CHAPTER TEN AA: THE QUESTIONS THEY CARRIED
The group reached the hearing building twenty minutes before the doors opened.
A line had already formed along the pavement beneath the courthouse windows.
Former theater workers stood beside shop owners, students, parents, and residents who had never attended a performance.
Some carried signs supporting preservation.
Others wanted the redevelopment project to proceed without further delay.
Nora recognized a woman from the diner who had once complained that the theater campaign blocked useful construction.
The woman greeted her politely and asked whether the hearing would finally settle the argument.
Nora said that she hoped it would clarify the choices,
even if the decision remained difficult.
The woman said that her son needed work and that the new construction promised jobs.
Nora answered that those jobs mattered.
She also said that the volunteers were asking who would benefit after the construction crews finished.
The woman considered the answer and said that she intended to ask the developer the same question.
They entered the building together without agreeing on the outcome.
Inside, a security officer directed the crowd toward a large public meeting room.
Imani checked the speaking list while Daniel helped Walter find a seat near the aisle.
Peter remained standing until an usher offered him a chair with enough room for his injured leg.
He thanked the usher and sat beside Evelyn.
Nora watched them introduce themselves without mentioning Walter.
The sight relieved her more than she expected.
She had worried that every conversation would return to the director and the old accident.
The hearing had drawn people with many different reasons for caring about the harbor.
A young mother asked whether the proposed theater would offer affordable children’s programs.
A shop owner wanted to know how long repairs would close the neighboring street.
A student asked whether rehearsal space would be available after school.
An older resident worried about the cost of maintaining an aging public landmark.
Imani wrote each question on a separate sheet of paper.
She refused to promise that preservation would solve every concern.
Felicity arrived carrying a folder of revised drawings.
She approached Peter and said that the company had agreed to consider a larger service entrance.
Peter asked whether the change was reflected in the official proposal.
Felicity admitted that it was not yet approved.
He thanked her for the work but said that he could not present an unapproved drawing as a commitment.
She nodded and took a seat behind Adrian.
Nora noticed that the designer looked more disappointed than angry.
Walter leaned toward Daniel and asked whether Evelyn had arrived.
Daniel pointed to the chair beside Peter.
Walter saw them speaking quietly and turned back toward the front.
He did not attempt to join their conversation.
The board members entered through a side door and arranged their papers along a long table.
The chair reminded the audience that speakers would be asked to address specific questions and respect time limits.
A man near the back began protesting before the chair finished.
The chair waited until he stopped and repeated the rules without raising her voice.
Nora looked at the notes in her hand.
She had written about Walter’s dinner, the first invitation, the hidden speaker, and the difficult meetings that followed.
She had crossed out three sentences that sounded more certain than the facts allowed.
Daniel asked whether she wanted to practice her opening line.
Nora shook her head.
She said that she would rather listen to the testimony before deciding which details mattered most.
Daniel smiled and said that his father had chosen an unusually stubborn guest.
Nora answered that Walter had invited her because she had been willing to sit down when he needed help.
She had not promised to agree with him afterward.
The chair called the meeting to order.
Imani closed her notebook and placed it beside the repair plan.
Peter straightened in his seat.
Walter folded his hands carefully around the injured arm.
Nora looked once toward the doors, where another group of residents was entering.
She hoped there would be room for everyone who wanted to speak.
The clerk announced the first item on the agenda.
Before taking her seat, Nora noticed a folded program lying beneath the last row of chairs.
She picked it up and discovered that someone had written questions along the margins.
The handwriting belonged to a child who wanted to know how actors made thunder and whether buildings could learn new stories.
Nora handed the program to Maisie and asked her to save it for the volunteers.
Maisie smiled and tucked it into her notebook.
The public hearing began.
