Small Wonders · complete story

One Seat, Two Invitations

Tedray · Teamwork & curiosity

Tavi and Bea reached the welcome hall at the same time. They wore matching star badges. Each carried a purple invitation.

“I’ve saved us a place,” said Tavi.

“So have I,” said Bea.

They compared their cards. Both said SEAT SEVEN.

There was only one chair with a seven on its back.

Zuri opened her sketchbook. “Which invitation came first?”

“Mine arrived yesterday,” said Tavi.

“Mine arrived yesterday too,” said Bea.

Pip looked from one friend to the other. He had expected a party. Now it felt like a puzzle with somebody sitting on the answer.

“Perhaps one card is the real one,” Zuri said quietly.

Mira crouched beside the chair. “Before we choose anything, let’s check how the cards were made.”

The hall organizer, Mr Bell, hurried over. His apron had tiny paper stars caught in its pockets.

“I printed both invitations myself,” he said. “I’m sorry the numbers have confused you.”

“Will one of us have to go?” Bea asked.

“No,” said Mr Bell. “I invited both of you.”

Bea held her invitation a little less tightly.

Noor asked to see the printer. It was a round machine with a slot shaped like a smiling mouth. Ivo put a blank card in its tray.

The printer hummed.

Out popped another invitation.

SEAT SEVEN.

“I have obtained a chair,” announced Ivo.

“You have obtained a card,” said Pip.

“An important first step.”

Noor checked the printer’s template. Every name was different. Every welcome message was different. Every seat number was seven.

“The number box has stopped updating,” they said.

Zuri drew seven tiny chairs across her page. Then she crossed out six.

“I was trying to choose between Tavi and Bea,” she said. “But the printer was the part that needed checking.”

Tavi nodded. “We could sit together.”

“I would like that,” said Bea.

Dandy reached into one enormous coat pocket. He pulled out a ribbon, a wooden spoon and a paper sunflower.

“Excellent equipment for a chair,” Ivo said.

Dandy laughed. “My other pocket.”

He found the hall’s furniture key. Mr Bell unlocked the cupboard, and the adults brought out another chair. They checked its legs before setting it beside seat seven.

Pip made a sign for the pair.

TWO FRIENDS. TWO SEATS. ONE GOOD PARTY.

Zuri added their names.

Noor repaired the template and printed a test sheet. One, two, three, four. The numbers changed properly.

As they put away the old version, a thin strip of writing appeared along its bottom edge.

“Return address,” Noor read. “Sunflower Station. Welcome Hall. Bay Four.”

Mira’s eyes met Dandy’s.

It was the same station named inside the mysterious envelope.

Mr Bell leaned closer. “That template came from our oldest festival box. I thought the address was only decoration.”

Zuri carefully copied every letter into her sketchbook.

At the table, Tavi and Bea were already sharing a plate of little moon sandwiches.

Ivo studied the spare chair.

“I possess six legs,” he said. “Would six seats be excessive?”

“Only slightly,” said Mira.

Pip giggled. Then he looked again at the address.

Somewhere on the highway, a welcome hall still had a name.

They just had to find its door.