Less than a week later I'm sitting in our caravan. I can hear the audience
milling around in the field, laughing and shouting. Polly walks over to me
and begins to apply stage make-up on my face.
"How are you feeling?" She asks, applying some wet paint to my eyes.
"Nervous." I reply.
"You'll be fine." Polly confirms, even though her hand is shaking as she applies more eyeliner. "You've been OK in every rehearsal so far since that one bad day."
I smile at the memories. I can perform on the trapeze now. Ever since that night when Trowa helped me I haven't fallen once. I proved Catherine wrong and made Polly and Paul proud.
"You know you never told me how you suddenly got better." Polly says, blotting my lipstick gently.
"No, I didn't." I reply, but I leave it at that. Polly sighs but stands away, satisfied with her work. I'm sitting in my acrobatics costume with my stage make-up applied. Chip is sitting on my knee stroking the soft lycra material. I pick him up and put him on my bed. "Stay here Chip." I say. He lets out a sigh but I know that he understands me.
I hear footsteps outside the caravan. I can tell it is one of the younger clowns. Ever since that night when I mastered the trapeze I've been able to sense things more clearly. I've even started to recognise the footsteps of different people. I turn to the door and smile, knowing that our guest is in the doorway.
"Miss Catherine asked me to tell you that the show starts in five minutes." The boy says. He runs off before I can say anything. Polly and Paul are waiting outside. I climb down the three steps without their help and refuse to take Paul's arm as we walk towards the big tent. I can hear the audience settled inside and my heart gives a jolt.
We enter the small tent where the other performers are assembled. Catherine comes over to us and I can tell that she is both excited and nervous by the way she can't keep still.
"You look great." She says. Then walks off to deal with some other performers. Paul finds me a seat and I sit down gladly. I tuck my knees under my chin and wrap my arms around my legs. I've never been so nervous about a performance in my life.
As the acts start the tent begins to empty until it's just us. Paul and Polly are talking quietly, going through the routine in their minds.
"You're up!" Says one of the runners sent by Catherine. Paul squeezes my shoulder as we stand at the entrance to the tent.
"And now ladies and gentleman, in their premier at this circus I present our new acrobats!" I hear Catherine call. "Please put your hands together for.The Flying Fireballs!"
There is a roar of applause as Paul, Polly and I enter the tent. We do our usual entrance, back flips and cart wheels. Then we stand in the centre of the tent and wave. Some of the applause turns to wolf-whistles before dying. We separate and climb up to our platforms. I find the bar and Polly puts her arm across me to support me. I hear the music start and wait for the beat. When I hear it I lift my feet and am flying through the air. Paul catches my ankles as we reach the centre and I release the bar. We swing back to the podium but don't stop. We swing back and Paul lets my ankles go. I somersault in mid air before Polly catches my hands, with her legs hooked over the bar. We swing to the podium and I jump onto it. Polly swings back and Paul catches her. Now I swing across, and I don't even falter. We carry on our performance for a few more minutes, then finish.
We take a bow as the tent fills with applause. Then we jump off of the podium, turning over in the air as we crash lightly into the net. We scramble off just as the music starts for the finale. All of the acts come back on stage. We rush around the tent as coloured streamers fly down from the ceiling. The clowns are getting quiet a few laughs tonight. I return to the centre of the tent and find that I'm standing next to some one. Just as I realise who it is I find that I am unable to speak, due to the fact that my mouth has been filled with custard pie. My face is covered in it too. It seems that one of the clowns had a spare custard pie after their act.
As the finale finished we take our bows and leave the tent. I head straight for our van and find a cloth to wipe the sticky mess off of my face. Chip takes great delight in licking the remains off my face. The sticky cream has dripped onto my costume too. Sighing I close the door to the van and pull off my dirty clothes. I manage to find some clothes on my own and slip into them, hoping that they look OK but not really caring.
I can hear the audience now having fun on the amusements. I quickly find a face clothes and wipe my face, hopefully removing all traces off my make- up. Just as I pick up Chip and let him sit on my shoulder I hear a knock at the door. "Who is there?" I ask.
A familiar voice replies, "Me."
"Hello 'Me'." I joke opening the door and knowing that Trowa is standing in front of me. Instantly I sense that he is not alone. "Who is with you?" I ask nervously.
"Jake, what do you have to say for yourself?" Trowa asks. I guess that the person with Trowa is one of the younger clowns called Jake.
"I'm very sorry for throwing that pie in your face Miss." The boy says. "I was very bad."
"So that was you?" I say, not at all surprises.
"Yes." The boy says. I sense Trowa elbow him in the ribs. "I'm sorry Miss, it won't happen again."
"Just see to it that it won't." Trowa says. "Now go and get that clown face off."
I hear the boy scamper away. I smile and say, "It's alright you know, I can take a joke."
"I didn't find it funny." Trowa says. I climb down the steps and close the van door behind me. Chip seems excited by all the music and bright lights. He hops from one shoulder to the other and doesn't even bother to shout monkey obscenities at Canz, who is sitting at Trowa's feet. "Are you coming to the fair?"
I nod. I'm interested to find out what attraction this circus has. Polly told me they have some fairground rides as well as the big tent. Trowa walks next to me as we make our way towards where the music is loudest. "You were very good tonight." He says.
"Thank you." I smile. "How did your act go?" Trowa told me that he is the head clown.
"Very well. It was a responsive crowd tonight." Trowa says. We have entered the bustle fairground. The sudden noise and volume of people overwhelms me. I think that Chip feels the same because he leaps off my shoulder.
"Chip!" I call.
"He's heading back to your van." Trowa says. I'm still apprehensive of such a large crowd. My ears are throbbing with the loud music and all the people passing me are making me disorientated. "Are you alright?" Trowa asks from somewhere near me.
I can't speak. I turn around, desperate to find him and get pushed aside by some passers-by. I stumble backwards and get knocked forwards by some more people. I'm amongst a huge crowd now, all moving in different directions.
"Sienne!" I hear Trowa call from nearby. We've been separated in the crowd.
"Trowa?" I call desperately. I huge man knocks me flying from behind and I find myself kneeling on the ground, trying to avoid being trampled. "Trowa!" I call again. Suddenly I feel someone swoop down on me.
"I'm here." He says in my ear. I breathe a sigh of relief as he pulls me roughly to me feet and pushes me through the crowd. He forces me to sit down once we are out of the way and I collapse on the ground, shaking with fear. That had to be one of the scariest moments of my life, apart from when he had saved me in the river.
I can't begin to express how terrified I was. I couldn't sense a way out of the bustling crowd and I began to panic. I know I shouldn't have done but for a few moments I lost control. I had been isolated and very scared.
"Are you alright?" Trowa asks. He's sitting next to me and I notice that he has his arm around me.
"Fine." I say to brusquely, shaking his arm off. I need space right now.
"Are you sure?" He asks.
"Will you stop laying into me?" I ask, my voice sounding much higher than normal. "I'm fine, OK? I just lost it a bit. I didn't need your help!" I felt my cheeks flushing.
"You need a drink." Trowa says.
"Don't tell me what I need." I snap. "I can make my own decisions you know. I may be blind but I'm not incapable."
"Blind?" I hear a voice say behind me. I stiffen. I immediately recognise the voice as Catherine's. I can't believe that I didn't hear her approach or sense her presence. Trowa seems to have been taken by surprise too. He jumps to his feet. "You're blind?" Catherine repeats.
I have no choice. I pull myself to my feet and turn to face her. I raise my head towards her and hear her gasp as she takes in my unseeing eyes. I nod glumly.
"But how?" Catherine seems as a loss for words. "You're an acrobat.the trapeze.if you can't see."
I can't take this much longer. I stand there clenching my hands. The way she is saying it. Everyone is turning to listen. I hear people shush each other to listen.
"Blind?" I hear them whisper. "That acrobat girl is blind?"
I fight back tears. I don't want everyone to know. I don't need anyone's charity. They'll treat me like an invalid. As if to confirm my thoughts someone nearby says, "Isn't that dangerous, having a blind acrobat?"
I can't stand it anymore. I turn and run. The crowd separates as I pass them. Some people speak to me; or rather most speak to each other about me.
"A blind acrobat, how strange!"
"They are a drain on the economy, these blind people. They demand compensation and money from our system."
"I know of a doctor who can cure blindness."
"Problems like that often run in the family. I told you circus folk had bad blood."
I rush past them all and find someone is my way. "Girl! I'm a scientist and I would love to run some tests on you!"
"I'm not a guinea pig!" I try to shout. I push him away and run for my caravan. Polly and Paul are inside, celebrating our successful evening. I can't interrupt them. I turn away, and can hear people following me. I feel my way forwards. I don't want them to catch me. I find a small caravan and crawl underneath. I hear feet run past me but no one shouts, "Found her!"
I put my head on the ground and let my tears flow. Dirt and mud stick to my damp face as my breathing becomes more regular. I drift into a light sleep still lying underneath the van.
"How are you feeling?" She asks, applying some wet paint to my eyes.
"Nervous." I reply.
"You'll be fine." Polly confirms, even though her hand is shaking as she applies more eyeliner. "You've been OK in every rehearsal so far since that one bad day."
I smile at the memories. I can perform on the trapeze now. Ever since that night when Trowa helped me I haven't fallen once. I proved Catherine wrong and made Polly and Paul proud.
"You know you never told me how you suddenly got better." Polly says, blotting my lipstick gently.
"No, I didn't." I reply, but I leave it at that. Polly sighs but stands away, satisfied with her work. I'm sitting in my acrobatics costume with my stage make-up applied. Chip is sitting on my knee stroking the soft lycra material. I pick him up and put him on my bed. "Stay here Chip." I say. He lets out a sigh but I know that he understands me.
I hear footsteps outside the caravan. I can tell it is one of the younger clowns. Ever since that night when I mastered the trapeze I've been able to sense things more clearly. I've even started to recognise the footsteps of different people. I turn to the door and smile, knowing that our guest is in the doorway.
"Miss Catherine asked me to tell you that the show starts in five minutes." The boy says. He runs off before I can say anything. Polly and Paul are waiting outside. I climb down the three steps without their help and refuse to take Paul's arm as we walk towards the big tent. I can hear the audience settled inside and my heart gives a jolt.
We enter the small tent where the other performers are assembled. Catherine comes over to us and I can tell that she is both excited and nervous by the way she can't keep still.
"You look great." She says. Then walks off to deal with some other performers. Paul finds me a seat and I sit down gladly. I tuck my knees under my chin and wrap my arms around my legs. I've never been so nervous about a performance in my life.
As the acts start the tent begins to empty until it's just us. Paul and Polly are talking quietly, going through the routine in their minds.
"You're up!" Says one of the runners sent by Catherine. Paul squeezes my shoulder as we stand at the entrance to the tent.
"And now ladies and gentleman, in their premier at this circus I present our new acrobats!" I hear Catherine call. "Please put your hands together for.The Flying Fireballs!"
There is a roar of applause as Paul, Polly and I enter the tent. We do our usual entrance, back flips and cart wheels. Then we stand in the centre of the tent and wave. Some of the applause turns to wolf-whistles before dying. We separate and climb up to our platforms. I find the bar and Polly puts her arm across me to support me. I hear the music start and wait for the beat. When I hear it I lift my feet and am flying through the air. Paul catches my ankles as we reach the centre and I release the bar. We swing back to the podium but don't stop. We swing back and Paul lets my ankles go. I somersault in mid air before Polly catches my hands, with her legs hooked over the bar. We swing to the podium and I jump onto it. Polly swings back and Paul catches her. Now I swing across, and I don't even falter. We carry on our performance for a few more minutes, then finish.
We take a bow as the tent fills with applause. Then we jump off of the podium, turning over in the air as we crash lightly into the net. We scramble off just as the music starts for the finale. All of the acts come back on stage. We rush around the tent as coloured streamers fly down from the ceiling. The clowns are getting quiet a few laughs tonight. I return to the centre of the tent and find that I'm standing next to some one. Just as I realise who it is I find that I am unable to speak, due to the fact that my mouth has been filled with custard pie. My face is covered in it too. It seems that one of the clowns had a spare custard pie after their act.
As the finale finished we take our bows and leave the tent. I head straight for our van and find a cloth to wipe the sticky mess off of my face. Chip takes great delight in licking the remains off my face. The sticky cream has dripped onto my costume too. Sighing I close the door to the van and pull off my dirty clothes. I manage to find some clothes on my own and slip into them, hoping that they look OK but not really caring.
I can hear the audience now having fun on the amusements. I quickly find a face clothes and wipe my face, hopefully removing all traces off my make- up. Just as I pick up Chip and let him sit on my shoulder I hear a knock at the door. "Who is there?" I ask.
A familiar voice replies, "Me."
"Hello 'Me'." I joke opening the door and knowing that Trowa is standing in front of me. Instantly I sense that he is not alone. "Who is with you?" I ask nervously.
"Jake, what do you have to say for yourself?" Trowa asks. I guess that the person with Trowa is one of the younger clowns called Jake.
"I'm very sorry for throwing that pie in your face Miss." The boy says. "I was very bad."
"So that was you?" I say, not at all surprises.
"Yes." The boy says. I sense Trowa elbow him in the ribs. "I'm sorry Miss, it won't happen again."
"Just see to it that it won't." Trowa says. "Now go and get that clown face off."
I hear the boy scamper away. I smile and say, "It's alright you know, I can take a joke."
"I didn't find it funny." Trowa says. I climb down the steps and close the van door behind me. Chip seems excited by all the music and bright lights. He hops from one shoulder to the other and doesn't even bother to shout monkey obscenities at Canz, who is sitting at Trowa's feet. "Are you coming to the fair?"
I nod. I'm interested to find out what attraction this circus has. Polly told me they have some fairground rides as well as the big tent. Trowa walks next to me as we make our way towards where the music is loudest. "You were very good tonight." He says.
"Thank you." I smile. "How did your act go?" Trowa told me that he is the head clown.
"Very well. It was a responsive crowd tonight." Trowa says. We have entered the bustle fairground. The sudden noise and volume of people overwhelms me. I think that Chip feels the same because he leaps off my shoulder.
"Chip!" I call.
"He's heading back to your van." Trowa says. I'm still apprehensive of such a large crowd. My ears are throbbing with the loud music and all the people passing me are making me disorientated. "Are you alright?" Trowa asks from somewhere near me.
I can't speak. I turn around, desperate to find him and get pushed aside by some passers-by. I stumble backwards and get knocked forwards by some more people. I'm amongst a huge crowd now, all moving in different directions.
"Sienne!" I hear Trowa call from nearby. We've been separated in the crowd.
"Trowa?" I call desperately. I huge man knocks me flying from behind and I find myself kneeling on the ground, trying to avoid being trampled. "Trowa!" I call again. Suddenly I feel someone swoop down on me.
"I'm here." He says in my ear. I breathe a sigh of relief as he pulls me roughly to me feet and pushes me through the crowd. He forces me to sit down once we are out of the way and I collapse on the ground, shaking with fear. That had to be one of the scariest moments of my life, apart from when he had saved me in the river.
I can't begin to express how terrified I was. I couldn't sense a way out of the bustling crowd and I began to panic. I know I shouldn't have done but for a few moments I lost control. I had been isolated and very scared.
"Are you alright?" Trowa asks. He's sitting next to me and I notice that he has his arm around me.
"Fine." I say to brusquely, shaking his arm off. I need space right now.
"Are you sure?" He asks.
"Will you stop laying into me?" I ask, my voice sounding much higher than normal. "I'm fine, OK? I just lost it a bit. I didn't need your help!" I felt my cheeks flushing.
"You need a drink." Trowa says.
"Don't tell me what I need." I snap. "I can make my own decisions you know. I may be blind but I'm not incapable."
"Blind?" I hear a voice say behind me. I stiffen. I immediately recognise the voice as Catherine's. I can't believe that I didn't hear her approach or sense her presence. Trowa seems to have been taken by surprise too. He jumps to his feet. "You're blind?" Catherine repeats.
I have no choice. I pull myself to my feet and turn to face her. I raise my head towards her and hear her gasp as she takes in my unseeing eyes. I nod glumly.
"But how?" Catherine seems as a loss for words. "You're an acrobat.the trapeze.if you can't see."
I can't take this much longer. I stand there clenching my hands. The way she is saying it. Everyone is turning to listen. I hear people shush each other to listen.
"Blind?" I hear them whisper. "That acrobat girl is blind?"
I fight back tears. I don't want everyone to know. I don't need anyone's charity. They'll treat me like an invalid. As if to confirm my thoughts someone nearby says, "Isn't that dangerous, having a blind acrobat?"
I can't stand it anymore. I turn and run. The crowd separates as I pass them. Some people speak to me; or rather most speak to each other about me.
"A blind acrobat, how strange!"
"They are a drain on the economy, these blind people. They demand compensation and money from our system."
"I know of a doctor who can cure blindness."
"Problems like that often run in the family. I told you circus folk had bad blood."
I rush past them all and find someone is my way. "Girl! I'm a scientist and I would love to run some tests on you!"
"I'm not a guinea pig!" I try to shout. I push him away and run for my caravan. Polly and Paul are inside, celebrating our successful evening. I can't interrupt them. I turn away, and can hear people following me. I feel my way forwards. I don't want them to catch me. I find a small caravan and crawl underneath. I hear feet run past me but no one shouts, "Found her!"
I put my head on the ground and let my tears flow. Dirt and mud stick to my damp face as my breathing becomes more regular. I drift into a light sleep still lying underneath the van.