There are many parts of Horsmarlonerpool that are like… secrets.
These are places where not many people go: Like hidden bits of riverbank, or old tunnels, or sometimes just streets with one or two houses on them that don’t go anywhere popular or important.
These places were often very calm and quiet, and that’s exactly why Colorado and Adora liked them so much.
They liked exploring the places that other people didn’t know about. Places that weren’t visited very often. They thought that all places deserved to be visited, and it wasn’t fair on the secret places if no-body ever turned up to have a look at them.
They even had their favorite secret places, like the old farm shed that was full of three rusty cars, and the giant rabbit warrens that went all the way out to the sea. In fact their favorite thing to do - their hobby - was find NEW secret places.
Horsmarlonerpool was big enough to have new secrets, but small enough that Colorado and Adora knew their way around. That said, the more and more they explored, the harder and harder it was to find new places.
But on this particular day, Colorado and Adora found a street that was totally new to them. A metal sign where this strange new road bent off from the harbour road was covered in moss, but Adora scraped it away to read ‘Suede Street’.
It didn’t look as if Suede Street had any reason to exist at all. There were no houses down it, and it seemed to just head out into nowhere.
“But we have a rule,” Adora reminded Colorado. “That everywhere deserves to be explored.”
“And we have a saying”, nodded Colorado. “If somewhere doesn’t look very interesting, it normally is.”
“Okay,” said Colorado. “Let’s explore Suede Street.”
Now it was a little bit overgrown, and the road was very uncared for and cracked, but it was a pleasant warm day for a walk and the air smelt like the sort of air you have adventures in.
Before long, they saw a man standing very still up ahead.
“What’s he doing down Suede Street,” wondered Colorado. “There’s nothing here.”
As they got closer, the man still didn't move, or turn to face them. He just kept staring into the distance.
“Hello!” said Adora, helpfully. But the man said nothing.
They approached with caution, but as they got closer, they noticed the man’s skin was all dirty - with some weeds growing on it. And his legs were just a block of concrete with a sign on it. It wasn’t a man at all - but a very old, and very long forgotten statue.
“Who would build a statue all the way out here?” wondered Adora, as Colorado bent down to read the name plate. It was filthy and old, but he just made out the name ‘Kirkland Muffin’.
“Kirkland Muffin?” said Adora. “I wonder who he was?”
“Well he wasn’t very important,” said Colorado. “Not if his statue is all the way out here.”
But Adora wasn’t so sure. “Not everybody gets a statue of themselves made,” she said. “He might have been forgotten about now, but what about when this statue was made? He must have been somebody important.”
As she said this, she looked at the statue’s hand. Although it was grubby with grime, his thumb looked smooth and a lighter color. It was as if, years ago, thousands and thousands of people had touched it. Maybe for good luck?
Adora touched Kirkland Muffin’s thumb, and she looked up at the statues face. It might have been covered in dirt, but it looked like a kind face.
“Alright! Then I declare a mystery!” said Colorado. “We need to find out who Kirkland Muffin was! And where do we find the secrets to riddles and mysteries?”
“The library!” cried Adora, and off they both ran, leaving Kirkland Muffin standing all alone on his concrete block.
Horsmarlonerpool library had hundreds of old books, and Miss Kelvingrove, the librarian, knew what each and every one of them contained.
“Kirkland Muffin?” she said. “Well let me see. I think you had better start with the town’s encyclopedias.”
Uh-oh. The encyclopedias were the biggest books in the whole library, and they were heavy and dusty.
But they brought out ‘M’ for Muffin and looked through. The dust got in their hair and in their throat, but then - there it was.
KIRKLAND MUFFIN.
As they read, Adora and Colorado’s eyes grew wide. Kirkland Muffin wasn’t just important - at one time, he was THE most important person in town. You see, two hundred years ago, he was the major who made it a law that everyone should be kind to one another. And for the thirty five years that he was major - everyone was.
The two friends thanked Miss Kelvingrove and ran out of the library, straight to the Town Hall and straight into the mayor’s office.
“Oh, I remember people telling me stories about him. He was a brilliant man!” said Mayor Dubbin. “And he made everybody be kind!”
“And his statue is just forgotten about down Suede Street!” said Adora. “It isn’t right - it isn’t fair!”
“Slow down! Slow down!” said the mayor. “Where is Suede Street?”
“You SEE!” said Adora. “Nobody knows! He’s totally forgotten about and that shouldn’t be! He was the person who made everyone in Horsmarlonerpool nice to each other, and now he’s just dirty and sad down a street that nobody knows.”
That night, Major Dubbin used his special gold key to enter the library when it was closed. He lit a candle, and all night long he read about Kirkland Muffin.
And when he’d finished reading, he came to a decision.
A week later, and the whole town was gathered at the crossroads of Pepperpot Street and Candlesmoke Lane.
In the middle of the crossroads, a large shape was covered in a heavy red cloth.
The major stood up in front of the crowd.
“There was once a man,” he began in his booming voice. “Who had a very good idea. His idea was that everyone should be nice to one another. And sometimes, that’s something we need to remember because it’s very, very important. And for many years, we forgot about the man. But no more! So Ladies, and Gentlemen…”
The major looked down at Colorado and Adora, who were wearing their best clothes and holding a rope at the bottom of the cloth. He nodded at them and they both pulled the rope, letting the cloth fall off the statue.
“I give you,” said the major, “Kirkland Muffin!”
The crowd all ooooohed. It was a wonderful statue, how come they’d never need it before?
Adora looked up into Kirkland Muffin’s face. Now it was clean, it seemed kinder than ever. And she touched his thumb, which was now gleaming in the sunshine.
From then on, the statue stood proudly in the middle of town, watching over people as they went about their business. Whenever Adora and Colorado passed, they would look up into Kirkland’s face, and they could see that he was smiling.
And three days later, they got a letter through the post. Excited, they opened up the green envelope and saw that it was a card.
On the outside were the words “Thank you”.
But who could it be from? They opened the card and as they did so a voice seemed to whisper from it. “That was… very kind.”
Adora and Colorado stared at the open card. There was no writing inside at all. Just a shiny, metal thumb print.
The two friends looked at each other and smiled.
“You’re welcome, Kirkland,” they said.
