The Clown in the Tree

Our Parade

I tried to lead the way to the bus stop, but because the clown took such big steps, he kept getting ahead of us. The polka dots on his shoes changed color and size as he walked. The intricate patterns on his jumpsuit shifted like those in a kaleidoscope.

The clown kept turning around to make sure we were still behind him and as he did so, he kept tripping, so Gino and I caught up with him and each took one of his hands. Then we jogged alongside him. When Gino got tired of running, the clown lifted him up on his shoulders and carried him the rest of the way. Cars honked at us and Gino waved to them like we were a parade.

The bus was packed with tired-looking people. I got on first and paid our fares. When the clown got on, the whole bus changed. People sat up like they were ready for a show. Most of them smiled and some of them clapped, but the clown just stared, so I guided him to the one pair of empty seats on the bus, and told Gino to go sit next to him. I grabbed the nearest pole and stood as close to them as I could.

The bus came to one of its stops, and a lady who was getting off told the clown that he was wearing quite a costume and that it was better than anything she'd found in the yellow pages. She said she was planning her kid's first communion party and asked him for his business card. The clown gave her a polite smile, and then looked at me. Then he looked back at the lady and back at me and back at the lady and back at me. Then Gino whispered something in his ear and the clown's eyes widened. He gave the lady a smile and a slight nod. Then he turned away from her and stared out the window.

"What's he doing?" she said, pointing at the clown as people squeezed past her. "I gotta get off the bus! Does he want the business or not?"

The clown just kept staring out the window.

"No, I don't think he does...want the business," I said, as apologetically as I could.

The lady threw her hands up. "Well why didn't he just say so in the first place?" and she got off the bus shaking her head.

A man seated two rows behind the clown shouted, "That's because he's not a clown—he's a mime! Mimes don't talk. Right, Mime?" He craned into the aisle from his seat to try to get the clown's attention by snapping his fingers and pretending to put his hands up against an invisible wall. Then he laughed and leaned into the woman sitting next to him. "She said 'Why didn't he just say so in the first place?' I said 'Because he's not a clown—he's a mime! Mimes don't talk,'" he did the invisible wall again, "they do this!"

The clown just kept staring out the window. Gino tapped him on the arm and whispered something to him. I don't know what he said, but whatever it was, the clown finally turned away from the window and relaxed.