Chapter 8: Resolved

"So how'd the meeting with the performers go?" P.T asked.

"Fine," Phillip answered. "They understand why I'm doing things the way I am. And if they have a question they know they can talk to me about it. Now, what have I missed while I was gone?"

"Not much," P.T told him. "We've doing new routines, added in fireworks, but other than that…"

"Wait, added fireworks?" Phillip questioned. P.T nodded. "To be light up INSIDE the tent." He nodded again. "P.T! Are you trying to burn this place down?!" He laughed.

"Probably," P.T responded. "But…you can't sue me for pushing me too hard."
-

"Mommy, is daddy in the show tonight?" Caroline asked.

"Mommy, is Phillip in the show too?" Helen asked.

"Yes, yes your father and Phillip are BOTH in the show tonight," Charity answered.

"Yay!" Helen exclaimed. They took their seats and it was then that Charity noticed that Helen was eating out of a bag of peanuts.

"Helen, did you get that from Phillip?" Charity asked. Helen nodded.

"He said that me and Caroline could munch on this in case we got hungry," Helen told her mother.

"That was very nice of Phillip," Charity said. "Did you thank him?" Helen nodded.

"Forgive me for butting in, but can I ask you something, miss?" Charity turned to see the man who had spoken to her. He was in the seat next to her and he had brown hair, green eyes, a scruff brown beard, hair, and mustache, and tan skin. To Charity he looked like someone in between a scandal and an upper class gentleman.

"Of course, what is it you wanted to ask me?" Charity asked.

"The Phillip you were talking about, he wouldn't happen to be Phillip Carlyle?" he asked.

"Yes, yes he is," Charity answered. "Why?"

"Just surprised," he said. "Oh, by the way, I'm Harold Greenfield." He held out his hand.

"Charity, Charity Barnum," she said as she shook his hand.

"You wouldn't happen to related P.T Barnum would you?" Harold asked.

"Actually he's my husband," Charity told him. "Might I ask why you're so interested in the ringmasters?"

"Well I…"

"Mommy, it's starting!" Helen exclaimed. Indeed it was. For the first half of the show, Barnum was the ringmaster but after that Phillip took his turn. The show was over all amazing but what really stunned the audience was the finale. Both ringmasters came onstage and all the performers circled around them. They then sent off fireworks inside the tent. The audience erupted into applause as everyone took their bows.

"That was amazing!" Charity exclaimed. She hugged P.T and so did the girls. "You were great." She turned to Phillip. "You were too of course!" Phillip chuckled.

"Thanks Charity," Phillip said. "For everything." The girls, after hugging their father, ran up to Phillip and hugged him. He knelt down and returned their hug. Helen, after she had finished hugging him, jumped on his back. Phillip grunted and then chuckled. He stood up and held onto to her as he did. P.T, Charity, Anne, and Caroline laughed as Phillip spun them around for a little bit. Phillip then knelt down and Helen got off gently.

"Can I have a piggy-back ride?" Caroline asked him.

"I think you're a little too big for me," Phillip told her. "Maybe your father will if you ask him nicely." She turned to her father.

"Please?" Caroline begged.

"Maybe tomorrow," P.T told her.

"Phillip?" They turned in the direction of the voice. Charity recognized him as the man who they had sat next to. Phillip recognized him as well.

"Harold?" Phillip questioned. Harold walked closer towards Phillip and smiled. Phillip returned it. "Anne, P.T, Charity, Caroline, and Helen this is Harold Greenfield. My old childhood friend."

"Pleasure to meet you," P.T said. He held out his hand and Harold shook it. Harold looked at Charity.

"I believe I saw you earlier," Harold said. "Nice to see you again." He looked at the younger girls. "And these two young ladies?"

"This is Caroline," Charity told him. Caroline waved to him. "And this is Helen." Helen waved to him. Harold tipped his hat to the two of them. Then Harold looked at Anne.

"And this is Anne Wheeler, my fiancée," Phillip said. Harold raised his eyebrows.

"Well congratulations," Harold said. He shook her hand. "You were amazing." He looked at Phillip and P.T. "You guys were too. ACTUALLY, this whole place is amazing."

"Glad you like it," P.T said.

"P.T, not to be rude but could you give me and Harold a minute alone?" Phillip asked. "We could use some time to check up." P.T nodded, and he left with Charity, Anne, and Caroline. Phillip then looked down and saw that Helen was hugging Phillip's leg.

"Are you in trouble?" Helen asked.

"No sweetie, I'm not in trouble," Phillip said. He then knelt down to her. She let go of him. "I'm just talking to an old friend. Okay?"

"Okay," Helen responded. She hugged him briefly before running off to follow her parents.

"She's a little heartbreaker isn't she?" Harold said.

"Very much," Phillip agreed. He turned back to Harold. "Harold I'm…"

"No, I'm sorry," Harold interrupted. "I never should've yelled at you. You did everything you could to help me and I treated you horribly. I was just so angry at your parents so I took it all out on you."

"And I'm sorry that I didn't take their threat seriously," Phillip responded. "I should've and if I had it might have saved your bakery."

"Still, that didn't give me the right to yell at you," Harold said. "You were a better friend to me than I deserved. Think you can forgive me?"

"As long as you'll forgive me," Phillip responded.

"Deal," Harold answered. He reached out his hand and Phillip shook it. "So how did you end up HERE of all places? I thought you went back to parents." Phillip chuckled.

"I did. And as to how I ended up here, now THAT'S a story," Phillip started. "I'll tell you all about it. Come on, let me show you around."

"Did all of that really happen or are you just pulling my leg?" Harold asked. Phillip shook his head.

"It all really happened," Phillip responded. "Everything from singing and dancing in the bar to almost dying from the fire."

"I was more thinking that you stood up to your parents," Harold said. "Twice. Before you wouldn't dare oppose them. Now I think you can do it in your sleep."

"I think I could," Phillip responded. "Well, enough about me. How have you been?"

"Alright," Harold said. "I've got a job and still trying to raise money for my bakery. Robert is doing well with our family's. Hannah is married and going to have a baby. Kenny is a traveling doctor. My father died of sickness last month and my mother…she's pretty weak. We're trying to raise money to send her to the doctor but…it's just been hard. We don't know if she'll make it." Phillip's face was full of concern. Harold tried to pull a fake smile but it didn't foal Phillip. "Other than that, we're great. I'd better get going. See you later!"

"See you later!" Phillip responded. Harold then left the tent. Phillip then smiled. "Hope you like your present."

"Harold! Where were you?" Robert asked.

"I was at the circus," Harold answered.

"The show ended over an hour ago," Robert responded. "What were you doing?"

"Well, do you remember Phillip Carlyle?" Harold asked.

"Yeah, why?" Robert asked.

"Well, it turns out he's the main ringmaster at the circus," Harold told him. Robert's jaw dropped.

"What! You're pulling my leg," Robert responded.

"No, I saw him," Harold said. "Anyways, we were just visiting. How's mother?"

"Not too well," Robert replied. "I got a letter from Kenny. He said he'd be here next month."

"She doesn't have till next month," Harold stated.

"I know, but there's nothing else we can do," Robert said. He then noticed that there was an envelope in Harold's back pocket. "Wait, what's that in your pocket?" Harold pulled it out surprised. "Where did you get that?"

"I don't know," Harold admitted. "I wasn't there earlier." He opened it and saw that it was full of cash and in large numbers. "What? But how…" Then it hit him. "Phillip."

"But wouldn't you have known?" Robert questioned. Then Harold remembered that during the tour Phillip had taken him to his "office" and had lingered a little while inside. Also that he had led him around afterwards by putting his arm around his shoulder. Harold chuckled.

"He remember that trick I taught him," Harold said. "The little sneak."

Almost done!