Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise by Joyce Magnin Page B

you. If you don't mind traipsing through Hawkin's backyard."
    I couldn't take my eyes off the hand. "Rose, I . . . I . . . " I glanced over in time to see Asa come out her front door."Rose, did you know you have a giant cement hand in your front yard?" I said without even acknowledging Asa.
    She laughed and moved closer to me.
    "Isn't it spectacular?" Asa said. "Rose told me she saw it at a rundown amusement park clear over in Montvalle. Took a few days but we finally tracked down the owner and convinced him to let Rose have it. That was three years ago."
    Rose chuckled. "Yes. He didn't want to just hand it over to me."
    I shook my head. "How many times have you used that one?"
    "It comes in handy," Rose said.
    I decided to quit while Rose was ahead.
    Asa, obviously bored with the many puns, continued the story. "So I drove my truck up there—me and my cousins Studebaker and Ed—and we hauled it back to Paradise. Took us nearly the whole day to get it situated. After we bolted the last bolt, Studebaker and me and Ed climbed up and ate Full Moon Pie by the light of a million stars in the hand of God."
    Full Moon Pie. Now that was a curiosity what with me being a pie baker and all. "Never heard of Full Moon Pie, Asa."
    Asa rubbed his belly. "Studebaker brought it from Bright's Pond. Fella named Zeb makes it—most delicious lemon meringue you'll ever sink choppers into."
    I made a mental note. Learn more about Full Moon Pie.
    "Well," I said. "Back to the situation at hand."
    Asa cracked a smile and then peered into Rose's eyes in the way that only true friends can. "She said this hand would be her Ebenezer."
    Ebenezer? The only Ebenezer I knew was Ebenezer Scrooge and that couldn't be what she meant. But I just let it go, figuring Rose or Asa would get around to explaining it to me later on.
    "That's right," Rose said. "Asa helped me secure it in front of my trailer. I liked that it was a huge upturned hand, kind of like a giant offering to God. I still love the way it collects the rainwater and how the birds come and flap around and bathe."
    "But that ain't all," Asa said. "Rose painted everyone's name, everyone in the park, on it. Bible says God has each and every one of us in his palm. That's why she did it. Poor Fergus about had a conniption fit when he saw it. Tried to make her remove it, but Rose won out."
    "Is my name up there?"
    "Not yet. Haven't gotten around to painting it on. I will though. I've been trying to decide if you are a periwinkle or more of a burnt umber. I'm leaning toward periwinkle."
    Lucky couldn't help himself—he promptly peed on it as Rose spoke. "Sorry, Rose. He can't help it."
    Rose smiled. "It's natural."
    I shook my head, amused. "I think I found our second baseman. Woman named Clara Kaninsky."
    "Pinky," Rose said.
    "Pinky? She said her name was Clara."
    "No, her name is written on the pinky finger."
    I couldn't help but glance over and try to find it.
    "How many names do you have on that thing?"
    "Ninety-seven names, so far. You'll make ninety-eight."
    Imagine that. My name written on God's hand. It made my knees wobble.
    "You want to come inside?" Rose asked. "It's chilly out here."
    "Nah, I think I'll head back. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not having much luck finding women for the team, except Clara, and she didn't even appear all that neighborly or interested."
    "Don't fret," Rose said. "It will all come together."
    "I hope so. I'm really starting"— my eyes darted right back to the strange hand—"to like the idea of playing softball again."
    "That's the ticket," Rose said.
    I continued my trek toward home, but not before I wandered past the Wrinkel trailer. I didn't see Fergus's truck, so I decided to muster a little of my newfound courage and walked right up to the front door and knocked. I knocked once, twice, a third time and still no Suzy Wrinkel. I paused a moment longer and was just about to leave when I heard the door open. My heart sped. It could have been Fergus