Chapter 15
In Queens, Jack walked along, hand in hand with his granny, Hilda.
“Are we nearly there, yet? I want to see the clowns and I want to go on all the rides and eat lots and lots of candy!”
“Calm down, you little munchkin, we’ll get you there eventually. Have you ever seen a clown before?”
“Nope, but they sure look funny! I’ve seen them in my bedtime stories when Daddy reads to me.”
They reached the gates and walked along the dirt pathway which led to a large, brightly colored gazebo. Jack’s hand slipped out of his granny’s and he made a run for the opening. He poked his head around the entrance, as the combined smells of cotton candy, damp straw and corn dogs intoxicated him. Rides surrounding the tents were loaded with children, the Ferris wheel making its umpteenth turn of the night.
“Jack... wait for me!”
But the boy didn’t hear. The tent was full of various stalls, most of them being run by backhanded dealers, all trying their best to rake in dollars from unsuspecting consumers. Jack passed the first few stalls, weaving in and out of the crowds as he made his way to the candy stall.
“Hello there, little boy…”
A clown was standing in front of the stall. Jack had never seen one in the flesh before and he stared in amazement at the garish figure before him.
“What’s your problem, kid? Never seen a clown before?”
“Uh…nu… no.”
“Aw, you got a stutt…stutter? C’mon, I know what will cheer you up…how about a balloon?”
A smile lit up Jack’s face as he was handed a shiny red balloon by a fat white glove.
Hilda pushed through the crowd, spotted Jack with the balloon and admonished him.
“Jack! Don’t ever wander off like that again…you hear me?”
He shrugged. “Okay.”
She grabbed his hand again and pushed passed the crowd that stood in their way. There was a poster in front of them, advertising a show that was about to start shortly.
‘COME SEE THE AMAZING FANTASTIC…MINDBLOWING…DUKE SUNNY MYERSOONI!’
Jack looked up at Hilda with pleading eyes. “Can we please go see that, Granny?”
“Well, I only have a few dollars on me. I suppose we could, though.” She was still annoyed and a little shaken up. What if she had lost Jack? It would have been all her fault. How would she explain it to Marc?
As they approached the ticket office, the man inside the booth was sitting on his wooden stool reading Playboy. Hilda cleared her throat and tapped on the glass.
“Excuse me, mister… can we have two tickets for this show please?”
“Ten dollars, lady...”
She was disgusted at the price, but handed the money over.
The man handed her the tickets. “Here you go, ma’am… enjoy the show.” There was no warmth or enthusiasm in his voice; he must have seen and heard the show a thousand times or more and didn’t seem to care about anything other than his magazine and the portable TV on a side table.
Hilda led Jack inside and they stumbled around for some moments as they searched for empty seats. They eventually found some at the front, right in view of the performers. The loud chattering of people filled the entire tent, and they both sat there patiently waiting for the show to start. The first act to come on was a horse riding team, followed by a pair of jugglers.
