Chapter Seven- The Beginning

Espa sat with Jonathan after Christien had left. He was really upset by how things had turned out during that meeting. More over, he was upset by the news he'd received from their mother. A mental illness? How is that possible? She's sounded so perfectly sane the night she'd left. And now I'm going to be blamed for keeping her way because I was so heartless.... Espa sighed deeply.

"Espa?" Jonathan looked up at him. "Where did we come from? I know you said we were from a carnival, but how come we're not there now?"

"Mom and Dad left." Espa replied quietly, his eyes closed tightly. "It's time I told you the truth, Jon. About everything that happened back then."

"Really?" Jon sat up now, brightening a little.

"Really. Let me just go check on the littles. " Espa went upstairs. Once he was out of Jon's line of sight, he leaned against the wall. I swore they'd never know the truth about the night Mom and Dad were tossed out of Pryce's. It would upset them, just like it had upset me that night. But now that she's around, I need to tell Jonathan. Now he went into the room Andrew and Ej shared. "Good." He pulled Andy's blanket up around his little brother, before turning off their night light, and going back downstairs. "Jonathan, what I'm about to tell you won't be easy for me to do...so please be patient with it."

"Okay, Big Brother...." Jonathan studied his elder brother. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I don't, but it's not going to do any good to hide the truth anymore." Espa replied, settling on the couch. "Should I begin?"

"Yeah......" Jonathan settled beside him, leaning on his arm. His elder brother smiled a little, putting an arm around him, so they could snuggle.

"Alright. I'll begin."

5 years before

"Espa, why are Mom and Dad arguing with Mr. Pryce?" Jonathan looked up at his wiser elder brother, who seemed to be far away again. He recognized this as a sign that Espa was tuning in with his sixth sense. For as long as Jonathan could remember,Espa, his father,and their mother had all shared a special bond. They were psychic. He was certain he was too, but his powers weren't as developed as Espa's. The Robas had been with the carnival for as long as they could remember. Espa, Jon and Christien, their youngest brother, had all been born there. "Espa?"

"Yeah?" Espa finally came out of his daydream, and looked down at Jon.

"Are we in trouble?" His brother looked concerned, and Espa tried to smile.

"No. We're not in trouble. Mom and Dad are just trying to have their contracts revised." He stood up now, taking little Christien's hand. "Let's go get some cotton candy, okay? Mom and Dad gave us the day to ourselves."

"Okay, Espa." Jonathan picked up his deck of "tarot" cards, which were merely playing cards that Hudson, the ringmaster had given him. "Can you read my fourtune again?"

"Maybe later. My sixth sense needs a rest." And it did too. It was still very exhausted from the night before, when he'd tried to help his father fight off someone who'd been trying to hurt Christien. That's what was really going on. Lyle Pryce, the carnie owner was questioning the Roba parents about last night's incident. I couldn't tell Jon that. He'd slept through the entire thing! Besides, why make the littles worry? Everything's going to be alright in the end. Dad always makes things alright. "Let's go see if Madame Leota will read our fourtunes!" He grinned, watching Jonathan run up ahead of him.

"Cotton Candy." Christien looked up at Espa. "You promised."

"I know. Let me just make sure Jon's not going to get himself in trouble. " He led Christien up the path to Leota's trailer,and watched, as the middle-aged woman smiled at Jon's amazement when she read him perfectly. "Excuse me,Madame Leota. Is he going to be a bother?"

"Oh not at all, Espa." The woman smiled at the boy. "You boys are never a bother here. You know that."

"I want my fortune read too,Big Brother." Christien said softly. The seven-year-old rarely spoke. He was more of a thinker, which made Espa think that, like him, Christien was a powerful psychic, even if his gifts had yet to present themselves.

"Well ,then, step right in!" Leota told the little boy. She smiled when Christien sat down beside Jonathan. "Now then.....how old are you now? Twenty?" She chuckled when Christien shook his head vigorously, holding up seven fingers. "Seven! Ah, a most lucky age to be!"

Espa laughed, despite his unease about their current situation. He waited for Leota to finish her reading, then took his brothers over to the cotton candy stand. "Two small cotton candies, and one large." He told Bobby.

"On your own today, I see." The man smiled fondly. "They're erecting the new ferris wheel tonight,if you're interested. " He handed the boys their candy. "No charge for the Robas today." He added, when Espa offered to pay for them. "It's on me." That was how most of the carnie folk treated the Roba children. They never had to pay for the games, rides or food they consumed.

"Thanks, Bobby. We might try the wheel, but right now, it's chow time." Espa led the younger boys back to their trailer, and they all sat on the swing set they owned.

They were about finished when Julius Roba, their father, stormed over to the trailer, followed by their quiet mother. "Julius! We can't be so irrational. Where are we going to go?"

"How the hell should I know?! That man is so unreasonable! He never sees what She does! Only what he wants to see. God forbid his precious diva do anything wrong!"

"But if we leave, we'll have nothing! Here, we have everything we need! The boys are happy here, we can't just uproot them!" The couple went into the trailer, leaving their sons to stare at the closed door in shock.

"We're leaving?!" Jonathan looked at Espa. "Big Brother, why would Mr. Pryce want us to leave?"
"I don't know, Jonathan." Espa lied. But he knew who his parents had meant when they'd said "She". Lorelai Butler, the carnival queen, whom no one aside from Lyle Pryce liked. "Mom won't let us have to leave." He added to Jon,reassuring himself as much as his brothers.

"Espa. Come help your mother pack,please. " Julius' voice was caught in his throat.

"Dad, why do we have to go?! I want to stay here with Carlton and Nora." They were Espa's only friends, and had been for his whole life.

"I'm sorry, son. It's not going to happen. I'll explain it to you when you're older." Julius left to do his last day of work ever. His three sons scurried into the trailer to find out what had happened.

Marcia, their mother said not a word. Just pointed to things for Espa to pack. She was pregnant again, and that was why she was so nervous. "I only hope we will not be homeless long..." Espa only sighed, and did as he was told. His younger brothers cried silently in a corner. It wasn't in the Robas' nature to cry, but this was too unbearable to think about. He left a while later to say his last goodbyes to Carlton and Nora.