Annette Vetter Adventure #1
The Mystery at Hickory Hill
Annette Vetter Adventure #5
"No, I've told you ... I haven't seen my sister in years," said Uncle Will. "And if my nephews is running from the law, then there just has to be a mistake. I can't imagine him being in any sort of trouble."
While Penny is busy with the Christmas pageant at school and Mrs. Vetter is in the doldrums over a broken relationship, Annette is feeling extra lonely. Their holiday getaway has been postponed because one of Annette's Holsteins is getting ready to calve. Annette and Penny finally get the chance to check out the local landmjark they've been dying to investigate -- the old abandoned tower -- and discover another mystery to solve involving a missing girl.
Time travel back to the Sixties with Annette Vetter and her friends. The fifth book takes place over Christmas when Annette is feeling down because her mom is depressed and she wishes she had siblings like her friend Penny. Little does she know her life is about to change .....
An excerpt from Chapter 3 - A War Protester
"Gad, I hope these get there in time for Christmas,” said Lisa.
“We probably should have had them mailed out last week,” said Annette, “but I don’t see how we could have.”
“Well, baking all those goodies took forever,” added Lisa.
“Yeah, but even if they don’t get there for Christmas Day, the troops will have them for New Year’s.” Annette shifted the weight for comfort.
“Oh my,” said a woman standing in line ahead of the boy in the green parka. She turned to the girls and smiled broadly. “Are all of those boxes for our troops?”
Lisa grinned. “They are.”
“Where are they going?” someone else asked.
Annette turned and saw a heavyset older girl in a hippie dress standing behind them in line. The girl’s coat was open, showing a set of wooden love beads hanging from her neck. She had long, frizzy red hair, and rosy cheeks from being out in the cold air. “They’re going to the soldiers in Vietnam,” Annette told her.
Immediately, the heavyset girl rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath.
The lady who had spoken up first caught the reaction and confronted the girl. “Do you have a problem with that, miss?”
“Next, please.”
The lady swiveled around and gave her full attention to the postal clerk while the boy in the green parka glanced back at Annette, then took a few steps ahead in line. Annette and Lisa followed suit, but the hippie girl behind them was not through.
“The war in Vietnam is illegal and immoral,” she stated in a loud voice.
Both Annette and Lisa turned around to face her. Annette could see that Lisa was embarrassed and turned away. She hadn’t expected the FFA president, of all people, to act cowardly when confronted by a hippie who opposed the Vietnam war.
“Look,” said Annette, who, even though she was just a sophomore, wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. “We’re just sending some cookies and fudge for Christmas. It’s for the soldiers …”
“I don’t care what’s in those stupid packages,” cried the girl. “You are supporting the war! That makes you war-mongers.”
“What?” Annette scrunched up her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We are not …”
“You should be ashamed,” the girl continued. “How can you support something that gets people killed? Hey, what business does the US have going over there in the first place?”
Flabbergasted, Annette glanced around. She could see that the lady ahead of the boy in the green parka was finishing up her business with the postal clerk. She wished they could just leave, but they had to finish mailing all those boxes. The hippie continued to voice her opposition to the Vietnam conflict.
“Just ignore her, Annette,” whispered Lisa, who was trembling.
“I heard that,” the hippie girl snapped. “How many more are going to die? When are they ever going to learn that bombs and fighting are not the answer? I hate America for what it’s doing.”
Some people who had gotten in line behind the hippie girl had disturbed looks on their faces and some pretended to be busy or not paying attention to the altercation.
Annette’s pulse was racing. She didn’t want to feed the fury. She was almost afraid this heavyset girl could get physically aggressive.
Then the tall boy ahead of them turned around and stared right into the hippie girl’s face. “What is it you want?” he asked in a calm, but authoritative voice. .........