note he had in his pocket, and looked up the number of their trailer,
and consulted a map in order to find it. It was inthe third enormous parking lot, and when the truck pulled up next to it, Nick noticed
that it was particularly long, although not very wide. And when they stepped into
it, it looked like an inexpensive hotel room, but it had everything they would need.
His breath caught as they walked into the trailer. This was their new home, and he
had never seen anything like it, with two tiny bedrooms and a miniature kitchen. His
parking space for the Duesenberg had been bigger than this, and he tried not to let
what he was feeling show on his face. The boys peeked into the bedrooms, exploring.
Lucas seemed satisfied, and was anxious to go outside and meet the children he’d just
seen wandering around. They had just come home from school on several school buses.
Toby collapsed on the trailer’s only couch with an exhausted, dazed expression. Everything
was simple and clean, but none of them had ever realized that people actually lived
like this. Nick reminded himself that if they had been sent to a labor camp, it would
have been far worse. Or if they had been forced to leave their estate, as Jews. Where
would they have gone?
“We have a tent set up on the fairgrounds for your horses. We got it as close to your
trailer as we could. It’s warm, so they’ll be fine in a tent. We’ll use a trailer
for them when they’re on the road. We can store your boxcar here, or put it on one
of the trains,” he informed Nick, who nodded. He was feeling overwhelmed by all the
information and the tiny trailer they’d be living in, which was generous by circus
standards. The two bedrooms were the size of the beds. It was all so vastly different
from anything they’d ever known, and Toby looked like he was about to burst into tears,
which Nick hoped he wouldn’t. It would upset Lucas if he saw his older brother distraught.
And Nick had to worry about both of them now. He tried to put a good face on it for
their sake. He then asked Joe to show him to thetent where their horses were, so he could tend to them. He suggested that Toby and
Lucas come with him, to keep them busy.
“Mr. North wants to see you at four this afternoon,” Joe told Nick. “I’ll pick you
up and take you to meet him. And you have rehearsal at ten tomorrow morning. He’ll
be attending that as well. You’re an important act for us,” he said generously. “He
likes to see all the acts when they come in. He particularly likes horses, so I’m
sure he’ll enjoy yours. He’s a very accomplished horseman himself. And he wants to
see your Lipizzaners.”
“I hope he likes our performance,” Nick said vaguely. He couldn’t imagine being able
to find his way around the maze of trailers, tents, workers, performers, and roving
bands of people who swarmed the area like ants. He had never seen so many people in
one place in his life. The boys were fascinated by it. Nick saw Toby watching a group
of girls in ballet costumes with sparkles on them. They were pretty girls with good
figures, and he hoped that would cheer them up a little. And Nick suddenly found himself
missing Monique, who was at least familiar with his world. He felt as though he had
been dropped on another planet, nothing looked like anything he’d ever seen before.
Even the tropical landscape was strange and different, and it was warm.
Joe pointed out the cookhouse in another huge tent, where they could get their meals,
or they could cook their own in the trailer if they preferred, but none of them knew
how. Nick had never cooked in his life, and he’d have to learn that, too, if he was
going to feed the boys. Going to the mess tent with hundreds of people for every meal
sounded exhausting to him. And he realized quickly that the one thing they would lack
here was privacy. There were so many people, living so
and consulted a map in order to find it. It was inthe third enormous parking lot, and when the truck pulled up next to it, Nick noticed
that it was particularly long, although not very wide. And when they stepped into
it, it looked like an inexpensive hotel room, but it had everything they would need.
His breath caught as they walked into the trailer. This was their new home, and he
had never seen anything like it, with two tiny bedrooms and a miniature kitchen. His
parking space for the Duesenberg had been bigger than this, and he tried not to let
what he was feeling show on his face. The boys peeked into the bedrooms, exploring.
Lucas seemed satisfied, and was anxious to go outside and meet the children he’d just
seen wandering around. They had just come home from school on several school buses.
Toby collapsed on the trailer’s only couch with an exhausted, dazed expression. Everything
was simple and clean, but none of them had ever realized that people actually lived
like this. Nick reminded himself that if they had been sent to a labor camp, it would
have been far worse. Or if they had been forced to leave their estate, as Jews. Where
would they have gone?
“We have a tent set up on the fairgrounds for your horses. We got it as close to your
trailer as we could. It’s warm, so they’ll be fine in a tent. We’ll use a trailer
for them when they’re on the road. We can store your boxcar here, or put it on one
of the trains,” he informed Nick, who nodded. He was feeling overwhelmed by all the
information and the tiny trailer they’d be living in, which was generous by circus
standards. The two bedrooms were the size of the beds. It was all so vastly different
from anything they’d ever known, and Toby looked like he was about to burst into tears,
which Nick hoped he wouldn’t. It would upset Lucas if he saw his older brother distraught.
And Nick had to worry about both of them now. He tried to put a good face on it for
their sake. He then asked Joe to show him to thetent where their horses were, so he could tend to them. He suggested that Toby and
Lucas come with him, to keep them busy.
“Mr. North wants to see you at four this afternoon,” Joe told Nick. “I’ll pick you
up and take you to meet him. And you have rehearsal at ten tomorrow morning. He’ll
be attending that as well. You’re an important act for us,” he said generously. “He
likes to see all the acts when they come in. He particularly likes horses, so I’m
sure he’ll enjoy yours. He’s a very accomplished horseman himself. And he wants to
see your Lipizzaners.”
“I hope he likes our performance,” Nick said vaguely. He couldn’t imagine being able
to find his way around the maze of trailers, tents, workers, performers, and roving
bands of people who swarmed the area like ants. He had never seen so many people in
one place in his life. The boys were fascinated by it. Nick saw Toby watching a group
of girls in ballet costumes with sparkles on them. They were pretty girls with good
figures, and he hoped that would cheer them up a little. And Nick suddenly found himself
missing Monique, who was at least familiar with his world. He felt as though he had
been dropped on another planet, nothing looked like anything he’d ever seen before.
Even the tropical landscape was strange and different, and it was warm.
Joe pointed out the cookhouse in another huge tent, where they could get their meals,
or they could cook their own in the trailer if they preferred, but none of them knew
how. Nick had never cooked in his life, and he’d have to learn that, too, if he was
going to feed the boys. Going to the mess tent with hundreds of people for every meal
sounded exhausting to him. And he realized quickly that the one thing they would lack
here was privacy. There were so many people, living so
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