Leaving levity aside, I think I may have found a
Secret Room in
Hike.
What do those who have read all the books think? Could it qualify as a
Secret Room??
Remember when Anne & Dick have lost their way and are desperate to find somewhere to stay for the night?
‘Well, you can’t stay here,’ said the old woman. ‘My son won’t have no one here at all. You’d best be gone before he comes. He have a nasty temper, he have.’
Dick shook his head. Then he pointed out to the dark rainy night, then pointed to Anne’s wet shoes and clothes. The old woman knew what he meant.
‘You’ve lost your way, you’re wet and tired, and you don’t want me to turn you out,’ she said. ‘But there’s my son, you see. He don’t like strangers here.’
Dick pointed to Anne, and then to a sofa in a corner of the room. Then he pointed to himself, and then outside, Again the old woman understood at once.
‘You want me to give your sister shelter, but you’ll go out into the night?’ she said. Dick nodded. He thought he could easily find some shed or barn for himself. But Anne really must be indoors.
‘My son mustn’t see either of you,’ said the old woman, and she pulled Anne to what the girl thought was a cupboard. But when the door opened, she saw a very small, steep wooden staircase leading upwards into the roof.
‘You go up there,’ said the old woman to Anne. ‘And don’t you come down till I call you in the morning. I’ll get into trouble if my son knows you’re here.’
‘Go up, Anne,’ said Dick, rather troubled. ‘I don’t know what you’ll find there. If it’s too bad, come down. See if there’s a window or something you can call out from, and then I’ll know if you’re all right.’
‘Yes,’ said Anne, in rather a trembling voice, and she went up the steep, dirty wooden stairs. They led straight into a little loft. There was a mattress there, fairly clean, and a chair. A rug was folded up on the chair and a jug of water stood on a shelf, Otherwise the room was bare.
A tiny window opened out of one side. Anne went to it and called out. ‘Dick! Are you there? Dick!’
‘Yes, I’m here,’ said Dick. ‘What’s it like, Anne? Is it all right? Listen, I’ll find somewhere nearby to shelter in - and you can always call me if you want me!’
A strange
secret room used for who knows what by goodness knows whom!
Secret room? Cupboard? Old woman's Crib? Guest suite? Does even Maggie know!!
To dance to - or rather, jump, as we all did in school yesterday. Don't know how to dance - was a trifle embarrassing when a teacher in her late 40s (!) dragged me in - with best dancer in the school beside us!! And he joined us too - all I could say was "Teach me how to dance" - and those two did. 
