morning and the afternoon, the two of them wandered the streets and drove to the farms and slowly but surely emptied their bags. For a while, Matt couldn’t shake the idea that the clown and his goons were going to come around the corner and pin them up against the wall. When he got so nervous that his hands shook, he looked over to Pa and saw how steady his fingers were and how much colour was in his cheeks. If he was scared, he wasn’t letting it show. Or maybe it wasn’t that; maybe, Pa had stronger feelings, like hope and determination that kept his fears at bay. Matt began to think like that and soon enough, his hands no longer trembled.
*
The day before the performance, Mr. Stopper and Max visited to secure the last minute ropes and bindings, while Lucas and Marcus added the finishing touches to the stalls. Matt went about, adjusting the seating while Pa fixed a problem with the high wire. Bobby crouched in the background, as he had done on previous days, quietly taking photos of everyone at work, occasionally setting down the camera to help out when needed. No-one spoke unless it was about the work and everyone seemed to know what needed to be done to push in the right direction.
Everyone sat together around the lunch table and Marcus brought out a feast from the back seat of his car. He laid out the food in the centre of the table and gestured with his hands for everyone to get stuck in. Matt handed out paper plates and Pa poured coffee and pop. After everyone’s plate was full and glasses were brimming, Lucas began calling out ‘speech.’ At first, everyone laughed but soon after they all joined in until Pa reluctantly got up off his chair.
“I just want to say,” he began and Matt watched, seeing Pa for the first time look uncomfortable, uncertain. He was blushing and somehow it made him looked far, far younger.
“I just want to say thank you for all your help,” he went on. “Not just with this,” he said, waving at the fields. “You’ve helped me and Matty a lot, so thank you.” In the next moment, he put his hand on Matt’s shoulder and then he was up, standing side by side with Pa.
“Thank you,” Matt managed to say, feeling his throat tighten. In the next moment there was a flash of clapping, that swelled into thunderous applause, led by Lucas and echoed by Mr. Stopper and then all of them were cheering and hollering, as Matt and Pa slipped back into their seats, in amongst the noise. Finally, they began to eat.
“Now, back to business,” Lucas said, as the eating finally slowed down. “I’d like to do the final checklist, if I may. Okay, so front and centre, we have the stage for Sara and her acrobatics, Stuntman Steve, Helter-skelter Sally on the high wire, Cannonball, Tumblers, Walkin’ and of course these two strong fellows right here,” he said, pointing to Max and Mr. Stopper.
“Then,” Marcus picked up, as Lucas paused to cho mp on a chicken leg. “We have the booths to the left and right for Ms. Solstice, Hammy and Florence.”
“Tracker can just wander,” Lucas picked up, wiping his fingers. “We’ll have the far left for the music with Belle, Aquarius and Jingles. All that leaves is Slinky…and well, Slinky goes where Slinky goes.”
“The house will just have the back door open for anyone who wants to look at the photos,” Marcus added.
“Folks bring their own picnics, Marcus will have a food tent for everyone else, we’ll leave a few jugs of water out for anyone who wants it and that, is pretty much that,” Lucas said. Marcus rolled his eyes and shook his head to Matt.
“How about you, Lucas,” he asked with a theatrical sigh. “What will you be doing?”
“Me?” Lucas pointed to himself and grinned. “Well, I guess I could be the Master of Ceremonies, the Ringmaster, that sort of thing, if you think it would be necessary.” Matt couldn’t help but laugh and he
*
The day before the performance, Mr. Stopper and Max visited to secure the last minute ropes and bindings, while Lucas and Marcus added the finishing touches to the stalls. Matt went about, adjusting the seating while Pa fixed a problem with the high wire. Bobby crouched in the background, as he had done on previous days, quietly taking photos of everyone at work, occasionally setting down the camera to help out when needed. No-one spoke unless it was about the work and everyone seemed to know what needed to be done to push in the right direction.
Everyone sat together around the lunch table and Marcus brought out a feast from the back seat of his car. He laid out the food in the centre of the table and gestured with his hands for everyone to get stuck in. Matt handed out paper plates and Pa poured coffee and pop. After everyone’s plate was full and glasses were brimming, Lucas began calling out ‘speech.’ At first, everyone laughed but soon after they all joined in until Pa reluctantly got up off his chair.
“I just want to say,” he began and Matt watched, seeing Pa for the first time look uncomfortable, uncertain. He was blushing and somehow it made him looked far, far younger.
“I just want to say thank you for all your help,” he went on. “Not just with this,” he said, waving at the fields. “You’ve helped me and Matty a lot, so thank you.” In the next moment, he put his hand on Matt’s shoulder and then he was up, standing side by side with Pa.
“Thank you,” Matt managed to say, feeling his throat tighten. In the next moment there was a flash of clapping, that swelled into thunderous applause, led by Lucas and echoed by Mr. Stopper and then all of them were cheering and hollering, as Matt and Pa slipped back into their seats, in amongst the noise. Finally, they began to eat.
“Now, back to business,” Lucas said, as the eating finally slowed down. “I’d like to do the final checklist, if I may. Okay, so front and centre, we have the stage for Sara and her acrobatics, Stuntman Steve, Helter-skelter Sally on the high wire, Cannonball, Tumblers, Walkin’ and of course these two strong fellows right here,” he said, pointing to Max and Mr. Stopper.
“Then,” Marcus picked up, as Lucas paused to cho mp on a chicken leg. “We have the booths to the left and right for Ms. Solstice, Hammy and Florence.”
“Tracker can just wander,” Lucas picked up, wiping his fingers. “We’ll have the far left for the music with Belle, Aquarius and Jingles. All that leaves is Slinky…and well, Slinky goes where Slinky goes.”
“The house will just have the back door open for anyone who wants to look at the photos,” Marcus added.
“Folks bring their own picnics, Marcus will have a food tent for everyone else, we’ll leave a few jugs of water out for anyone who wants it and that, is pretty much that,” Lucas said. Marcus rolled his eyes and shook his head to Matt.
“How about you, Lucas,” he asked with a theatrical sigh. “What will you be doing?”
“Me?” Lucas pointed to himself and grinned. “Well, I guess I could be the Master of Ceremonies, the Ringmaster, that sort of thing, if you think it would be necessary.” Matt couldn’t help but laugh and he
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