the door opposite the side door in the foyer. "We turn the water heater off when the cabin's going to be empty," she explained. "Saves electricity. C'mon, I'll show you the whole thing, in case you need it when I'm gone."
Maggie peered over her shoulder as Dyna opened the metal cover of the circuit breaker box inside the utility closet. "This is the switch for the hot water," Dyna said, then pointed to the inside of the cover. "See, they're all marked on this diagram. And this is the main switch for the whole cabin. But you only need to know that if you want to re-wire switches or something. I don't suppose you're going to do that, are you?"
Maggie laughed. "No, I left my tools back in Baltimore."
Dyna closed the breaker box. "The water gets hot pretty quick. I picked up a frozen pizza. Should I put it in now? You'd have thirty minutes."
"That's all I need," Maggie called as she ran up the stairs and began pulling things out of her bags. By the time she stepped out of the shower she could smell the pizza baking, and her stomach gave a healthy growl. She dressed quickly, then struggled with her short, brown hair - always a frustrating experience as the curls stubbornly resisted nearly every direction she tried to lead them - until Dyna called up the stairs that the pizza was ready.
Maggie looked at her reflection in the mirror and shrugged. "That'll do. I'm hungry ! " She put down her brush, stepped over a pile of clothing, and trotted down to dinner.
<><><>
Night had fallen, which in New Hampshire in January meant the temperature had already dropped another ten to fifteen degrees by the time Maggie followed Dyna down the cabin's steps and climbed into the Ford parked in the driveway.
"Tonight I'll pull it into the garage," Dyna said. "Dad and Mom had the garage built after they bought the cabin. Sometimes it's a pain having to walk outside to get to it, but they couldn't attach it, and it's better than nothing. There's only room for one car, but I won't be here that long anyway." They had bundled up in parkas, boots and gloves, and, hearing the wind whistling through the trees, grabbed hats on their way out the door. As Dyna backed out onto the driveway she said, "We could actually walk to town. It's close enough if you go through the woods," then added matter-of-factly, "except we might freeze to death on the way back."
Maggie watched eagerly as they drove down Hadley to the turn, then rode along Main Street. Street lights glimmered on the snow, and store fronts glowed, lit softly to show their wares. Dyna explained that since it was a Sunday night most shops were closed. Probably the best time for everyone to gather for a meeting, Maggie thought, images of what she considered a typical small town assembly still floating through her head. This was such a pretty, peaceful town. The perfect retreat for working on her project.
As Dyna turned down Washington Street to get to the school, however, all Maggie's cozy It's a Wonderful Life scenes splintered, like a windshield hit with an icy snowball.
"Down with Warwick!" an angry group of people shouted, tramping in a circle and jabbing hand-drawn signs into the air overhead with their thick-mittened hands.
"Keep Warwick out of Cedar Hill!" one burly man demanded, his glare aimed furiously at Maggie and Dyna as they drew near.
"Stop the Rape of Cedar Hill." a housewife screamed, leaning menacingly in their direction.
A small boy
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