Page 46 of Second Start: Family
Vicky and Kenzie looked at each other but before either could put their shared thoughts into words, Bexley continued.
“I realized we couldn’t do everything we need to do to your real bus, not when you still need it to get the kids to and from school, so I got Dave and Eric’s friend’s brother to find me this. Oh, look, the guys—” She gestured with one hand toward the two men busying themselves with returning chains and industrial straps to the now-empty flatbed. “—put these posts in for me. Wasn’t that nice of them? Now we can put up the sign. Here, help me with this.”
Three five-foot tall posts formed a triangle between the bus and the road.
Under her instructions, they took a roll of canvas and spread it from one of the side posts, to the point, then to the other side post. They held it while Bexley used a staple gun on it unlike any Kenzie had seen. It looked about as heavy as Bexley and shot out staples that could hold together a house.
“Dave and Jack — he’s the Curricks’ ranch foreman, do you know him? Anyway, they said I had to put holes in the canvas or the wind would rip through it even with these staples,” she told them as she worked. She stapled the cloth around all four faces of each of the end posts. She wasn’t taking any chances.
“It’s not as bad here as it would be across the road.” Vicky said. “The ridge protects us from the strongest gusts.”
“That’s great. Although I do have plenty of holes in it. There. You can let go now. Come see.”
The wide V of the canvas angled to be visible to drivers, one side for those going down the road and the other for those going up. Each side said the same thing:
Coming Soon! The Haunted Bus of Mason!
Halloween Festival, Oct. 30-31
Kenzie streamed out a relieved breath.
“And you don’t have to do a thing to it,” Vicky said dryly.
Bexley chuckled. “I have barely started.”
*
Bexley wasn’t kidding.
Her crew arrived shortly after and worked over, under, in, and around the bus like a swarm of industrious ants. Kiernan, Grif, Eric, Jack, and Dave did construction — or deconstruction — at her directions. Ellyn, Kendra, Rebecca, K.D., Valerie, and Matty painted — lots of black, with splashes of red — measured, and strategized. The measuring and strategizing also applied to inside the school building.
They also set up temporary fencing around the dilapidated bus — much to Kenzie’s relief, since she’d worried how she’d keep the kids away from it during any outdoor time this week.
Bexley posted a similarly sized and constructed sign at the turnoff from the highway.
She had committees for everything and no one escaped an assignment.
Hall’s was being part of a crew setting up games within Kenzie’s classroom.
Bexley also recruited the kids to form teams to put up signs after school, not only in Mason, but also Far Hills, Knighton, and even Bardville.
*
The meeting of the Halloween festival committees broke up with Bexley handing out lists of lists of lists.
Hall had arrived late, then stayed late, the last one there with Kenzie.
“Lock up and I’ll walk you to your door,” he told her.
“There’s no need.”
“Indulge me. Besides, I’ve got something for you in the truck and we’ll go right by it.”
He handed her a bag from the grocery store.
“A cake mix? You didn’t have to—”
“Sure I did. I used yours. Right to replace it.”
