Chapter 38

Years ago, Paul bought an old farm outside of Springville and built a cabin on the property. The original barn is still there and inside the barn is Paul’s flock of chickens. Right now, each hen is in a small cage in their heated coop, waiting for spring to return. Every day, the twins went to visit their chickens and were getting much better at collecting their eggs, even the eggs that the chickens pooped on. Before they realized it, their little hands were able to get the eggs all the way from the roost to the basket, as long as the hen wasn’t in a pecking mood.

And many of the hens now had names, usually names like Sally, Red, Pecky, and Chook Chook. Unfortunately for the hens, the twins often forgot which chicken belonged to which name. Also, taking the eggs to the Hirsh’s and the Clemmons was not as much fun as the first time they did it in the Snowcoach being towed by Pappa’s snowmobile. Now that the road was open, they could be driven in momma’s SUV or pappa’s truck, which wasn’t any fun. They couldn’t wait for the next storm; it was so much fun living in the cabin!

Then one day they went with Aunt Lucy and Aunt Macy to make sure that the cabin was ready. They stocked the refrigerator with bottles of wine, cheese, and fruit, topped off the Christmas tree’s water, stuffed the wood stove full of wood, then they did something that the twins always thought was amazing. The couch back folded down, and the couch became a big bed. They knew it did that, they just never seen it happen. The twins wanted to play on it, but Aunt Lucy kept scooting them off while Aunt Macy put sheets, soft fluffy blankets, and pillows on the couch.

<Who is Gus?> Sandy whispered to Madeline in their private language TwinBabble®.

<He’s poppa’s friend, Uncle John works for him. He and poppa and Aunt Lucy went to the suit store yesterday> answered Madeline.

<Aunt Lucy sure asks a lot of questions about him>

“What are you two carrying on about over here?” Aunt Macy was looking down at them with her huge smile.

“Nothing.”

“Things.”

“Yeah, things.”

“They won’t crack,” said Aunty Lucy, “when they’re talking their TwinBabble® they never reveal what the conversation is about.”

<I’m cold>

<Let’s go to the hotroom> and off they went.

It was cold in the cabin, while the modern cabin had electric heat. When no one is there, it is usually only warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing. The main cabin was 100% wood heat, and the stove was not lit. When Macy and Lucy finished up with their decorating and bed making. Macy grabbed a couple pieces of newsprint, crumpled it loosely and stuffed it in the wood stove under the logs, closed the door and opened up the oxygen feed and the chimney damper. “One match and this place will be toasty warm in a matter of minutes,” she announced.