"It's very simply Starkey, you give him meat that isn't mouldy, and he won't keep being sick, and it won't spread to the other cats." I shouted as my boss walked out of the trailer shaking his head, as I shovelled more animal and crap and vomit from the large Black Panther's cage.
Simba, as he was ironically named was sat glaring at me form the other cage. I cursed and swore repeatedly as I stormed from the trailer, carrying a bucket of water in each hand as I all but threw them down on the floor, rolling up my shirt sleeve to expose the punctured skin of my bicep.
"Jacob!"
I looked up from where I was ripping my shirt sleeve and turning it tight around the pulsing wound to see my wife rushing towards me, her dress pinned against her in the wind, showing off her small bump.
I muttered another string of profanities as I tried to cover up my blood stained arm. I should have known it was too late though; she had her hands around my wrist, and was fighting not to cry.
"You promised me you'd be careful, how is this being careful?" She demanded.
I sighed and pulled my hand away, swallowing back a whimper when her fingers dragged over my wound.
"It's fine." I grunted and she looked up at me with wide eyes.
"What did Starkey say?" She demanded. I sighed and picked up the buckets of water before walking over the bumpy ground towards where Rosie was tethered by her car and ours.
"Not much." I commented as we rounded the corner towards the hulking great grey mammal.
Marlena rushed along beside me, holding her skirts and muttering profanities as we went.
My arm throbbed as I set the water down by Rosie, reaching up to stroke her trunk as she sniffed around me for any stray peanuts or candy I often snuck past Starkey for her if she'd been good. It was also a secret treat for her for being gentle with Marlena, but not one, not even my wife knew that.
"Jacob you really need to wash that, or go and see a Doctor, your arm could have been ripped off..." My wife cried and I sighed, turning to face her.
"Marlena." I said firmly and took her hands in my own, looking at her sternly. Rosie waved her trunk around me and I gave her a silent glare to tell her to stop it, she did almost immediately.
"Will you stop worrying and go and relax, I don't care what you do, whether you go and sit with the horses, go and lay down, or even go and sew, I don't care, I just need to get on with my work."
She gasped quietly and I froze, looking at her with wide eyes as her own filled with tears.
"Marlena..." I whispered ad went to touch her cheek when she smacked my hands away and I swallowed.
"You're really going to dismiss me like I'm some cheap whore here for you entertainment?" She demanded.
I sighed, "You know that's not what I meant... it's just been a stressful day."
She looked at me with cold eyes, "it's been a stressful few months."
I frowned, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.
"Nothing Jacob, absolutely nothing!" She shouted and I was more than aware of several pairs of eyes watching our martial display in front of an agitated elephant.
"We'll talk about it later." I said quietly but firmly, for the first time perhaps in our marriage taking over the role of husband authority absolutely and I think it both hit us then at exactly the same time just how much I was being careful not to tread on Augusts toes.
I never wanted anything less than to be like him, except for Marlena getting hurt, I never wanted that.
"Don't bother Jacob, go back to playing Help the Animals, see if I care." She snapped and ran back towards our trailer, the crowd that had gathered parting for her like the sea as she ran with her hand clamped over her mouth, and I could see it in their eyes that she was crying.
I swallowed, feeling hurt and at the same time mortified and betrayed that I had made her cry.
"What?" I snapped at the gathered men who were looking at me with wide eyes.
The muttering started but they went back to whatever it was they were doing, although this time they had a new topic of discussion.
I sighed and turned back to Rosie, her amber eyes looking at me in a perfect balance between anger and disappointment. However often I spoke to Rosie in Polish, I knew she understood mine and Marlena's conversation in fluent English word for word.
"Rosie..." I trailed off and went to touch her trunk when she smacked my hand away with the tip of it, turning away from me and rumbling deeply as she stood with her back to me.
"Fine, gang up on me, someone around here will need my attention." I snapped and stormed away from her.
"Stupid elephant." I muttered taking another step.
There was a grumble and whoosh and I fell forwards as the back of my heed encountered the buckets I had left for Rosie to drink from.
I spun, rubbing the back of my head, tears in my eyes, never feeling more pathetic than I did then, with a wife who hated me, an elephant who hated me, a cut arm and possible fractured skull.
I stood glaring at the elephant. Rosie had since turned around and was sat looking at me, where I was stood nearly sopping wet, my arm bleeding, and face a mix of hurt and anger.
"Thanks Rosie... that was just what I needed, dziękuję słonia, bardzo dziękuję." I snapped in Polish and continued on my way, her deafening roar followed me as I muttered curse words all the way to the menagerie.
I sunk to a crouch in front of Bobo's cage, where he had to be kept before and after shows, most of the time he was with me, but I wasn't in the mood to play parent today. I rubbed my forehead with both hands, muttering more words I dint want to really say out loud.
Soon I was going to have to play a parent every day, because I was going to be one.
I looked up when footsteps approached across the ground and hay towards me.
James, Starkey's very own personal one of a kind body guard, looked at me firmly.
To be honest I wasn't surprised when he told me that Starkey wanted to see me.
It was just turning into one of those days.