A surreptitiously placed garish green button on your back: 16,707 words

I've managed to write 2,200 words yesterday and today, even with all the driving and vacationing. I'm pretty proud of that. True, 1200 words today were written at gin o'clock, which really smoothed things along. 

We meet a new nemesis today, Agatha Thornfield, the founds of Stratford's historical society. Serena, Gordon and Colm are working to build a new house for Evelyn and Harper on William St - a traditionally historic street, right in the middle of Agatha's heartland. Credit to ChatGPT for writing Agatha's chant. 

Pictured is the real-life inspiration for Agatha Thornfield.

~~~

As it turns out, Stratford is not just a peaceful hamlet in Southwestern Ontario, a theatre town with a thriving arts scene and vibrant culinary landscape. There is a darker side to Stratford. Vast swaths of the city are controlled by a roving gang of punkers fashioning themselves as the “Stratford & District Historical Society.” 

A little over half-way down William St was our lot. As we approached, I noticed there was a woman dressed in head-to-toe black. On her shirt, she sported a large, garish green button proclaiming: “Save William Street. Construction is Unethical.” She seemed to be handing them out to passers by, whether they wanted to take one or not. And if they didn’t take one from her, she would surreptitiously clip one onto their back as they passed. It was an amazing feet to accomplish unnoticed. Made even more impressive by the fact that she was able to do it one-handed. In her other hand, she held up a comically large sign. Same green. Same message.

I could hear her chanting something. It may have been powerful if it were a large group. It did not have this effect as this solitary person shouted it at the top of her lungs.

"Preserve our past, protect our land,
No new build, we make our stand!
History's treasures, we won't forsake,
Our heritage, for future's sake!

No destruction, no progress blind,
Let our legacy forever shine!
Respect our roots, our stories untold,
Preserve our history, for young and old!

We stand united, in this fight,
Preservation is our guiding light!
No new build, we shout it loud,
Our heritage, we're fiercely proud!”

Rather than engage with her, I decided that we should try to slink away unnoticed. We were still at least a half block away, so I thought that we would be in the clear. No such luck.

“EXCUSE ME OVER THERE!” came the shout from behind us. “I need to talk to you about something that threatens all of our safety. Come over here!”

I didn’t see a way out of this. I looked over at Gordon and Colm, who both shrugged and walked back in the direction of the shouting. Well, to be more accurate, Colm rolled on his ever-present white roller sneakers while Gordon skulked.