they would laugh and other times be quiet, thinking about what had been made and what was still lost.
The gang stayed some evenings and other nights it was just the two of them. Matt enjoyed both; the other men were great fun, telling stories and teasing each other in that harmless way that only friend’s can pull off. Yet, Matt held the other times closer to his heart when it was just Pa, talking about the day or what was still to do. It was simple but it was everything. Sometimes it would lead Pa into talking about other things, ma and their life together starting out. On all of these nights, Matt would join in but mostly he would listen. It wasn’t that he was shy but more that it seemed a waste not to sit back and listen to all these good stories being passed around and offered up to his ears.
“What about the house?” Matt said, on one of th ose nights when everyone was together. The other men looked at him and waited. It was only Max, on one of his rare stays, who seemed to nod and started gazing around the walls.
“I mean the photos on the walls. Should we have the house open for people to walk through? Did they do that, too?” Matt looked to Marcus and Lucas.
“I guess they did,” Lucas said, “but it was a different time then. Do you want people walking through your house? People would understand if you kept it behind closed doors.”
“If that’s what they did then, it’s what we’ll do now,” Pa said, glancing over and nodding to Matt.
“It won’t be like a museum,” Marcus said, looking around. “It will be more like a place restored.”
“ Where the good memories… live ,” Max added and each of them nodded in agreement.
“What else, Matty?” Pa asked, sensing there was more to it. He could always tell when Matt had more to say.
“What about posters?” He said and looked around.
“It could be dangerous to advertise what we’re doing,” Marcus said, the old fear in him rising at the thought of the clown.
“Come on now,” Lucas said. “He must know what we’re doing by now.”
“He’s waiting,” Matt said quietly and thought of an electrical storm, on the horizon and clear to see, slowly coming closer.
“We’ll deal with him as and when it happens,” Pa said, looking around to each of them. He said it with a conviction that seemed to push all the fear in the room out the door.
“Even so, I think posters would be a step in the wrong direction,” Marcus said, regaining his composure.
“What about fliers?” Matt said. “We just slip them under the door and make people aware.”
“I think that’s a smart move,” Pa replied and the others nodded in agreement.
“I think that’s a smart kid,” Lucas added, making everyone laugh and dispelling the last of the tension.
For a while they talked about what could go on the advert. In the end, Matt took out a pencil and a notepad and drew the best ideas to take to Bobby the next day. Eventually, the three of them wandered to the door, making their plans for the next day and readying to walk out under the stars. As they stepped out onto the porch, Max hesitated, slowing everyone down.
“ If the clown comes …” he said. “ I’ll protect… all of you .” He nodded and didn’t wait for anyone to answer. Instead, he lifted his hand in a wave and began walking back to the clearing, all of him illuminated by the stars and the full moon, so he almost looked as if he were made of silver.
*
The next day, Matt and Pa visited Bobby and within an hour, he had managed to cut together the best parts of the designs and fashion it into one image. Another hour later, Matt’s satchel was full of the ticket stub sized adverts, as was Pa’s work bag. Matt was pleased with the design and liked the idea that no one person’s idea had been picked over the other; that it was something they had made together, as a group.
For the rest of the
The gang stayed some evenings and other nights it was just the two of them. Matt enjoyed both; the other men were great fun, telling stories and teasing each other in that harmless way that only friend’s can pull off. Yet, Matt held the other times closer to his heart when it was just Pa, talking about the day or what was still to do. It was simple but it was everything. Sometimes it would lead Pa into talking about other things, ma and their life together starting out. On all of these nights, Matt would join in but mostly he would listen. It wasn’t that he was shy but more that it seemed a waste not to sit back and listen to all these good stories being passed around and offered up to his ears.
“What about the house?” Matt said, on one of th ose nights when everyone was together. The other men looked at him and waited. It was only Max, on one of his rare stays, who seemed to nod and started gazing around the walls.
“I mean the photos on the walls. Should we have the house open for people to walk through? Did they do that, too?” Matt looked to Marcus and Lucas.
“I guess they did,” Lucas said, “but it was a different time then. Do you want people walking through your house? People would understand if you kept it behind closed doors.”
“If that’s what they did then, it’s what we’ll do now,” Pa said, glancing over and nodding to Matt.
“It won’t be like a museum,” Marcus said, looking around. “It will be more like a place restored.”
“ Where the good memories… live ,” Max added and each of them nodded in agreement.
“What else, Matty?” Pa asked, sensing there was more to it. He could always tell when Matt had more to say.
“What about posters?” He said and looked around.
“It could be dangerous to advertise what we’re doing,” Marcus said, the old fear in him rising at the thought of the clown.
“Come on now,” Lucas said. “He must know what we’re doing by now.”
“He’s waiting,” Matt said quietly and thought of an electrical storm, on the horizon and clear to see, slowly coming closer.
“We’ll deal with him as and when it happens,” Pa said, looking around to each of them. He said it with a conviction that seemed to push all the fear in the room out the door.
“Even so, I think posters would be a step in the wrong direction,” Marcus said, regaining his composure.
“What about fliers?” Matt said. “We just slip them under the door and make people aware.”
“I think that’s a smart move,” Pa replied and the others nodded in agreement.
“I think that’s a smart kid,” Lucas added, making everyone laugh and dispelling the last of the tension.
For a while they talked about what could go on the advert. In the end, Matt took out a pencil and a notepad and drew the best ideas to take to Bobby the next day. Eventually, the three of them wandered to the door, making their plans for the next day and readying to walk out under the stars. As they stepped out onto the porch, Max hesitated, slowing everyone down.
“ If the clown comes …” he said. “ I’ll protect… all of you .” He nodded and didn’t wait for anyone to answer. Instead, he lifted his hand in a wave and began walking back to the clearing, all of him illuminated by the stars and the full moon, so he almost looked as if he were made of silver.
*
The next day, Matt and Pa visited Bobby and within an hour, he had managed to cut together the best parts of the designs and fashion it into one image. Another hour later, Matt’s satchel was full of the ticket stub sized adverts, as was Pa’s work bag. Matt was pleased with the design and liked the idea that no one person’s idea had been picked over the other; that it was something they had made together, as a group.
For the rest of the
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