I Ran Away With The Circus

My sister, Becky, was the star of our town. Mind you, it wasn’t a particularly big town, so being the star of it might not seem that impressive. Even so, everyone loved her and that was enough for my little sister. She worked at the diner in town, but she wanted to be an actress on Broadway. She had the talent for it, too. She was pretty enough, too, with her blonde curls and big, blue eyes. The only problem was getting to New York. Of course, she didn’t let that stop her. She saved what money she could and was sure she’d make it there after she turned eighteen.

For my part, I was perfectly happy to stay in our sleepy town forever. I’d gotten a job as a farmhand a few summers back and was sure I’d be working it until I was too old to lift the hoe. Becky joked about me marrying a farmer, but I never had any interest in that. All in all, we were both quite content with our life plans and we would never complain about our lots. Our problems began (as most problems do) with a man.

Well, technically, our problems began when the circus came to town.

It was the summer of 1944. We knew a war raged on the rest of the world. Our father and most of the men in our town were off fighting it. Even so, the whole thing felt distant to me. It had been going on for so long that most of the people I knew had grown numb to it. Only the occasional letter about a recent death ever brought it close to home, but those grew ever less common. For the most part, we went about business as usual.

The summer was hot and the sun beat down as we pulled weeds in the garden. Around midday, Harry Jones, the man who owned the farm told us to take a break. It was too hot and he didn’t want us getting sick, so we were to come back in a few hours, once the worst had passed. I knew my sister was working, so I figured I’d visit the diner and see how she was doing.

“You’re sunburned,” she noted as she came to take my order.

I glanced at my pink arms. “Barely. It’ll fade in a couple days.”

“Not if you stay out in the sun and make it worse. You should use that sunscreen Mr. Perry got at the convenience store.”

“Nobody likes that stuff. It makes everything greasy. It’s too hard to work with greasy palms.”

“Right. Well, you’re going to get wrinkles if your face gets burnt.”

“I ain’t worried about that,” I replied. I never much cared about how I looked. As long as my stringy blonde hair stayed out of my face, that was good enough. “Besides, I wear a hat at work to protect my face. I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so…”

“You got my order?”

“You eat the same sandwich every time you come in.”

“I know what I like. Grilled cheese is the only sandwich for me.”

“How are you going to keep working so hard if that’s all you eat?”

“You know I eat better at home.”

“Not much. What would mom say?”

“She’d get me a grilled cheese.”

Becky smiled and wrote it down. “You better eat something good for dinner.”

“I’ll do my best.”

She headed back to give the cook my order and I smiled as I watched her go. Becky worried about me and I worried about her. That was our job. Our mom had died the year before. It was hard. The whole town had come together to help us, though. It was that kind of place. Our dad still sent money home and we had our jobs, so we weren’t so bad off. Besides, we knew our lives would improve once he got home. We had plans for bright futures and nothing was going to mess them up.

“Did you see the train that came in earlier?” Jimmy Peterson asked, coming to sit in front of me. Jimmy was a good friend. We’d known each other since we were kids. His family owned the bakery and he always intended to take over it. He was as rooted to the town as I was.

“Was it delivering something interesting?”

He nodded, enthusiastically. “It was a big, black train with silver letters.” He held his hands up, as if painting a picture for me. “Nightingale Circus.”

I raised my eyebrows. “A circus?”

“What circus?” Becky asked, having returned and set my sandwich in front of me.

“There’s a circus in town,” Jimmy announced. “They came in a few hours ago. It looks like they’re going to set it up around here.”

“You sure they’re not just passing through?” I asked.

“I saw them unpacking. They’re definitely going to set up near town.”

“Can we go?” Becky asked.

I took a bite of my sandwich as I considered it. “It depends on how much tickets are. We can’t be wasting much money, after all.”

“But it’s the circus! We’ve never been before!”

That was true enough. “Let’s just wait and see how much it is before making a decision, okay?”

Becky pouted her lips. “Fine.” A couple entered and she went to take their order.

“So what day do you think you’ll go?” Jimmy asked.

“I haven’t even decided if we’ll go.”

“Right, so let me know when you decide to go. It’d be fun to go together.”

I looked at him and realized he was grinning. “You’re assuming I’m going to go.”

“Well, Becky wants to go.”

“Becky doesn’t get everything she wants.”

“Okay.”

“She doesn’t!”

“Right.”

I roughly bit into my sandwich, doing my best to ignore his knowing smile.

“Hi, Becky,” Peter Henderson called as he and Andy Boyd took a seat at one of her tables.

Peter was one of the few boys who had made it home from war already. The reason for that was a bullet in his thigh. He walked with a cane, now, and wasn’t much use overseas. People said he was lucky. Andy hadn’t been drafted or volunteered. His dad had passed, so he stayed home to look after his mama. Nobody could begrudge him that. The pair had been friends since elementary school and were inseparable, now that Peter was home.

Becky smiled as she took their orders. She liked Peter. I knew that and couldn’t blame her. They were a good match. He was handsome and always talking about starting his own business in the big city. I used to worry they’d elope one day.

“Did you hear about the circus?” Becky asked him.

I caught Jimmy grinning again and I finished off my sandwich before softly telling him, “We may not even go.”

“If you say so.” He continued to smile as I headed out the door.

I didn’t see the train that day. I was too busy with work. By the time I collapsed on my bed that night, I was too exhausted to even think about the circus.

I went to work before sunrise the next morning. It was too dark to see much when I started. However, as dawn’s first light began to glow, I caught sight of an unfamiliar shape in a nearby field. It was about half a mile away and I couldn’t make out any details.

“What’s that?” I asked a nearby farmhand.

He followed my gaze and shrugged. “It’s big.”

“I can see that.”

We continued our work, but kept glancing at the mountainous shape on the horizon. Eventually, the light grew bright enough for us to tell what it was and I stopped to stare in disbelief. The field was one of the biggest unused ones near us. Due to a shortage of workers, nobody was able to take care of it. However, it appeared that someone had managed to make use of it. A red and white tent covered half the field and several smaller tents surrounded the main one like a little village.

“It’s the circus!” Someone exclaimed. “Look how big it is! Did they put all that up last night?”

“It wasn’t there when we left,” I noted in amazement. Nobody had been aware of any movements in the night and this seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere.

“Well, it’s there, now,” a boy commented. “I wasn’t sure if it would be worth going, but I’ll definitely check it out, now.”

There was a murmur of agreement as the farmhands stopped to admire the view.

“You can check it out later,” Farmer Jones told us. “We don’t have time to be standing around, right now. We need to get this work done before the heat sets in.”

Nobody could argue with that, so everyone went back to work, sneaking glances at the tents every chance we got. I realized it would take all my effort to stop Becky from going once she heard about this. Even so, I told myself nothing was for sure, yet. We still might not go.

I went to the diner during my break again. Becky rushed over as soon as she saw me. I should have seen that coming.

“Is it as big as they’re saying?” she asked.

I did my best to act casual. “The circus? I guess it’s pretty big, but it doesn’t look that impressive.”

“Are you kidding?” One of the other farmhands asked. “It’s massive! We could fit the whole town in there!”

“We couldn’t fit the town on that one field and you know it,” I argued. “Stop exaggerating.” I didn’t need my sister getting more excited than she already was.

“We have to go,” Becky said. “We can’t miss this! It might never come around again.”

“I still ain’t even heard how much tickets are.”

“They’re a dollar,” a man said.

I turned to look at him and frowned. I didn’t know him. I knew everyone who came to the diner. He was perfectly ordinary with an old jacket and hat. He had a scruffy beard and glasses. Even so, I was certain he would, at least, look familiar if he were someone who had come before. “Where did you hear that?”

“That’s the price it always is,” he replied. “The Nightingale Circus is one dollar and performs every evening at seven o’clock.”

“Have you seen it before, then?”

“I’ve seen it many times.”

I continued to stare at the man, trying to figure out who he was, but others surrounded him.

“How is it?” Becky asked. “It’s worth going, right?”

“There’s little point in my answering that.”

“Why not?”

“Will my answer affect your decision to go or not? If I say it is dull will you decide to skip it?”

“I’d still be curious,” she admitted.

“And if I say it is spectacular, you may be disappointed when you see it.”

“Is it disappointing?” I asked.

He looked at me. “No. It’s not.”

“You answered the question, after all.”

He smiled. “I couldn’t resist that wording, I suppose.”

“You part of the circus?” I wondered.

“I am but a lowly stagehand.”

“Nothing lowly about that, I reckon. You helped to set it up, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Getting all that done in one night is impressive. Nobody who helped with that is lowly.”

“A fine sentiment. Will I see you at the show?”

I hesitated, calculating our expenses and savings. “A dollar ain’t too bad, I guess, but I don’t know if it’s worth it.”

“It’s worth it.” The man finished his meal and stood, placing a dollar on the table as he smiled at Becky. “I do hope you manage to make it to the show.” He headed out the door, leaving everyone discussing the circus.

Becky grabbed the dollar and smiled at me. “Guess my ticket’s paid for, huh?”

I stared at it, hardly believing he had tipped so much. I realized there was little chance of avoiding a trip to the circus, now. “Fine. We’ll go tonight and get it over with, I suppose.”

“Yes! Thank you!” She hugged me and I found myself smiling.

“Get back to work, now,” I told her. “You can’t go losing your job if we’re managing an extra expense.”

She nodded and pulled away, rushing to take the order of the next customer to enter. I sighed as I watched her, hoping I wouldn’t regret my decision.

One decision I did regret was going to the circus on opening night. It seemed like the whole town was there, along with people who had heard about the circus and travelled in to see it. Any distraction was a gift those days and nobody wanted to squander it. We made it into the ticket line and slowly managed to reach the front. Becky’s grin upon receiving her ticket made the trip seem worth it, though. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the tent, leading me as close to the front as we could get.

I found myself staring around as I took my seat. Somehow, they had managed to rig electric lighting throughout the large tent. There was a tightrope, a trapeze and various unidentifiable contraptions attached to the ceiling. Suddenly, the lights shut off, silencing the crowd as a single spotlight illuminated the center of the stage where a man in a dark suit and top hat stood, looking at the floor.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, his voice carrying through the tent. He lifted his head, revealing a dark mask that hid his eyes. “Welcome to the Nightingale Circus! I am Vincent Nightingale, the ringmaster. Tonight, we will show you incredible feats of courage and strength, as well as beauty beyond imagination! Sit back and enjoy as we transport you to a world unlike any you’ve seen before.” He held his arm out to the side. Out of the darkness, a cane flew. He caught it without looking, earning him some applause. However, he held his free hand up and the room quickly grew silent. “Remember to keep your eyes on the show. You don’t want to miss a single moment!”

On the last word, he slammed the end of the cane on the ground and the room burst into bright lights. Performers surrounded him and music began to play. A girl crossed the tightrope as a man and woman swung from the trapeze. Meanwhile, the ringmaster led the group on the ground in a dance, stepping and twisting in rhythm to the music.

I couldn’t possibly watch everything that was happening. Becky was frozen beside me, her eyes fixed on the performance. Everybody wore mask, but each had a different color and design. Their clothes were equally unique. The lights, colors and music were overwhelming. I found myself drawn in and couldn’t even think to look away.

After a few minutes, the opening performance ended and the lights blinked off again. The audience cheered and applauded until the spotlight once more illuminated the ringmaster. It didn’t take long for us to fall back into an expectant silence.

“For our first act, I present to you, Fu-Hsi: snake charmer of the east!” He gestured with his cane as a second spotlight came on, revealing a man in a green mask with a large box in front of him. The ringmaster’s light went out, leaving only Fu-Hsi under the gaze of the audience.

Music began from somewhere in the shadows and he started a slow, rhythmic dance before lifting the lid of the box. Out slithered a snake at least twice as long as any I’d seen before. The man lifted it and continued dancing. When he drew near the audience, they would invariably lean backwards, as if afraid the snake might attack. However, it wrapped itself around the man and he continued the dance with no sign of fear. Eventually, the music stopped and he bowed with his snake before the light went out.

Next, the ringmaster introduced the acrobats, followed by a contortionist. There was an impressive magician that made the audience gasp more than once. Each performer had their own music and each performance was unique. That night inside the tent, it truly felt as though we were in some fantasy world. One act followed another until the finale came with another group dance. As the performers took their final bows, the whole audience stood. I found myself on my feet, applauding with all I had, trying to remember how to breathe.

One more time, the lights blinked out. When they came back on, seconds later, all the performers had vanished, as if they had never been there at all.

“That was incredible!” Becky declared as we stared at the empty stage.

“Yeah,” I managed.

“Aren’t you glad we came?”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t even pretend I wasn’t enthralled by the performance. “It was beautiful.”

“It was really something, wasn’t it?” someone said from behind us. We both turned towards the voice. It belonged to the man from the café. He was smiling at us and removed his hat. “I don’t believe I introduced myself earlier. I am Patrick Carlyle.”

“Nice to meet you,” Becky replied.

“Why are you in the audience?” I wondered.

“I snuck back here towards the end of the show,” he explained. “I saw you two and wanted to say hello.”

“Any particular reason for that?” I asked.

“Don’t be rude,” Becky told me. “He was obviously just being friendly.”

“I took in interest in you, as well,” he admitted, looking at my sister. “I saw your expression and couldn’t resist hearing your thoughts on our show.”

“It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” she said.

“We appreciate you giving her the money for the ticket,” I told him. “It was quite the surprise.”

“Well, she sounded so excited, I had to make sure she got a chance to go. Besides…” He looked at her. “You’ve got stars in your eyes like I haven’t seen in a while. I knew you couldn’t miss this show.”

“Stars in my eyes?”

He nodded. “I’ve probably said more than I should, though. You two should head home and get to bed. Sweet dreams.”

The crowd was already moving towards the door and he easily disappeared into it before we could ask any more questions.

I yawned, realizing how tired I was after what a busy day I’d had. “He’s right. Let’s head home.”

“Right.” She followed me, but it was clear her head was somewhere else. Little did I know, this was the beginning of the end for our peaceful lives.