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know anything about it!” Luther said.

      “Right!” Durwood remarked, dryly.

      “You, too?” asked Maxine.

      “Same thing about ten after seven this morning.”

      Luther’s head was spinning. Who would do this? He wanted to think it was someone who didn’t like him who was making sure the church antagonist and his worst critics were all in one place with him. But, he couldn’t imagine who that might be and, besides, who would have the time to do something like that? Everybody was so busy getting the parade together!

      “So how many got invitations?” asked Emily.

      “I did,” said Priscilla. “I am sure I smelled your cologne on it, Luther, so don’t deny it is your handiwork!”

      “I did!” a half dozen people called out. Those at the homeless shelter had received the same engraved invitation as the church members.

      “Who did it say it was from?” asked Luther.

      “It was more like where it was from!” said Durwood.

      “The card was from some outfit called the Isle of Gemma, LLC!” said Laura.

      She had brought their invitation in her purse. She took it out of the envelope and read it out carefully. “You are cordially invited to ride the Always Sunny Church bus in the Safety Harbor Parade, Sunday, July 6.”

      “Gemma means “pearl” in Latin,” said Zeke.

      Everyone on the bus wanted to know how Zeke, of all people, would know that, but common courtesy kept them from asking, with the exception of Emily, of course, who bluntly asked, “How would a sexton and bus driver know that?”

      No one said anything.

      “Well, in case you wanted to know how a working man like me knows such a thing,” he said, as if Emily hadn’t made a comment at all, “I’m taking painting lessons from Susanna. We talk a little about everything when we are painting together. She’s been teaching me a little Greek, a little Latin, a little of this and that. She says I might even become cosmopolitan soon!”

      “Serves you right!” Luther thought.

      “Do you paint by number, Zeke?” asked William, one of the children of the passengers from the shelter.

      Everyone laughed and relief flooded the bus as a little child had quite unconsciously poured oil on a wound.

      “Well, sort of, William” said Zeke.

      “Zeke and I paint by number at the shelter!” said William.

      “Maybe you have taught him the basics, young man, so he can go on to take lessons elsewhere!” Luther’s eyes twinkled.

      “Hey Zeke, we’re not going to stop painting together, are we?” asked William.

      “Not ever, young man.”

      Zeke was well beloved at the shelter. He had no one at home and often came by to fix a lock or unplug a drain. Then he’d stay and talk sometimes for an hour or two. He was especially good with the kids and was careful never to be alone with them.

      “Okay, folks, we’re headed out for the parade. Everybody sit down.”

      “And shut up!” said William.

      “How impertinent, young man,” said Emily.

      “Thank you!” said William, smiling ear-to-ear.

      Luther snickered behind his sleeve.

      Chapter 21

      The entire High School parking lot was in chaos while participants waited to be told what place they would take in the parade. Katye wondered how she would ever get this started on time. Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe it should start when it was ready.

      She suddenly felt a warmth and relief go through her body. She relaxed. She knew Joe would approve. Maybe he was approving even now!

      “Everything in its time,” he had said. It was an old cliché but when he said it, it was as if it was being said for the first time.

      Suddenly, behind her she heard the voice of Mrs. Saugus, the high school principal.

      “Mrs. Saugus! Hi!”

      “Hello yourself!”

      Katye looked at her and thought that her face carried on it the time tracks of a million school days.

      “I had come in to take care of a couple of matters in my office before the parade,” she said. “I looked out my office window and I saw . . .”

      “You saw chaos!”

      “I saw an opportunity, maybe a place for me where I can help. I have some organizational skills myself.”

      “I’m sure you do! I could use some help here.”

      “I have a bullhorn that I sometimes use in the lunch room and at assemblies. I turn the volume up or down according to the situation,” she smiled.

      “Well, today,” said Katye, “it seems we will need to use it at its loudest!”

      With that, a partnership was formed. Soon Mrs. Saugus and her bullhorn were one.

      “People,” she called out, as if she were talking to some unruly students, “I need your attention and I need it now! Everybody in the parade needs to be quiet and listen!”

      She repeated herself three times.

      “You have to get their attention first,” she said. “That’s far from easy. The first time, you’re just a droning voice. Each time, you rev up the volume just a bit. The second time, they notice someone is speaking. The third time, they deem it important. The fourth time, they really listen. You give me the order of things and I’ll get these people in line!”

      The “Unsettlement Band” would lead off the parade. Daniel followed with his long-suffering pickup that had seen much better days. The truck bed was filled with smiling, waving children and their parents. Behind him, he pulled a hayrack that had been arranged by Hobe, complete with bales of hay, to carry anyone else in the Unsettlement who wished to be in the parade. The children from the Village of Hope Disability Center followed in their fifteen-passenger van. A second van carried the students at the Pacific School for the Blind. Luther had arranged for those from the homeless shelter to walk with the Always Sunny church banner sign that usually stood at the driveway of the church parking lot.

      Suddenly, out of the school bus garage, came the sound of a foghorn. The doors opened and a farm truck appeared, pulling a flatbed wagon. A large coffee cup, made of flowers, was mounted on the flatbed. “Joe’s Fine Dine-ing” had been painted on a banner.

      “They aren’t on the list,” said Mrs. Saugus. “What do you want to do with them?”

      “They’ll go next, Mrs. Saugus, right behind the homeless shelter.”

      “Move it right on in here!” she said to Hobe, who was driving.

      There had to be music all through the parade. So, the bands were scattered throughout. The Middle School band came next.

      Small business floats followed on behind the band. The nearby town of Clever sent their mayor and her husband in a new car from Clever Chevrolet. Susanna had put together a beautiful float for Argostoli’s. The De-light-full Coffee Shop and Book Store came next. The Kite Shop, Ripple’s Grocery, The Art Center, and many others, followed.

      The Chamber float was placed right behind the high school band. And behind them all was the Grand Marshal’s car with Magdalena, Rock, and Hope aboard. Everything was ready.

      Now, where was the Mayor?

      Chapter 22

      Hope called

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