Everhaven by Elizabeth J. Rekab

Author:Elizabeth J. Rekab [Rekab, Elizabeth J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elizabeth J. Rekab
Published: 2020-08-27T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

6 Days to Return

The next day is Provider’s Day in Everhaven. It's a town-wide celebration in honor of the Provider’s return in less than a week’s time. The Mayor has a full day of events planned. There's a plethora of food, drinks, music provided by The Paradise Band, speeches. Even a parade, with floats and everything. We’ve had parades in Everhaven before, but not often, and never so extravagant.

The Mayor gave her brief kick-off speech from Town Hall’s steps at eleven o’clock sharp.

“Have you thought about paradise today?” she’d said, gesturing towards the billboard above the town clock. “I certainly have, and I pray you all have, too, because our Provider is coming in just a few days’ time!”

The gathering crowd cheered.

“Now without further ado, let the festivities begin! Enjoy, celebrate, for He is Good!”

Then the parade started, an explosion of noise and colors down the center of Main Street.

Now, a half hour later, the parade is still going strong. The entire town (or the vast majority, anyway) is lined up on either side of the street, watching.

It’s amazing to me that just yesterday, in this exact spot, people were nervous. Scared. They were asking questions and making accusations. Just yesterday, the Mayor lost her temper and shouted at the questioners. But as soon as she mentioned the Provider’s “benevolence”, everyone was satisfied. The questions stopped.

And the celebration goes on today.

The Paradise Band plucks their banjos and various stringed instruments and bangs their tambourines and sings one of the many folk songs known around town, a lively rendition of “Paradise Way”. The crowd around me is clapping, whistling, much rowdier than usual. I see one of my teachers, Mrs. Stokes, singing along between bites of caramel apple. Next to her, Mrs. Schmidt sips some cider. The smell of popcorn wafts to me on the breeze, from a nearby, wheeled cart set up near Town Hall. I feel a pang thinking that if Marcie were here, we’d be watching the parade through the glass front of her shop and gossiping, probably while making fun of the band and munching on one of her strange cupcake concoctions.

I miss her so much.

All around me people are smiling, laughing, enjoying the day. Somehow, that makes me feel even lonelier.

Children are squealing, waving at the band as they pass by on their small, colorful float. One of the children is Sadie Johnson, standing up on the base of a street lamp’s post to gain a better view, and I know that means her father can’t be far. He’s the reason I’d ventured out into this mess to begin with—to find him and finish his mother’s business.

It doesn’t take long to spot him.

He’s standing along the curb and talking to Sandra Lane, who’s getting ready to climb onto her float to give her what I’m sure is bound to be a memorable speech.

Great.

With a sigh, I excuse myself as I pass through the crowd. Accidentally, I bumped elbows with Mrs. Schmidt as I pass and cause her to spill some cider.

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