Jackie

Jackie

The sun crept slowly over the hill into the little valley, revealing to the array of inhabitants that a miracle had taken place over night. For there, erected in Farmer Gordon's field, was the circus.
The big tent that housed the circus ring stood solemn with its banners floating lightly in the cool morning breeze, a mounted triumph to hard work and trained hands. Already, movement could be heard from the smaller tents and trailers clustered around the big top, its bright orange and yellow stripes blazing bright in the dawn sun. An aura of mysticysm swirled with the morning fog that drifted through the circus camp, as inhabitants of the traveling troupe bagan filtering into the morning sun.

The animals started to wake up, moving and growling, they too stretching and yawning like their human counter parts. The lions let out a morning roar, the hippo grunted as he struggled to his feet, the parrots shook their heads and ruffled their feathers, and the peacock began preening its long beautiful tail.
Jackie turned over in his bed and pulled the cover over his head, trying to block out the intruding sunshine. The damage having been done however, after a few moments of futile pretend, he flung the covers off and sat up. He yawned with as the rest of the circus troupe had, and shook his head. Tottering over to the window of his moving home, he looked out and observed all the happenings that were still taking place.
The circus hands were still setting up, rolling large stands for the lion act into the big top, moving equipment in and out, carrying hoses in to fill the hippos performing tank and cleaning up the area to be ready for the coming crowds. Overseeing all of this was Franco Paris, the manager, director and the showman himself. His long black moustache was droopy and his balding head shone in the morning light. Jackie smiled to himself and thought of the difference between Mr. Paris now, and when he stepped into the ring. The waxed moustache curled up under his eyes, his black top hat hid the balding, and a cravat under the red and black sequined tux held up the slow and steady expansion of his midsection.
A click from the door made Jackie's ears perk, but he knew that it was just his breakfast being served. Jackie turned around and smiled at Nina, the morning cook's assistant, but as usually, the beautiful young cook just ignored him and placed his tray inside the door. After she had closed the door behind her, he sighed and shook his head. For the two years they had worked together, well, for the two years they had been apart of the same circus troupe, he had always smiled at her, but she hadn't even bothered to give him a "how'dyoudo" or "Good Morning". But he wasn't about to give up. He'd smile at her every day for the rest of his life if he had to.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts that always seemed to cloud his head from seeing her, he grabbed the fruit from the tray and sat down to enjoy the wonderful food. He loved bananas. He didn't really know why, but he just couldn't seem to get enough of them. Finishing his fruit bowl, he downed the juice and placed the tray back next to the door.
Returning to his post at the door, he leaned his chin on the sill and continued to watch the on going preparation with his large black eyes. The breeze shook his short black hair, and he inhaled deeply, smelling the cool, refreshing valley breeze. He looked up at the clear blue sky, and tried to remember his life before the circus. It all seemed so long ago, and it was hazy and indistinct, probably from the repetitious life of a circus traveler.
A bang and crash from the trailer across the way woke him out of his revere as Leonard the Magnificent barreled out of his trailer not so magnificently, followed by his pants and his left shoe. The tall skinny, dark skinned Italian started to pick himself up off the ground when his right shoe followed and pegged him square in the back of the head, and he collapsed back to the ground. A large plump lady suddenly filled the entire doorframe, seeming as to almost not fit through the exit of the little home.
Jackie shook his head. Leonard, known as such to the world, but as Sam Galileo to the troupe, never seemed to say the right thing to his wife, Francine, as always getting into trouble, usually ending up in a undignified heap outside his trailer.
Picking himself up and brushing off the dirt and grass, he rubbed his eyes and quickly realized that he was in the midst of several staring individuals, without any pants on his body. Hastily picking up his forgotten articles, he slipped next door to Brenden Rajah, the Lion tamer from India, introduced as the Roaring Rajah.
Jackie chuckled to himself. The Roaring Rajah would never have been so loud if he had had to train the lions himself, for in reality Brenden couldn't have hurt a fly if you paid him too. The only way that he was able to crack a whip at the lions was by snapping it at over four feet from any of the animals. Everyone knew that Brenden was not a push over. Having been a stock exchange floor man, he knew how to push and shove his way around, but after he found a note from a disgruntled client who had lost millions on one of his hunches, he decided to skip the stock market and pick up on his life long dream, a Lion Tamer.
All knew they could go to Brenden to talk, and he acted as the circus shrink, and with so little happening to them from the outside world, he was often called to mediate disputes and disagreements within the troupe. However he swore to himself and everyone else, there was no way he was going to mess with the Galileo problem. Still wanting to help, he did what he could and gave Sam a place to stay whenever he found himself on the wrong side of the door.
As Sam disappeared into the trailer, Percy and Reggie jogged down the steps of theirs, and began their usual routine of stretches. No one ever watched the two men as they contorted and twisted in their tight shorts. Everyone assumed, but no one dare asked for they were the two makeup artists and hair stylists for most of the entire troupe. Jackie just shook his head.
The clowns came around the corner trying to rub the sleep from their eyes, and headed for their personal makeup trailer. Jackie watched and started to count down as they headed in front of his trailer. Sure enough, right on cue, Fred, the lead clown, tripped over his untied shoes and fell flat on his face. Greg tripped on Fred, and the rest of the entire clown crew collapsed in a heap. Fred propped his head up on his elbows and looked around. Thomas passed by with a wheelbarrow load of dung for the garbage heap, looked down and snorted.
"Fred, as often as you do that, it still won't be funny. You've done that every day for the past three and a half years, and it still ain't funny." He looked at his reeking load and smiled, "Now if I were to dump this on you, THAT would be funny."
Greg extracted himself from the pile and wiped off his sweat pants. "I would only laugh if I wasn't part of the pile. And besides, you say that same phrase every day."
Franco passed by with his sequined tux, "And we all have this same routine every day, I know, now get off the ground and quite clowning around."
"Gosh boss," Chuckled Thomas, starting to lift his wheelbarrow, "You're a poet and you probably don't know it."
"Thomas is funnier then you." Little Bryan Turkette said as he sauntered past. His tight body suit with its red and green colors moved with the flowing muscles underneath. Outsiders still couldn't believe that Bryan was 17, and the Little part of his title didn't help any. His family were the Flying Turkette's, the troupes acrobatic extraordinaire. Jackie wished he could go play and practice with them, but the acrobats stayed to themselves and were always coming up with new acts to thrill and awe their crowds.
Jackie continued to watch as almost the entire circus passed in front of his trailer. The "Bearded Lady", Ms. Tracy from Iowa, waddled past; Theodore Pasley walked his two brown bears, Moe and Mary, around the tent; Brad juggled past on his unicycle, practicing for his high wire adventure that night.
All day long members passed by. Feeling no need to leave, having no need to leave, Jackie was contented to just sit and watch. Lunch came and went, still no reaction to his smile. He napped, knowing he would need his energy for tonight and he dreamed of the wonderful Nina.
A harsh rapping on the door smashed through his unconsciousness and he bolted out of his bed.
"Jackie, get dressed." Franco passed a small bundle of clothes into the home and closed the door. He opened the package and pulled out a miniature version of the Ring Masters tux. Jackie smiled, and he felt the warm glow inside that happened every time he thought of the night ahead. Rapidly dressing and placing the top hat, he arrived at the door just as the Franco returned and opened the door.
"Good timing Jackie. Now lets go put on a show." Jackie stepped out and down the stairs. Stopping at the bottom, he looked up into the night sky, but the lights of the camp drowned out all the stars. It had been years since he had seen the stars.
Walking into the tent, Jackie the Chimp went to work.