Free Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 by Chautona Havig

because they have things in common — church and stuff, or is there something else there that I ’ m missing .”
    Chad smiled as he pushed her higher. “ Get ready for a very confused young woman. There ’ s more to it than that. She ’ s so concerned with making everyone happy — this is going to tear her up .”
     

     
     
    By three o ’ clock, Becca and Willow carded in a semi-rhythmic flow . Chad and Josh spent their time pulling locks, separating them, and joking about everything from Willow ’ s naïveté to the natural way Becca took to Willow ’ s lifestyle. Willow and Becca occasionally sent balls of wool in their direction as if wool fluff could possibly stop the barrage of jokes and teasing.
    The wool flying through the air reminded Willow of North and South. “‘ I have seen hell and it is white. It is snow white. ’”
    “ What? ” Becca looked at Chad as if Willow had lost her mind.
    “ It ’ s from a movie my mom got her .” An impish glint filled Chad ’ s eyes. “ She loves that movie — she really loves the ending best though .”
    “ Civil W ar? ”
    “ Oh , no! ” Willow protested. “ Northern vs. Southern England — not the War Between the States .”
    “ Did England have a Civil War too? ” Becca ’ s eyes grew wide.
    “ Cromwell in the mid-sixteen hundreds. But technically the United States —”
    Chad interrupted. Debate over historical semantics was not likely to be a popular topic of discussion. “ It ’ s about the difference between agricultural southern England with its gentility and proximity to London verses the northern industrial cities like Manchester .”
    “ Sounds an awfully lot like the United States .” Josh ’ s surprise was echoed by Becca ’ s nod.
    “ Well, there are similarities of course, but the British class system was much more ingrained so there were deeper clashes than you found over here, ” Willow explained. “ The movie is amazing. You see the strengths and weaknesses of all lifestyles. You can imagine it but seeing it on the screen — it ’ s just overwhelming .”
    As Willow was speaking, Chad stood, retrieved his laptop and the movie, and flipped on the power switch. Within minutes, all four were lost in a world of cotton, mills, gentility, and abject poverty. Willow carded and rolled nearly automatically now. Her eyes rarely le ft the screen as she worked the paddles back and forth, rolled the batt, and carded again.
    Chad, on the other hand, observed everyone else as they watched the scenes scroll by on the computer screen. Willow was immediately lost in the nineteenth century world of cotton and industrialism. The incongruity of her hand carding wool while watching a movie on a laptop in the middle of her normally electric-free house struck him. Even more than that , the constant attraction between Josh and Becca kept him entertained until the clock struck four-thirty.
    “ Oh, I have to go. Gram is probably working on dinner already and —”
    Josh ’ s face fell. “ I didn ’ t realize — Well, I can see you in Rockland at church I guess .”
    “ Sure. I ’ ll be back this Sunday. We leave Saturday .”
    Willow picked up on the awkward strain and to Chad ’ s surprise and amusement, delved into her first attempt at matchmaking. “ You ’ ll come back tomorrow though, won ’ t you Becca? We were going to try out the spinning wheel —”
    “ Of course! ” Becca was already cleaning up the area around her trying to reduce the mess she ’ d created as she worked.
    “ I ’ ll get that for you Becca, ” Josh insisted. “ Let me walk you to your car .”
    Willow smiled knowingly as Josh led Becca out to her car talking quietly as they walked. “ You ’ re right. They ’ re so cute too .”
    “ You are incorrigible .”
    “ How? ”
    Chad nudged her knee smiling knowingly. “ That was a ‘ Josh, don ’ t you want to come back tomorrow ’ hint if I ’ ve ever heard one .”
    “ Well, he should know she