The Coffee Club

Society members get together for a discussion about the town.

 

 The "Big Cup" coffee shop next to Brenda's Antique store was always busy. They roasted their own coffee, had poetry readings every other month, and served light meals until 6 PM. Mr. Griffin, Harriet Wilson, and Pauline Kirby were the most prominent members of the preservationists club. They were trying to raise funds to preserve an "active and bubbling" spring house located on a private lot, and keep it from being obliterated. Mr. Griffin said that he would offer to buy it, and build a unique cottage on the land. 

He had grand ideas for Riverdale Park. There were several dilapidated homes in a mixed use area a few blocks from the Calvert mansion, and he wanted to build an Inn, but changed his mind when the rumor about the new highway began to circulate. Many such plans had fallen through in his time, and he hoped that Riverdale Park would attract a modern Bohemian factor. The town square craved new energy.

In his youth, he had spent time in Paris, and London hobnobbing with writers, artists, musicians, and dancers. In spite of being slightly conservative about finances, and his private life, he loved  meeting people who refused to lead boring lives. 

Brenda joined the three of them for coffee, and they discussed ways to attract new members into the society. Too many people in the town "just didn't care" about the old houses, and considered them to be "ugly" and "eyesores."  She and the members had witnessed more than 3 Queen Anne homes being felled by a wrecking ball. 

To their horror, the ornate furniture from one exceptionally beautiful gingerbread house was burned to the ground by the fire department despite their pleas to buy it all. The owners claimed that  the "whole house" was full of termites. A nondescript brick square house was erected on the bare lot within the year, and Pauline called it a "travesty." 

After coffee, they stopped to look at Brenda's Halloween Windows. Mannequins Shirley and Robert were dressed like Salem peasants, and had their necks in nooses, about to be hanged. A fake rat hid in a bush with a big butcher knife, and planned to cut them down, but a fake cat had two beady eyes fixed on the rat from the opposite bush ready to pounce. 

Everyone loved the display. Brenda hoped, and prayed, that the three companions would be willing to hear about her plans for the attic, and if they were open to a bit of Spiritual talk, that would  "seal the deal 100%." Proceeding with caution was the best approach, and Mr. Griffin would get the "cat's meow" when he dined with her and Daniel at the Blundon house a few nights later.

C J Marks