by Diane Zahler
Ahmad had brought a backpack. He slung it over his shoulder, and Mattie went up to him and hugged him. At first he was stiff in her embrace, but then his arms went around her, too. “Thank you,” she said. She wanted to say a lot more than that, but she couldn’t find the words.
“Thank you,” he replied, and Mattie could tell that he meant more by it as well. She couldn’t read him, now that he had his talent back, but she could tell that he was eager, and nervous, too.
“It’ll be fine,” she told him. “Your family will be so glad to see you!” He smiled—the third time in two days!—and shook everyone’s hand. And then he, too, was gone, disappearing down the road that led to Frog Creek, the same road that had brought Mattie and her family to the circus, just over a week before.
The others started back into the lot to their trucks and wagons, but Mattie stood in the warm sunshine gazing after Ahmad. He had such a long way to go. Would his little boy remember him?
“Come along, Mattie,” Maya said, her tone scolding. “We have to finish packing up. Right now.”
“Yes,” Mattie said, turning around. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Stop nagging me!”
Maya opened her mouth, ready to snap back at her, but Mattie put up her hands and said, “Joking! I was just joking!”
Maya’s lips turned up just a little. “And I did not mean to nag,” she said. At Mattie’s expression of stunned surprise, she broke into her full-on, hundred-watt Maya smile, and Mattie rolled her eyes and began to laugh. Bell grinned at Mattie, and Tibby grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.
The freak family was on the move again.
But this time, the freak family was going home.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt thanks to:
MARY COLGAN, who turns out to be the editor I always wanted
JENNIFER LAUGHRAN, who found the Marvelwoods a home
SHANI SOLOFF, whose idea it was
BEN SICKER, who thought of Sumatran tigers
PETER ZAHLER, who knows what Sumatran tigers eat without even looking it up
KATHY ZAHLER, who sympathizes when I whinge
JAN ZAHLER, who believes I can do anything
DEBRA AND ARNIE CARDILLO, who are the best collaborators
JINX the circus dog
and, always,
PHIL SICKER, whose talent is love
DIANE ZAHLER is the author of several middle-grade novels, including Baker’s Magic and The Thirteenth Princess. She loves to travel and has lived in Belgium (three times) and London (once). Now she makes her home in Wassaic, New York, with her husband and their extremely energetic dog, Jinx. Their son occasionally drops in when he’s hungry.
Visit dianezahler.com.
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