Reminiscences of a Spectacle

Reminiscences of a Spectacle

Jacob Jankowski pressed his wrinkled, scrawny fingers against the window before him, his deteriorating vision infatuated by the sight beyond the glass. His knobby knees shook superfluously, unable to withstand the uncontainable elation of such a scene. It had been too long since Jankowski had heard the jubilant sound of a marching band, the aroma of roasted peanuts, the billowing sounds of a menagerie, the tart taste of fresh lemonade. A tear streamed down his pallid cheek; vicious nostalgia enveloping his frail senses.
"It's time for your meds Mr. Jankowski" a mechanical, rigid human voice demanded from the speakers on the ceiling. Jankowski turned around, a meager movement which took a full minute to perform. Scraping his walker across the inhospitably rough carpet, an equally strenuous task, he eventually made it to the 'med desk'. A manicured hand shoved a small plastic cup full of kaleidoscopic tablets through a small gap between the surface of the counter and the tinted glass encasing the office. Jankowski stared at the glass, trying to penetrate through the barrier. Her eyes were the same colour as Marlene's; cornflower blue. He offered her a crease-ridden smile, which she didn't return.


"Ain't she the most beautiful thing you ever saw?" remarked Constantine, the ring leader of Mandeni's Travelling Circus. In all 17 years of his life, Jankowski hadn't agreed with anything more. Mandeni's best act, 'Marlene the Magnificent' hung from a single ribbon hanging from the highest point of the circus tent. Scantily clad in a red sequence leotard, her sumptuous, porcelain skin was exposed as she twisted her agile limbs in astonishing positions. Jankowski's jaw hung open.
After half an hour of watching the crowd grew restless, gradually emptying the stands and meandering towards another tent. Meanwhile Jankowski sat motionless, all attention towards the centre of the stage.
"You know you would be an ideal candidate for a peanut catchin' contest...just sit in the crowd and every time the patrons get restless you can just catch a peanut with your mouth. They love it. Marlene can throw it to you." He hadn't even noticed Constantine's presence.
"Me?" Jankowski remarked eagerly.
"Sure, I mean your jaw's been hangin' open the whole time. That's some strong muscles you got in that face of yours."
"When can I start sir?"