The next day Paul awoke me early.
"Come on." He said. "It's time to go."
"Where?" I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes and sitting up.
"To our new circus." He said. "Come and say goodbye to everyone."
I got up and Polly quickly combed my hair and made me look presentable. Chip sat sleepily on my shoulder and refused point blank to have his fur combed. As I climbed out of the caravan the heat of the summer morning sun hit me. I felt the warm rays on my face and smiled slightly. I could sense that there were people around me.
"We came to say goodbye." One says. I recognise the voice as belonging to the ringleader or the circus, Gringo. I hear him as he pats Paul on the back, hugs Aunty Polly before I feel him turn to me. "Take care little one." He says affectionately. Gringo has always looked after me well. He pulls me close and I can feel him keeping back tears.
One by one we say goodbye to all our old friends. Richard the animal tamer pats Chip on the head and tells me to look after him. Eventually all the farewells are over. Paul helps me into the little cab at the front of our caravan and turns the key in the ignition. I feel the engine stutter to life and slowly we chug away from the circus, our belonging bumping around in the caravan sleeping area behind us. Chip clings to me shoulder. He hates travelling. Aunty Polly is crying on my left and I can tell that Paul isn't too happy either. Then we turn away from our 'family' that I have known since I was born and we are on our way to a new family.
None of us speak during the journey. I can't tell which direction we are going any more. After an hour Paul stops the van and says. "We are here."
I can hear that we certainly have arrived. I'm vaguely aware that someone has opened a gate for us and we trundle slowly through the field. Paul parks the van and turns to me. "Don't speak unless spoken to, and try not to lift your head. If anyone sees that you don't focus on anything then they could guess that you can't see."
"Just act as if you are shy." Polly replied. "Look.I mean, keep your head down."
Polly helps me out of the van and a barrage of noise hits me. I stagger back, but find Paul supporting me from behind. I can just about make out the sounds around me. I can hear the animals nearby, and children laughing. I can also sense that some people are coming towards us.
"Good morning." I recognise the voice of the woman who visited us last night. Catherine wasn't it? "How was your journey?"
"Very good." I feel Polly's arm move forward and shake Catherine's hand.
"Welcome to our circus." Catherine said. "I'm so glad you could come. You remember my brother Trowa?"
I sense a boy move forward. "Hello." He says. He has a nice voice. I feel that he has put his hand out, but I can't tell whose hand he wants to shake. I realise he is talking to me when he says, "I don't believe we have met."
I shake my head but don't put my hand out. I can't tell exactly where his hand is and I don't feel like searching the air for it with my own.
"This is our niece Sienne." Paul says quickly. "I'm afraid she is rather shy."
"Well, I'll show you round if you want." Catherine says. We walk off and Paul gently guides me without anyone noticing. Catherine is talking about different attraction and tents, and introducing us to people as we pass them. Paul whispers things in my ear, explaining things and giving me simple facts like "The big tent is blue and yellow."
After a while I'm sure that I can feel someone else walking near us. I can certainly sense someone watching us. I try to ask Paul who it is, but he can't reply because Catherine is talking to him. I busy myself stroking Chip and hope that whoever it is will go away.
"Would you like some lunch?" Catherine asked. We walk over a clear patch of ground. I feel heat wash over me; we must be close to the campfire. Paul makes me sit on a log and Polly sits next to be. She squeezes my hand quickly as reassurance. I feel Paul put a plate on my lap.
"It's sausages." Polly whispered. I put my hand on the plate and find a sausage. It is hot and I burn my fingers as I touch it. I let it cool for a while, listening to Paul talking to Catherine.
"The trapeze you have here is very high." He is saying. "It will take us a while to get used to it."
"Don't worry." Catherine replies. "We won't be opening your act for a week or so. You will have plenty of time to practise."
I can sense that Paul is anxious that I won't be able to adjust to a different trapeze. I am concerned about it. All my life I have used a small, familiar trapeze. Moving to a different, bigger and higher one could be difficult.
I pick up the sausage and bite into it. It tastes so different from the sausages we had at the other circus. These ones are fat and you can feel the pieces of onion in them. I preferred the old sausages, but that was what I was used to.
I feel someone looking at me again. I feed Chip the end of my sausage and do my best not to raise my head. But keeping it bowed is giving me a stiff neck. I need some space to be on my own. The tour is completed and I know that Paul and Polly will want to mingle with the other circus folk.
When lunch is finished Polly whispers to me, "You want some alone time don't you?" I nod, glad that my aunt knows me so well.
Paul helps me up and they walk beside me, making excuses about washing in the river. I can hear the rushing of water as we draw near. Paul helps me to sit on a rock and I put my bare feet in the water. It trickles between my toes and I stifle a giggle.
"Will you be alright on your own here for a bit?" Paul asks.
"I'll be fine." I promise. "Besides, I have Chip to look after me."
I listen as Paul and Polly walk away. Now that I'm alone I lift my head and turn my face to the sun. I'm hot and thirsty. I pull out my handkerchief and bend lean forwards carefully, dipping it in the water. I dribble a few drops of the refreshing water into my parched mouth before squeezing the rest over my face. The cool water makes me gasp as some trickles down my spine. Chip jumps off my shoulder, he hates water.
I listen to Chip chattering behind me. Suddenly I hear him scream. "Chip?" I cry, turning around and straining my ears to hear him. He is whimpering somewhere near me and I can here heavy breathing too. "Chip?" I call. I step forwards and feel my foot slip in a puddle on the smooth rock. I call out as I fall backwards into the river. It is deeper than I thought it would be, and faster. I sink under the water, swallowing mouthfuls of it as I do. I grab onto a rock and pull myself upwards. I'm so disorientated; I can't tell where the bank is.
"Chip?" I plea, but I can't hear him anymore. Frantically I flail my arm out, hoping to come into contact with another rock or the bank. But I can't feel anything else. I put my arm out again, desperately searching for something to grab onto. Suddenly, something grabs my arm. I feel fingers lock around my wrist and a man's voice saying "Hold on!"
The grip on my wrist is strong. Trusting my saviour I put out my other arm, letting go of the rock. The man catches my other hand and pulls me forwards. I feel ground under my feet and manage to find a foothold. The man pulls me from the river and I fall to the ground, panting. "My monkey." I manage to gasp.
"Canz!" The man calls. I hear padding footsteps come towards me and the man says something to the owner of these feet. I can smell a dog. I feel Chip being placed lightly in my arms. I hold him tight and his chatters weakly at me.
"Is he hurt?" I ask.
"Just a little shaken up." I recognise the voice, but at the moment I can't quite place it. "I'm sorry, my dog was only trying to play with your pet."
"Who are you?" I ask, not lifting my head.
"Trowa." Now I remember. This boy is Catherine's younger brother. "Are you alright?"
"Fine. Thank you." I say. I dare not look up. If I do he will surely guess my secret.
"I heard you yell. Did you slip?" I think that Trowa is kneeling opposite me and slightly to the left. I carry on the pretence of nursing Chip in the hope that Trowa will go away.
"Yes. I lost my footing and fell." I say. "And I got something in my eye, I couldn't see the bank."
"Hmm." Trowa doesn't sound convinced. "Let me help you." He puts his hands on my arms and pulls me up. I keep looking down. "Are you alright? Would you like something hot to drink?"
"I'm fine. I just want to find my Uncle and Aunt." I say.
"You can't see them anywhere?" He asks.
"No." I say, truthfully.
"You can't see anything?" He asks. I can tell by the sound of his voice that this isn't really a question. It's a statement. My heart sinks. I don't know what to say. He knows. "Can you?" He asks.
I shake my head. "There must be something in my eyes. I'll get my Uncle to take a look." I say.
"You didn't get anything in your eye." Trowa says. "You can't see."
There is no point in denying it anymore. He knows. I know that he knows. Wearily I pull myself away from his grasp and sit down again.
"Yes." I say quietly. "I'm blind."
"Come on." He said. "It's time to go."
"Where?" I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes and sitting up.
"To our new circus." He said. "Come and say goodbye to everyone."
I got up and Polly quickly combed my hair and made me look presentable. Chip sat sleepily on my shoulder and refused point blank to have his fur combed. As I climbed out of the caravan the heat of the summer morning sun hit me. I felt the warm rays on my face and smiled slightly. I could sense that there were people around me.
"We came to say goodbye." One says. I recognise the voice as belonging to the ringleader or the circus, Gringo. I hear him as he pats Paul on the back, hugs Aunty Polly before I feel him turn to me. "Take care little one." He says affectionately. Gringo has always looked after me well. He pulls me close and I can feel him keeping back tears.
One by one we say goodbye to all our old friends. Richard the animal tamer pats Chip on the head and tells me to look after him. Eventually all the farewells are over. Paul helps me into the little cab at the front of our caravan and turns the key in the ignition. I feel the engine stutter to life and slowly we chug away from the circus, our belonging bumping around in the caravan sleeping area behind us. Chip clings to me shoulder. He hates travelling. Aunty Polly is crying on my left and I can tell that Paul isn't too happy either. Then we turn away from our 'family' that I have known since I was born and we are on our way to a new family.
None of us speak during the journey. I can't tell which direction we are going any more. After an hour Paul stops the van and says. "We are here."
I can hear that we certainly have arrived. I'm vaguely aware that someone has opened a gate for us and we trundle slowly through the field. Paul parks the van and turns to me. "Don't speak unless spoken to, and try not to lift your head. If anyone sees that you don't focus on anything then they could guess that you can't see."
"Just act as if you are shy." Polly replied. "Look.I mean, keep your head down."
Polly helps me out of the van and a barrage of noise hits me. I stagger back, but find Paul supporting me from behind. I can just about make out the sounds around me. I can hear the animals nearby, and children laughing. I can also sense that some people are coming towards us.
"Good morning." I recognise the voice of the woman who visited us last night. Catherine wasn't it? "How was your journey?"
"Very good." I feel Polly's arm move forward and shake Catherine's hand.
"Welcome to our circus." Catherine said. "I'm so glad you could come. You remember my brother Trowa?"
I sense a boy move forward. "Hello." He says. He has a nice voice. I feel that he has put his hand out, but I can't tell whose hand he wants to shake. I realise he is talking to me when he says, "I don't believe we have met."
I shake my head but don't put my hand out. I can't tell exactly where his hand is and I don't feel like searching the air for it with my own.
"This is our niece Sienne." Paul says quickly. "I'm afraid she is rather shy."
"Well, I'll show you round if you want." Catherine says. We walk off and Paul gently guides me without anyone noticing. Catherine is talking about different attraction and tents, and introducing us to people as we pass them. Paul whispers things in my ear, explaining things and giving me simple facts like "The big tent is blue and yellow."
After a while I'm sure that I can feel someone else walking near us. I can certainly sense someone watching us. I try to ask Paul who it is, but he can't reply because Catherine is talking to him. I busy myself stroking Chip and hope that whoever it is will go away.
"Would you like some lunch?" Catherine asked. We walk over a clear patch of ground. I feel heat wash over me; we must be close to the campfire. Paul makes me sit on a log and Polly sits next to be. She squeezes my hand quickly as reassurance. I feel Paul put a plate on my lap.
"It's sausages." Polly whispered. I put my hand on the plate and find a sausage. It is hot and I burn my fingers as I touch it. I let it cool for a while, listening to Paul talking to Catherine.
"The trapeze you have here is very high." He is saying. "It will take us a while to get used to it."
"Don't worry." Catherine replies. "We won't be opening your act for a week or so. You will have plenty of time to practise."
I can sense that Paul is anxious that I won't be able to adjust to a different trapeze. I am concerned about it. All my life I have used a small, familiar trapeze. Moving to a different, bigger and higher one could be difficult.
I pick up the sausage and bite into it. It tastes so different from the sausages we had at the other circus. These ones are fat and you can feel the pieces of onion in them. I preferred the old sausages, but that was what I was used to.
I feel someone looking at me again. I feed Chip the end of my sausage and do my best not to raise my head. But keeping it bowed is giving me a stiff neck. I need some space to be on my own. The tour is completed and I know that Paul and Polly will want to mingle with the other circus folk.
When lunch is finished Polly whispers to me, "You want some alone time don't you?" I nod, glad that my aunt knows me so well.
Paul helps me up and they walk beside me, making excuses about washing in the river. I can hear the rushing of water as we draw near. Paul helps me to sit on a rock and I put my bare feet in the water. It trickles between my toes and I stifle a giggle.
"Will you be alright on your own here for a bit?" Paul asks.
"I'll be fine." I promise. "Besides, I have Chip to look after me."
I listen as Paul and Polly walk away. Now that I'm alone I lift my head and turn my face to the sun. I'm hot and thirsty. I pull out my handkerchief and bend lean forwards carefully, dipping it in the water. I dribble a few drops of the refreshing water into my parched mouth before squeezing the rest over my face. The cool water makes me gasp as some trickles down my spine. Chip jumps off my shoulder, he hates water.
I listen to Chip chattering behind me. Suddenly I hear him scream. "Chip?" I cry, turning around and straining my ears to hear him. He is whimpering somewhere near me and I can here heavy breathing too. "Chip?" I call. I step forwards and feel my foot slip in a puddle on the smooth rock. I call out as I fall backwards into the river. It is deeper than I thought it would be, and faster. I sink under the water, swallowing mouthfuls of it as I do. I grab onto a rock and pull myself upwards. I'm so disorientated; I can't tell where the bank is.
"Chip?" I plea, but I can't hear him anymore. Frantically I flail my arm out, hoping to come into contact with another rock or the bank. But I can't feel anything else. I put my arm out again, desperately searching for something to grab onto. Suddenly, something grabs my arm. I feel fingers lock around my wrist and a man's voice saying "Hold on!"
The grip on my wrist is strong. Trusting my saviour I put out my other arm, letting go of the rock. The man catches my other hand and pulls me forwards. I feel ground under my feet and manage to find a foothold. The man pulls me from the river and I fall to the ground, panting. "My monkey." I manage to gasp.
"Canz!" The man calls. I hear padding footsteps come towards me and the man says something to the owner of these feet. I can smell a dog. I feel Chip being placed lightly in my arms. I hold him tight and his chatters weakly at me.
"Is he hurt?" I ask.
"Just a little shaken up." I recognise the voice, but at the moment I can't quite place it. "I'm sorry, my dog was only trying to play with your pet."
"Who are you?" I ask, not lifting my head.
"Trowa." Now I remember. This boy is Catherine's younger brother. "Are you alright?"
"Fine. Thank you." I say. I dare not look up. If I do he will surely guess my secret.
"I heard you yell. Did you slip?" I think that Trowa is kneeling opposite me and slightly to the left. I carry on the pretence of nursing Chip in the hope that Trowa will go away.
"Yes. I lost my footing and fell." I say. "And I got something in my eye, I couldn't see the bank."
"Hmm." Trowa doesn't sound convinced. "Let me help you." He puts his hands on my arms and pulls me up. I keep looking down. "Are you alright? Would you like something hot to drink?"
"I'm fine. I just want to find my Uncle and Aunt." I say.
"You can't see them anywhere?" He asks.
"No." I say, truthfully.
"You can't see anything?" He asks. I can tell by the sound of his voice that this isn't really a question. It's a statement. My heart sinks. I don't know what to say. He knows. "Can you?" He asks.
I shake my head. "There must be something in my eyes. I'll get my Uncle to take a look." I say.
"You didn't get anything in your eye." Trowa says. "You can't see."
There is no point in denying it anymore. He knows. I know that he knows. Wearily I pull myself away from his grasp and sit down again.
"Yes." I say quietly. "I'm blind."