Mr. Crawford raised one of his eyebrows. It was a special skill he liked to show off whenever possible. “Now that’s an interesting idea.”
Eric slurped a spoonful of chili and then said, “You sure people will want to pay to ride him? You might have to pay them to give him a chance.”
Hannah gave him a dirty look. “Stop it. That’s not nice.”
“I think this might be an excellent way for people to see a mule is just as good, if not better, than riding a horse,” Mr. Crawford said, taking a piece of cornbread from the basket and putting it on his plate. “As both Hannah and I know, he rides like a dream, and photographs like one too.”
“You sure his hoof will be healed in time?” Mrs. Crawford asked.
“When I’m done eating, I’ll go over and talk to Grandpa about it,” Hannah replied. “Far as I know, he should be good to go.”
“Well, regardless of what we decide about Stardust, I’ll need everyone’s help getting the place ready Friday night,” Mrs. Crawford said. “And between now and then, Hannah, maybe you can help me call folks and get donations for the cakewalk and prizes for the games and whatnot.”
“Sure,” Hannah said. “I’ll do anything I can to help.”
“Let me take care of the advertising,” Mr. Crawford said. “I’ll call the newspapers tomorrow and a few radio stations as well.”
Mrs. Crawford gave her husband an appreciative look as she took a bite of her chili.
“When are you going to tell the Westons you’re doing this?” Hannah asked. “Because they’re already starting to pack, and are planning to leave next week.”
Her mother nodded. “You want to go over there with me after supper? Give them the news?”
Hannah told herself Elsie might not be happy to see her at first, but she’d come around when she found out why they were paying them a visit. “Sure. I’ll go with you. But Mama, what if it’s not enough? What if we go to all this trouble, but we don’t raise enough money, and they still have to move?”
Her mother raised both arms up and crossed her fingers. “All we can do is hope that Lady Luck is on our side and everything works out.”
That was not what Hannah wanted to hear, since Lady Luck did not seem to be on her side lately. At all.
The week was a whirlwind of activity, getting ready for the carnival. Every day after school, Hannah was busy doing something to help the ladies of Beauty by Design so they’d have less on their to-do lists. Thursday morning, Mrs. Crawford told Hannah she was “pleased as punch” about how well things were coming along in such a short amount of time. Hannah was happy, too, especially because Elsie was back at school, since the Westons were feeling hopeful, and extremely grateful, about the fund-raiser.
When Hannah and her mother had gone to Elsie’s house to tell them about the fund-raiser, the entire Weston family could hardly believe the news. After it finally sunk in, Mrs. Weston had asked, “How will we ever be able to repay you?”
Mrs. Crawford had simply said that was what folks do — they helped each other when they needed it. As Hannah had turned to leave when it was time to go, Elsie stepped forward and gave her a big hug. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t really need to. Hannah understood that it’d been a stressful couple of weeks, and what Elsie had said earlier was probably a result of all that stress.
At school, Hannah and Crystal were eating lunch together again, as usual. They sat at their normal table and shared a bag of potato chips as they ate the sandwiches they’d each brought.
“Are you going to come to the carnival on Saturday?” Hannah asked.
“Probably,” Crystal said. “Braden really wants to go. He’s been bugging my parents for a puppy, and they want to get him a goldfish instead. They told him it’s a much better pet for an eight-year-old. Easier to take care of and all that. Will you be giving away plastic bags of fish like they used to do at the elementary school carnival?”
“No,” Hannah said. “We checked into it, but we decided not to. Braden can ride Stardust though. We’re bringing him along and letting people ride him around the parking lot for the price of two tickets. His hoof healed up just fine.”
Crystal picked up a chip and munched on it. “That’s good, but riding a mule is not quite the same thing as getting a puppy,” she teased.
“And a goldfish is?” Hannah said with a smile.
“Well, it’s a pet, at least. But you’re right, it’s not really the same. You can’t cuddle with a goldfish. Can’t walk a goldfish. Can’t play fetch with a goldfish. I’m not sure what my parents are thinking, exactly.”
“They’re thinking a goldfish is a million times easier than a puppy, and that’s all that matters.”
Crystal nodded. “Yep. Sounds about right.”
“Hey,” Hannah said, setting her sandwich down on the plastic baggie. “Do you want to come over Sunday so we can start planning the science fair project?”
“Sure,” Crystal said. “Think you’ll still have some energy left after that busy day on Saturday?”
A day doing nothing did sound pretty nice, Hannah thought. But she was anxious to bring Crystal and Elsie together so they could get to know each other better. Especially now that it looked like Elsie might stay on in Soddy-Daisy a little while longer.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re going out to plow the fields. We’ll be talking about stars. Beautiful, magical stars. That won’t be too tiring, right?”
“If you say so,” Crystal said, before she took another bite of her peanut butter and honey sandwich. She finished chewing and then asked, “Hannah, are you worried about what happens if no one comes to the carnival?”
“We just can’t think like that.” Hannah put her elbows on the table and squeezed her hands together. “People have to come. And they have to buy lots of tickets and fill up the donation jars we’re setting out too.”
Crystal leaned in, almost whispering. “But what if they don’t?”
Hannah had asked herself that question at least a dozen times. It would be terrible if they had to tell Elsie’s family that the carnival was a failure when it was all over, which would probably mean they’d have to move after all. She just kept telling herself that everything would work out.
“Did I tell you I lost the charm bracelet I got at camp?” Hannah decided it was time to change the subject.
Crystal’s mouth dropped open. “No. What happened? I mean, where’d you lose it?”
“I don’t know. I let Elsie borrow it and we think she lost it at church and someone picked it up there.”
“Have you told your camp friends?”
“No. I keep hoping someone will turn it in to the office at the church. I haven’t written to any of my camp friends in a while. First it was because I didn’t want to tell them about Stardust. But now that I don’t care about that, I can’t write to them until we find the bracelet. If we ever find the bracelet, that is. I feel so bad.”
“And I feel bad for you,” Crystal said. She reached into her lunch bag and pulled out two homemade chocolate chip cookies. “Here, you want one of these? Chocolate always makes me feel better.”
“You know I can’t turn down a cookie.” She reached her hand out as Crystal opened the baggie and let Hannah take one. “Did you make them?”
“Are you kidding me? You’re the baker I wish I could be. No, my mama and Braden made them together after school yesterday. They’re good, I promise. And by the way, I found a class for us to take at the craft store.”
“You did? What is it?”
“We’re going to learn how to make bath and beauty products. You know, like bath salts, body lotions, hand creams. That kind of stuff.”
Hannah’s eyes got big. “We are?”
Crystal laughed. “Yes, ma’am. We sure are. It’s not this weekend, but the next. Just in time for Valentine’s Day. All the boys will be swarming us when they get a whiff of our lovely creations.”
“You’re crazy, Crystal. It’d have to
be body lotion with super magical powers to make that happen.”
“Anyway,” she continued, “there’s a fee of twelve dollars that covers the cost of supplies, and then you’ll bring home a basket full of stuff plus the recipes so you can make them again if you want to.”
“That sounds good,” Hannah said. “And in the meantime, we have the carnival and stargazing to look forward to.”
“You better wish on a star that your special bracelet shows up,” Crystal said, popping a bite of the cookie into her mouth.
“I already have. Believe me.”
Crystal shrugged. “Well, don’t give up yet. Sometimes magic takes time.”
Friday night, Hannah and her family were busier than a king and queen on coronation day. Transforming a beauty parlor into a carnival was no small feat. But with the help of a few card tables, cardboard, and lots of construction paper, they managed to do a decent job. The receptionist desk was where Hannah would sit the following day, selling tickets. She’d covered it in red construction paper and made a sign explaining the pricing options. Another sign read:
Help the Weston family stay in Soddy-Daisy.
Every dime made at the carnival will go to them.
Thank you for your support!
She’d decorated ten canning jars and placed them around the shop for donations as well. Along with games set up on the card tables, and a cakewalk in the very back of the shop, each of the styling stations had a game to play too. The one at her grandma’s station was Hannah’s favorite: the Soda Pop Toss. They’d set up a bunch of Coke bottles in a triangle shape and the goal was to sit in the chair and toss a hard plastic ring so it would fall down onto one of glass bottles perfectly and rest around the neck of the bottle. Hannah had tried it at least a dozen times, and only once had she managed to “ring” a bottle.
As for Stardust, her father and grandfather had volunteered to come along on Saturday and be in charge of the rides and photos. Her grandma had kept an old Polaroid instant camera, so they could take a picture and wait a minute and be able to hand it to the customer right then and there. Stardust would walk the perimeter of the parking lot, while a big bouncy house would sit in the middle of it.
Hannah knew they’d done everything they could think of to make the carnival fun. Now, it was up to the town of Soddy-Daisy as to whether or not it was a success.
As they finished up their work Friday night, Hannah went into the back of the shop, where Louanne was busy unwrapping prizes and putting them in various buckets to have at each of the game stations.
“Hi, Louanne,” she said.
“Hey there,” Louanne replied, tossing her blond hair back as she looked up. “It’s looking real good out there. Think it’s gonna be a blast, don’t you?”
“Yep. As long as people show up.”
“They will,” Louanne said, examining a big, sparkly bouncy ball. “We live in a fine community.” She smiled at Hannah. “We look out for each other, you know?”
“I know,” Hannah said. “Thanks for coming up with the idea to do this for them.”
Louanne waved her hand in the air. “No thanks necessary, hon. Rosie’s been a client of mine for a long time. I’m worried about them same as you are, and would hate to see them have to move.”
Hannah nodded.
Louanne dropped the bouncy ball into a bucket and then walked closer to Hannah. “I don’t judge them for the problems they’re going through, you know. I feel bad for them, that’s all.”
“I know,” Hannah said, even if she wasn’t sure whether this was exactly true or not.
“I’m not always the kind of person I’d like to be,” Louanne continued. “Not like your mother, who is probably the sweetest woman this side of the Mississippi. But I’m trying. Ever since you and your mama came over that night and showed me a whole lot of kindness when I really needed it, I’m trying hard.” She looked down at her hands and picked at one of her fingernails. “Even if sometimes it might not seem like it, I am trying.”
Hannah wasn’t sure what to say.
“Anyway,” Louanne said, reaching down and picking up a neon orange bucket. “I just wanted you to know that.” She handed the bucket to Hannah. “Want to help me put the rest of these prizes in these buckets? Then I think we’re about done for the night.”
“Sure,” Hannah said. “I’d love to.”
* * *
The next morning, Hannah got up, threw on some clothes, and went outside to help her father and grandfather get Stardust loaded into the old horse trailer her grandparents owned. It had rained the night before, so the air smelled fresh and clean, and the ground was damp. She stepped around a couple of small puddles, hoping it wouldn’t rain today. A mule ride wouldn’t be nearly as fun in the rain.
As Hannah had suspected, Stardust didn’t give them a bit of trouble, just stepped right into the trailer like it was his stall in the barn. Because of the preparations for the carnival, Hannah had only ridden him once since her grandpa had given the okay. His hoof seemed to be fine, though, and he was walking normally again.
“I reckon I should change into something a bit more presentable,” her grandpa said with a slight grin. He had on old jeans, his favorite wool coat, and the straw hat.
“Yup, me too,” Mr. Crawford said. “Meet you out here in fifteen minutes or so?”
“Sounds good,” Grandpa said. “That gives me enough time to have a bite to eat too.” He looked at Hannah. “Your grandmother stayed up into the wee hours of the morning baking up goodies for the cakewalk. Along with three different kinds of cake, we’ve got pumpkin bread and banana bread too. When people see those goodies, they’ll buy lots of tickets for sure. We’ll see if she makes me pay for a piece of bread and butter for my breakfast.”
“Guess I better bring some money along then, just in case,” Hannah said with a smile. “I want some of that banana bread myself!”
“See you soon,” he called out as he turned away.
Hannah turned and followed her daddy toward their house. “What about you, Hannah?” he asked. “You gonna ride into town with us or wait and go with your mama?”
“I’ll go with Mama, Grandma, and the twins,” Hannah said. “I want to take a shower and have Mama put my hair in a braid. It’ll be nice to have it out of the way today.”
“I have a good feeling about today,” he said as put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “A real good feeling.”
It was just what Hannah needed to hear, to put her mind at ease. For a little while, anyway.
An hour later, as Hannah and her mother were slipping on their coats, waiting for Adam and Eric to come downstairs, Mrs. Crawford’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and checked the number.
“It’s your daddy,” she said as she pressed TALK. “Hi, Anthony. Everything all right?”
Hannah watched her mother’s face as Mrs. Crawford listened to her husband talk. When the corners of her mouth turned down, Hannah knew there was trouble.
“Oh, Anthony, I’m so sorry that happened. Are you sure he’s all right?” Mrs. Crawford turned to Hannah and gave her a concerned look. “Yes, I’ll talk to your mother and see what we want to do. I’m guessing we’ll ride separately now, so she can go to the hospital. Unless you think we should all be there.”
At the mention of the word hospital Hannah’s knees began to shake. Then Adam and Eric appeared.
“What’s wrong?” Eric asked. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”
“Someone’s at the hospital,” Hannah said.
“What?” Adam asked, turning to their mother. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Mrs. Crawford held up her finger. “All right. We’ll see you later. Yes, I’ll tell her. Good-bye.”
“What is it?” Hannah asked, trying to keep the panic she felt under control. “What’s wrong?”
Mrs. Crawford put her hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “Well, it’s bad news, I’m afraid. A few men were putting up the bouncy house when your g
randpa and daddy arrived. You know, blowing it up with air or whatever it is they do. As the two of them were leading Stardust out of the trailer, he got spooked real bad.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
Her mother swallowed hard. “Stardust kicked your grandpa. Your daddy said it could have been much worse, that his hoof just grazed him, but they kick mighty hard, and he’s afraid he might have broken a rib or two. Your daddy called for an ambulance, and while they waited for it to arrive, he got Stardust back in the trailer. They’re taking Grandpa to X-ray now.”
“Oh no,” Hannah said. “Poor Grandpa. And poor Stardust. I hate the idea of him being so scared he’d do something like that.”
“Poor Stardust?” Adam said. “He’s not the one we should be worried about right now. Grandpa is in the hospital, Hannah.”
She turned and glared at her brother. “I know that. But can’t I feel bad for Stardust too?”
“It worries me, Hannah,” her mama said, rubbing her hands together nervously. “That he went and did something like that. I’m not sure I feel comfortable having you around him after this.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “Mama, it was a one-time thing.”
“Well, your daddy and I need to talk about it. I’m not sure what we’re going to do, to be honest.”
“What we’re going to do,” Hannah said, trying not to cry, “is go to the carnival, and I’m going to walk Stardust around that parking lot so many times that bouncy house doesn’t faze him one bit.”
Mrs. Crawford shook her head hard. “No. No you are not. No one is getting on that mule today; it’s out of the question.”
“But that’s so —”
“No buts,” Mrs. Crawford said, heading toward the door. “Come on. We need to go talk to Grandma. Your father has surely called her by now and she’s probably worried sick.”
“Are we going to the hospital?” Eric asked.
“No,” Mrs. Crawford replied. “The show, or carnival in this case, must go on. Your father wants us to see it through. There’s nothing we can do for Grandpa right now, anyway, and he’s certainly in good hands.”
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