The old hut by the lake by Ann Wood
It was springtime when Amanda Garrett's grandfather passed away. She is a young and ambitious writer from Chicago. She is the only relative he had because her parents died a long ago in a car crash. Amanda was an only child as her parents were only children too, and she had no one left in her family. She has many friends and broke up with her boyfriend a few months ago. After the funeral, she was very sad and lonely. The big city oppressed her, and she couldn't concentrate on writing.One day Amanda decides to move to live on Lake Michigan in the old hut inherited from her grandfather. She wants to get away from the big city and live in nature, where to indulge in her books.
She rents out her apartment, packs her bags, and sets off. So she decides to buy a caravan. Amanda loads her luggage into the caravan, hooks up behind the jeep, and sets off.
Amanda has an old cat and a dog who will keep her company during the lonely evenings in the hut.
She hires a young builder to help her tighten the hut, which has not been maintained for years. Her grandfather was quite old before he died. Until the repairs are completed, she will live in the caravan to avoid disturbing the builder and his crew while they work on the hut. Before leaving for the hut, her friend Miranda called her on the phone, visibly upset. Amanda asks her why she's crying; what happened? Miranda tells her briefly that she broke up with her boyfriend, who was also her boss, and fired her. Amanda offers to go through them and take her to stay with her in the hut. She would not be alone and lonely, and Miranda could become the new PR person to advertise her books. Miranda thanked her, and they agreed to meet at Miranda's apartment in an hour.
While waiting for Amanda to come, Miranda packed her bags and took them to the elevator. Amanda was on time for the meeting and went upstairs to help unload Miranda's luggage. She had two suitcases, several bags, and boxes of books and small items. They put all the luggage in Miranda's car and returned the keys to the doorman's apartment.
Before leaving, Amanda gave the coordinates and address of Miranda's hut in case they got lost on the way and left. They went shopping and then bought an alarm, cameras and transmitters, lanterns, a hot plate, a microwave, and a small oven through the hardware store. From there, they went through the tourist supplies store. They bought a folding table and chairs, a picnic basket, a cooler bag, two large and two small thermoses, one for coffee or tea and the other for cold water, cutlery, cutlery, and serving utensils—knives, cups, fruit bowl, and one for salad, pans, and several pots. There are also food boxes so they can store them in the fridge, gas bottle, and generator. They bought sleeping bags, pillows, bed linen, blankets and towels, a tablecloth, and some kitchen towels and napkins. The caravan was equipped with a large refrigerator and freezer, coffee maker, water, toaster, kettle for hot water and stove, and washing machine with dryer. After shopping, they set off again.
It was late afternoon when they reached the hut. They unlocked the hut and unloaded their luggage. Amanda fed the dog and cat and lit the fireplace. They made spaghetti, carbonara, and lettuce for dinner. On the way, they had stopped for lunch at a gas station, where they refueled.
After dinner, they took a shower in the caravan and watched TV. They watched a movie and then went to bed because they were tired from the road.
The next day they got up at eight, had breakfast, and listened to the news on the radio. The workers arrived at nine and began unloading their pickups. The girls made tea, coffee, homemade lemonade, and sandwiches for the workers. They had breakfast, thanked the girls for the delicious breakfast, and set to work.
A brigade started work; two of the workers went up to the roof to see what damage there was; they wanted to fix the roof first because it was raining for the next few days. Fortunately, there was not much to do on the roof, and they quickly fixed it. As they made the roof, the others inspected the windows, doors, and porch. Two of them set about repairing the porch and the front door. The others worked inside, painting the doors and windows and the whole hut inside and out. They put insulation on the walls and under the roof. They put new sealing on the windows and mosquito nets on all the doors and windows. Amanda had prepared lasagna for lunch, and everyone sat down to lunch. In the afternoon, they continued with the repairs. The plumber checked the sewer and replaced several pipes and faucets in the sinks and the shower. The electrician checked the plumbing and replaced several light bulbs. They have also installed a boiler, air conditioning, kitchen appliances, stove, refrigerator, freezer pearl, dishwasher, and dryer. At three o'clock, the technicians for the Internet, the home telephone, and the cable TV came to install the satellite phone and the new plasma TV in the living room of the hut. The new computer and laptop, as well as a printer and a karaoke system, also arrived.
While the technicians were doing their work, the brigade went to a nearby town to buy the materials they needed for the repairs and order the new modern kitchen and the rest of the furniture for the hut. When they returned, they unloaded the materials and put them dry in the shed they had bought and assembled. They work late, at night. They just stopped for dinner and then kept working again. They left after midnight and would return in the morning.
Amanda and Miranda had spent the day browsing furniture, flowers, and decorations and placing orders through their phones. After sending the brigade, they went to bed, tired.
It was raining outside when they woke up in the morning. The workers arrived at nine, drank coffee, and had croissants for breakfast. They were assembling some of the new cabinets that had arrived in the morning at ten. They had taken another prefabricated shed where they assembled the furniture. Several of the workers painted the floor and porch. They were having lunch when the new kitchen arrived. They started assembling and installing it; they had taken out the old kitchen the day before and painted it to freshen it up a bit. They worked late again and had almost installed the kitchen. They left tired from the long working day but happy with the work done.
The renovation lasted a month, and the hut became like new. The two young women decided they could open it to visitors. That said, they're posting an ad on the Internet that the Lake Michigan hut is reopening to tourists. They announced that they were recruiting staff to maintain the rooms, kitchen workers, and a receptionist and agreed with the brigade that they would use them to maintain the hut.
While Amanda works on her books, Miranda will run the hut. Thus, they will both have additional income and a company.
The first guests overtook a young family with two children for the weekend on Friday night. The two barracks were turned into bungalows. The workers had set up a shelter where guests would park their cars. There is also a barbecue and several picnic tables. The hut had 12 rooms, 10 for guests and 2 for girls.
The news about the hut spread, and the first reservations were already a fact. In the beginning, Amanda and Miranda had to cook and change sheets while assembling a staff.
A month after they opened the hut for visitors, they received a lot of reservations for Christmas and New Year, and it was still springtime. Because of the excellent location, people want to make early bookings for the festive holidays. They had hired staff to organize various events and entertainment. They also hired a guide to take them around. They repaired the old boats and put them into use. Fishing and hunting enthusiasts enjoyed the beautiful views and catch.
Amanda had finished her book, which she had begun writing before moving.
The two young women got used to life on the lake. They met a lot of interesting people, and their business with the hut went well. Their site has received a lot of attention from Americans and people worldwide. They received thousands of booking emails. Amanda hired more staff, and Maxim's team bought more prefabricated bungalows and put them around the hut. They also built a pub to have enough tables for all the guests. The land around the hut was ahead of her grandfather's, and Amanda wanted to make full use of it by expanding the hut's capacity for more guests. He invested the money from the sale of the book in the project of the new look of the hut. They already have twenty bungalows and a pub with a capacity of up to two hundred guests. For the summer, they made several outdoor bathrooms and toilets, planted a few fruit trees, put swings, a slide, and a few climbing frames for the children to have a place to play.
The summer was spent renovating, but the influx of guests did not stop; the finished rooms and bungalows were full every week. Maxim's boys did not stop working in the new part of the campsite.
Amanda started a new book, and Miranda worked hard on the site and the hut's ads.
The summer passed imperceptibly, but the influx of tourists did not decrease. Amanda bought three vans to meet guests from abroad at the airport.
At the end of September, they closed for two weeks so they could rest before the winter season began. The Chicago apartment brought her an excellent income, and she had rented it out to a law firm that used it for an office. Amanda put the furniture in a warehouse she had bought for the purpose. He thought he would use them in his new house, which he would restore in the spring. She had inherited land with a small house from a distant relative of her mother's. The house was not far from the hut. Maxim's brigade repaired the roof, so it does not leak during the winter and rainy seasons. The house was on two floors, there was a large kitchen, dining room, living room, lounge and a small studio with bathroom and toilet, as well as a conservatory overlooking the front garden, and on the second floor there were four bedrooms and two bathrooms with toilet and games room. . In the backyard there was a summer kitchen and two barracks, which were equipped as a place to relax on hot summer days. Amanda planned to plant fruit trees and several beds of spices and vegetables. The front garden would plant roses and flowers for each season and put a gazebo and swing where they could rest with Miranda.
When she vacated the furniture warehouse, she planned to turn it into a studio flat, where she could stay if she had to go to work in Chicago. The boys would help her with this project as well.
One day Maxim called and asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner on Friday night because there would be a concert in the neighboring town by a new country band from Canada. She accepted the invitation but asked him if there would be other people with them, and if there were, she could come with Miranda. He told her that he did not mind taking her and Christian's friend and colleague.
On Friday night, Maxim and Christian came to pick them up at seven and went to the next town for dinner and a concert in the stern. They ordered a starter seafood salad with a bottle of white wine. When they finished, the starters were ordered from the mixed grill with potatoes, grilled vegetables, and mushroom sauce; for the main, they ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. They ate and talked quietly with each other. They ordered a French country cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dessert wine for dessert. The concert started at nine and lasted until midnight, and they stayed until the end listening and dancing. They ordered cocktails and a mix of nuts. After the concert, they returned to the hut and sat on the porch to enjoy the beautiful evening view. As it became very dull, Amanda offered to stay and spend the night in the hut, opened two rooms, and accommodated them there for the night.
Maxim thanked her and hugged her goodnight, and they went into their rooms. In the morning, they woke up at eight o'clock and had breakfast. There were no guests this weekend, and they decided to go for a boat trip on the lake. They got dressed and headed for the lake. The weather was good for the season; only a light breeze was felt. The men rowed while the women enjoyed the walk. Miranda had prepared a picnic basket, and Christian had taken the fishing rods to catch some fish for dinner. The walk on the lake was very pleasant; they dropped anchor and enjoyed their company. They talked and laughed at the jokes they made with each other. They had lunch in the boat and then fished. They set out for the shore at three o'clock in the afternoon as the wind picked up. As soon as they reached the shore and it started to rain, they took everything and went to the hut. Maxim and Christian cleaned the fish and put it in the marinade to taste for later when they grilled it. Amanda made potato salad and tarator, a kind of cold soup with yogurt, garlic, dill, cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and water, grated some walnuts in it, and put it to cool in the refrigerator. Miranda had set up one of the tables with candles, flowers, and a bowl of fresh fruits.
When the dinner was ready, they put the salads, the tarator, the fish on the table, and the olive bread, which Miranda had involved and opened. They had dinner and listened to music from the unit. Maxim invited Amanda to dance played blues, and he wrapped her with his hands. Christian followed his example and invited Miranda to dance. The two couples danced slowly, side by side, and talked to each other.
After dinner, they watched a movie and made popcorn. They sat on the sofa wrapped in a blanket and enjoyed the movie and their company. Amanda had huddled to Maxim, and he grabbed her arm and squeezed her slightly. She looked him sleepily in his eyes and whispered thank you for the wonderful weekend and your help here. He hugged her quietly and always said about you, dear Mandy, and kissed her on the forehead. Amanda feels like a student at a first meeting. Sparks transferred between them, and Maxim hugged her tightly to himself and whispered in Amanda's ear, would they offend you if I kissed you? Of course, I will not even enjoy it, and I like you, Maxim. And he kissed her gently on the lips, and she answered his kiss. Amanda apologized that he felt tired and went to bed, wished everyone a good night, kissed Maxim gently, and returned to his room. Amanda couldn't fall asleep for quite long; different thoughts and feelings raged in her head.
In the morning, when she woke up, she knocked on her door. She got up, put on her robe, and opened it, and Maxim was a cart and fruit with a stroller.
- Your breakfast Miladi, where do you want me to serve you?
- Oh, how romantic and veleled on your part, you can leave the trolley by the window and share it with me.
- To your commands, Miladi drove the cart to the window and lit the candles, took the rose, and left it on the bed next to Amanda.
"What did I deserve with my lord all this care and attention?"
- With your kindness and the flame of the love you ignited in me, Miladi.
She blushed from the compliments, and with a quiet voice, he told him that he also lit the flame of love in it.
He kissed her gently and led her to the breakfast table.
-I don't know Miladi for you, but I'm starting to have breakfast and then have a surprise for you.
- Today is our last day before the new season starts, I intended to spend it writing the new chapter in my book, but for you, I will change my program, Sir.
- Very kind of you, Miladi; I promise you will not regret it. And he kissed her again, whispering you, Mandy, enchanted me.
They had breakfast, and Amanda apologized for having to take a bath and put it out before they left. He left her to prepare and take the cart with the remnants of breakfast in the kitchen, where Miranda and Christian drank coffee with croissants for breakfast.
- Good morning, how are you both?
- Good morning, we're fine, and how are you? They replied to the two at the same time.
"Where's Amanda?" Today is late for breakfast.
"She's preparing to go out and has already had breakfast," Maxim said winkingly.
Christian winked at him and smiled, saying:
"Someone may not waste your time; smiling face, I see you are pleased, and I'm glad for you, my friend."
"Do you both have any plans for today?"
- No, we were planning to take a walk, and what would you do?
- I plan to take Mandy to the movies and then at lunch if you want to come with us?
"Only if you want it; we don't want to get you."
"If we wanted to be alone, I wouldn't have suggested coming with us."
"Well, until then, just get a dressing down and see you in front of the car after 15 minutes."
And they split. Amanda was ready and wondered where the others were, and he wanted to talk to Miranda before she went out with Maxim.
He came down into the living room, but no one had; he went to the kitchen, and it was empty there. She pulled out her phone and picked up Miranda.
- Hi, where are you? No one in the hut?
- Hi Beauty, I'll dress and go down in a little while.
- Miranda, I will go out today, and I don't know when I will return; Maxim invited me to go out with him for the day.
- I know Mandy, and we are invited; I will interrupt our conversation when someone is knocking on the door; I am coming in a minute.
"You're ready, Mandy; Maxim called the stairs."
- Yes, I wondered where you are all.
"You look dazzlingly beautiful, Mandy," Maxim said with a catchy smile.
- Thank you. You also.
- Where will we go today?
"They will give Troy to the movies. Have you watched it?"
- No, but I heard it was an intricate movie on a historical theme.
- Mandy, next Saturday there will be Music for Tina Turner, a friend had the four tickets that they left him and offered them to me. Do you want to go with Christian and Miranda to watch the movie? They say that she was very interested in her life from childhood to now.
- Oh, I love Tina Turner, she's a brilliant singer.
"Are we ready to leave?"
- Where are the others?
"We'll wait for them in front of the car.
Miranda and Christian came a little behind them in the parking lot. They took Amanda's car and headed for the city. They parked in the parking lot near the cinema, paid, and entered the cinema. The movie started in half an hour; they took popcorn, Pepsi, and coffee and ordered a tiramisu. They sat in the cinema cafe and ate a cake and drank their coffee. They entered the hall five minutes before the movie and had taken tickets for the VIP guests where they would not be disturbed. The VIP booth was on the second floor of the cinema. The film was interesting, and they watched it in amazement. They went to lunch at a small Chinese restaurant when it was over. After lunch, they went to the mall to buy some things, and from there to the supermarket to buy products and order products for the hut's kitchen. When they finished the market, they headed back to the lake. They returned at five and unloaded their luggage from the car. Amanda prepared dinner and made spaghetti with seafood and Caprese salad. They had dinner in front of the TV because they wanted to watch tennis. The evening was pleasant; after tennis, they played a comedy to watch, then went to bed, and a new group of tourists came the next day.
Amanda said good night to the others and went to her room. After a while, there was a knock on the door, and she opened it to see who she was. Maxim was tempted to say good night to her and kiss her. She kissed him, and then he left.
It was raining at night, and it was cold in the morning. She got up and took a bath, and prepared for breakfast. He went through Miranda's room and invited her to join her downstairs for breakfast. They had breakfast and then went to the office to distribute the tasks for the day. Maxim's crew will be working at the house this week. Collins, the new receptionist, started work today and had to be introduced to the job. The group of activists who will entertain the guests also started working today. Amanda has planned a lot of excursions to nearby landmarks and walks on the lake. There will also be a lot of fun games and activities for both children and adults. A large group from Arizona is overtaking today and will stay for two weeks. They come to open the hunting and fishing season. For tonight the program is karaoke and a quiz with a gala dinner for the new season.
The guests arrived at two o'clock, met them at the airport, and accommodated them in their rooms. Then there were welcome drinks and a light lunch. After lunch, there was a bingo for the adults, and the clown entertained the children in the garden. It was fun for everyone; even the staff had fun with the guests. They had hired a company to prepare the menu for the gala dinner. They would serve several starters, main and salads of their choice, fresh fruit and several types of cakes, champagne, punch, white and red wines as well as a dessert wine, soft drinks and juices for children, and several types of ice cream. The evening went very well; there was music for every taste, games, and dancing until late at night. The guests were satisfied and offered compliments for the wonderful food and fun. They went to bed late after each of the guests left and put their things away from the party.
The following days passed quickly, with many different events for every taste. There was a fishing competition for the biggest fish caught, as well as for the best hunter. There were hikes to the nearby village and the forest for the children, where they collected mushrooms and herbs. One day they went to collect berries and use them to make a berry pie. They would choose the tastiest and best-decorated pie. They had planned a barbecue party and a masquerade ball for the weekend.
Amanda is working on her new book during the day and the press evening helped with the events that are for the evening. Miranda was busy from morning till night, but she was having fun. The children helped her with the tasks for the day as well. They like it very much and are always looking for it in the hut and the complex to it.
The second week was spent hunting and fishing for men and walking for women and children. Every day there were competitions for the best homemade cookies, muffins, cakes, or pies. The children helped the gardeners in the garden, which was a lot of fun. Last night they had a farewell party, and there was a raffle with prizes. Until late, they sang camp songs by the fire and told each other laughter and stories from other such gatherings. The group left on Monday but promised to return soon.
The new group from Massachusetts arrived the same afternoon, and the program was as usual with a welcome drink, a light lunch, and a festive gala dinner in the evening. The week passed quickly in a variety of entertainments. There was an excursion to the nearby town and boat rides or horseback riding from the base of the hut.
The groups came and went, but everyone said they would come back. Time passed, and here came the day of Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Year. They were fully reserved for all holidays. After the new year, they decided to close for a week or two to rest from the demanding season around Christmas and New Year. There were already recorded groups from abroad who had seen the site of the hut. During the two weeks, they were closed, they rested and enjoyed their company.
They reopened to visitors in early February. They had a small group of tourists from Sweden and one from Switzerland, a German couple on their honeymoon, a family from England, and a small group from Florida. They were met at the airport and accommodated in their rooms. Then there was a welcome drink, a light lunch, and a walk around the complex. In the evening, they would have a gala dinner as always when a new band arrived and dance afterward. The weather being unseasonably warm, they planned to take a tour of the nearby sights and the farmer's market in a nearby village. They would have a chess and backgammon tournament and also a golf tournament, for which they would use the golf course of the nearby estate. There would also be a tasting of wine, different cheese types, and local delicacies.
Time passes quickly, some guests come, and others go. The lodge has become a favorite destination for many people both from the country and abroad. Amanda became one of the best-selling authors in America, and her books were sold abroad. Even one book becomes a movie script. Maxim proposes to Amanda to marry him. And a month later, Chris and Miranda get married. The two families still work and live together and have children. That was the story of the cabin by the lake. See you soon, dear readers; I hope you liked the story?!
Short story by Ann Wood
Read 193 times
Written on 2022-07-04 at 01:17
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