Chapter Thirteen
Nick and Jarrod headed toward the Snake Charmer's tent. They peeked through the curtains and the boys were no longer there. They continued going into the back of the fair. It grew a bit seedier and less family-oriented than the exhibits and shows in the front part. Nick and Heath showed looks of concern as they entered dice and gambling, wheels of fortunes and tarots—and lots of alcohol.
They stopped and peered into each area. No boys.
Jarrod pointed out in frustration, "There are two tents left. Look at the crowds."
Nick shook his head when he read the signs: Live from India: Exotic belly dancers. No children allowed—-Just real men purveyors of fine beauty and culture from India
Jarrod and Nick asked the hawker if three boys had come into the show.
"Nah, men only. No boys."
"Are you sure?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"If they did, they'd be men now."
Jarrod gave him an icy stare and tossed him a coin. He bit it to see if it was real.
"Might find them up on the front row. Sat through a couple of shows."
Jarrod and Nick tried to bypass the long line of men waiting to enter. They pushed back and hissed catcalls about no breaking in line.
"Just looking for our kids," Nick yelled back as they made a human wall to permit them from entering.
"Ain't no kids in there."
"If'fn your boys enters a kid, he will become a man."
Nick and Jarrod finally jostled to the front only to be pushed down and almost trampled. They found their way to the side. They got up and dusted off their pants.
"Let's go around back."
They gave out a couple more bribes and made their way to the wagons backed up to the tents. They climbed up and went through racks of clothes to make it to the stage tent door.
Jarrod and Nick hid in a closet of boas and feathers as a guard passed by. They both sneezed and dusted themselves off as they climbed from the wagon to the plywood stage.
They pulled open the tent flap carefully and the show was in full swing.
"Can you see them?"
"Not yet."
They paid the passing doorman another bribe and slid to the side of the stage.
Scantily clad dancers with henna tattoos and veils kept in beat with the bongo drums. Incense of some sort made the room smokey with colored lanterns around the room.
Nick squinted as the smell was burning his eyes and nose.
They slipped in further to look for their boys in the haze.
The star attraction came out of the back curtain. She had floor-length hair, covered in tattoos and veils. She began a slow dance and gyrated her body to the drum beats.
Nick and Jarrod even turned their heads to stare. She mesmerized the crowd with each jolt of her hips and the tassels on her breasts swayed side to side. Their heads moved side to side for a few minutes. Every drum beat caused their head to jerk. They caught themselves and shook themselves out of her trance.
"There they are."
The three boys were in the first row. Their eyes were glued to the dancer on the stage.
Nick sauntered over first and grabbed Chip by the collar.
"Come on, boy. Y'all are coming with me."
Bouncers in the back pushed Nick down into the chair by his son. He saw a knife in the vest pocket so he stayed seated, not willing to get his son hurt.
"Chip, you are in big trouble." he hissed with clenched teeth.
"Yes sir"
The drum beats increased and the colored veils began to fly into the crowd.
One hit Nick straight across the face. JT couldn't help himself and laughed aloud. Nick glared back as he unwound the pink scarf from his head.
JT didn't laugh again as Jarrod clamped his son by the shoulder.
The bouncer went toward him but he caught Nick's eye and sat down. James David was in the middle with wide eyes glued to the stage, afraid to look to the left or right at the Barkleys.
The crowd was getting rowdy and Jarrod shared a look with Nick, "We can't get out yet"
He agreed with a nod. Both fathers had a tight hand on their sons. The boys kept sneaking a look as multicolored veils came off of the tribe of dancers in a frenzy. Nick popped Chip upside his head.
One dancer took a fancy to Jarrod. She sat in his lap and wrapped him in her veil. He gently pushed her away but she left a henna stain on his shirt.
He looked at JT, "Do not tell your mother."
"Yes sir."
A dancer wrapped a red veil around Nick and tried to get him to dance. He kept backing up until he fell back into a chair and hit the ground. The boys and even Jarrod laughed to see him on his back trying to get out of a tangle of red fabric. She swiveled around him for a few minutes tantalizing him with veils and touch.
He was spitting mad and his temper slowed his ability to stand back up.
Chip covered his mouth with his hand to quit laughing.
The ladies sans most of the veils went back on stage for their finale.
The bongo drums' tempo increased as they gyrated out the back door. The lanterns were snuffed out so the dancers could leave the stage. It became pitch black.
Several large bouncers opened the tent flaps and came through with large lanterns.
"Ok everybody out. You will have to get back in line and pay again if you want to see the show."
They were all jostled out into the alley as new patrons came in.
Jarrod and Nick glared at the boys. They had the good sense to look shamed.
"We will not talk about this right now. Not a word in front of the ladies." Jarrod chastised.
"Pappy? You got a black stain on your shirt. It looks like a uh, a uh on it."
Nick looked over and burst out laughing, "Looks like a tit landed on your shirt."
Jarrod looked down and chuckled, "Well it did as a manner of speaking."
The boys looked at each other unsure if they should look, laugh or fear for their lives.
"Well Nick old boy, you are sprouting feathers it seems. Red ones"
Nick pulled several red boas feathers out of his thick hair.
The boys did let a few chortles out and Nick joined in with hesitation.
He adjusted his jacket and trousers, "Let's head back. The ladies will be worried."
"Nick? My wallet is gone! " Jarrod patted around.
His brother went to check his and it was gone too. The boys checked their back pockets—-the same.
"So you're telling me, those grifters got every dime of the five of us."
"Yes sir."
"Well, I will be damned."
"Hope my good name, what's left of it is good enough for Giacomo's—and Grover's."
"Do not I repeat tell the ladies where and how we got pickpocketed."
"Yes sir," they said in unison.
The boys walked ahead wondering what their punishment would be.
Nick leaned over to Jarrod, "In a few days, we will be laughing won't we?"
"We have been in worse scrapes—."
They walked up to the ladies and apologized for their lateness.
Elisabeth scrunched her nose up, "You smell funny."
"Had to walk through some smoke."
"And look at that, you have soot on your shirt."
"Why I sure do Elisabeth. Good thing Giacomo's is a dark restaurant." as he pulled his jacket over the henna.
She arched her eyebrow at Jarrod and he shrugged his shoulders.
She knew instinctively that there was more to the story and she would ask later.
Maris trusted Nick's word and they made their way to Grover in the waiting carriage.
Grover did a big sniff as they got in the carriage, "Oh y'all went to India. What a show."
Nick and Jarrod looked mortified while the boys hid their heads not to laugh.
Maris looked puzzled as Elisabeth whispered to Jarrod, "We will talk about this later."
"Giacomo's please" Nick huffed and leaned back in the carriage. His backside was bruised from the fall and he tried to shift his weight.
"Are you ok, Nicholas?" Maris asked with concern.
"Yep honey, just a cramp in my back."
The boys laughed and then immediately stopped when they saw the fury on Nick's face.
They didn't say a word all the way to Little Italy. Chip showed JT and James David a rolled-up red veil in his pocket. Their eyes grew big.
"Don't tell my Pap." he mouthed.
