Jess Waits for the Circus

Jess Waits for the Circus

Lying on the grassy knoll in his worn, blue overalls, Jess chewed on a piece of straw, passing the time by watching the clouds change shape. A distant sound sent him jumping to his feet, straining his eyes toward the road west of town. Aww. That's just Farmer Stubbs in his rattley ol' wagon. Looks like he's headed into town earlier than usual this week. From his hilltop lookout Jess's red head, bobbing up above the tall grass, easily gave away his location. When his mind wasn't straining to conjure up pictures of circus animals the school marm had described, he worried that his pa might discover his whereabouts and call him home for some unforgotten or recently added chore.

In Jess's opinion, his pa set an awful lot of store in finishing chores before having any fun. In fact, Jess wasn't sure he even knew what fun was for a ten-year-old boy. Between schooling and chores, he reckoned there was precious little time left for wading through the creek, looking for snakes and crickets, or climbing oak trees to spy on deer and raccoons and such. Of course, ever since word about the circus had reached the little settlement town of Serendipity, he had to admit that school was a little more interesting.

He loved the sound of Miss Riley's chair dragging across the planks in the floor. It was always followed by an announcement for all the students to promptly put away their things and sit on the rug near the window. The crisp, autumn breeze felt cool on his face as he watched with anticipation for her to ready herself and start reading. Miss Riley smiled at his rosy cheeks and wondered if the cool September wind was to blame, or if, perhaps, it was his excitement at seeing the book she had chosen to read.

Jess leaned forward to catch every word that was spoken, for Miss Riley read of animals that lived across the ocean in far-away places. He struggled to imagine jungles crowded with trees and animals and strange dark-skinned people. He longed to journey across the ocean and visit those places. He dreamed of nothing else but to travel around the world and see all of it for himself.

For now, though, he would have to be satisfied with the circus that was scheduled to pass through Serendipity any day now. Every afternoon he raced home from school to finish his chores as quickly as possible. Then, up the hill he went, to wait and watch for the circus wagons to roll by on their way into town.

"Seems like to me," Pa grumbled, "you got better things to do than watch for somethin' that's gonna come whether you're a-lookin' for it or not."

Ma said, in a softer tone, "A watched kettle never boils."

His gruff exterior, as Ma well knew, masked his own curiosity about the circus. A grown man, he had heard talk of strange creatures, but had never witnessed anything outside of the horses, cattle, and wild creatures surrounding Serendipity. Truth be told, he figured it all to be a lot of hogwash to rob folks of their hard-earned money. I guess we'll find out soon enough what all this talk's about, he thought to himself.

Serendipity grown considerably, though, as it rested on a well-travelled wagon trail leading west. He had once considered taking off himself, heading out west like so many he had met. He had land here, though, that had belonged to his father, and his grandfather before that. It was best to stay put and do what he knew best, farming and raising livestock. He was able to keep his family fed, and make enough selling produce and beef to make ends meet, most of the time.

Jess paid no heed to either comment about boiling pots or better things to do. What could be better than seeing a real live circus? He just had to be the first one to see the circus, and that was that! How can things just keep going on as usual when the circus is only days away! he thought. Billy Thornton, who lived on the farm closest by, was two years older than Jess, and often made Jess's life miserable with his mean tricks and constant taunting. He had been bragging for days that he would be the first to lay his keen eyes on the circus wagons. He may have good eyesight, but the wagons gotta come by my place first, and I ain't takin' no chances at missin' 'em!

Jess yearned to see all the wonders that lay outside his farm home and the town of Serendipity. He burned with eagerness to leave this dull life behind and explore all the unknown experiences he was sure awaited him down the road. He secretly dreamed of sailing on boats across the oceans his teacher had shown him on maps hung on the walls of the one-room schoolhouse.

He knew his father expected him to take over the farm when he got older, but Jess knew in his heart that he was a dreamer, not a farmer. He respectfully did his chores because, well, it was just expected of him. But when the time came, he was certain that this farm could not hold him back from the journeys he would one day travel. At night, his dreams were filled with these imaginations. During the day, his heart was filled with anticipation. That's why he knew for sure that he would eventually see more wonders than his pa and ma could imagine.

After several more days of faithfully manning his hilltop post, despite pouring rain on more than one occasion, his determination paid off. While he was watching the clouds fight a battle between the White man and the Injuns, he thought he heard something off in the distance. At first he just ignored it as another case of false hope. Then he heard a bellowing like he had never heard before. He jumped up, already knowing that this was it. He would finally see the trail of wagons which brought the circus right before his very own eyes.

He gazed, trying not to blink. He didn’t want to miss a second of this experience. There was so much to see even from the hilltop. It looked like a strange wagon train, with wagons that had words painted on them. In addition to the horses that normally accompanied wagon trains, though, there were strange creatures he had never before seen. His swift, bare feet carried him down the grassy hillside at lightning speed. Before he knew it, he was standing right up close to the wagons, animals, and strange people.

Some creatures were walking along side the wagons, with men, clad in clothing like he'd never seen, keeping them on course. Others, sounding quite ferocious, were inside cages, and he strained to see them. He felt all tingly inside as he watched the parade of oddities pass by.

Tall orange creatures with strange, long necks and small heads lumbered along, following the other animals. Huge gray, wrinkled things, he could not imagine a name for, had long snouts which would curl up and then down. They made a noise as large as they were. He wouldn't want to be on the sharp end of their huge "horns" either!

He was greeted by all sorts of men and ladies. Some were like the men he knew, but others were very different. There was a man as tall as a house, he thought. Next, he saw what he first thought was a child, but when Jess spoke to him, he responded in a voice much like his pa's, only higher pitched. The largest woman he had ever seen was riding in one of the wagons. One woman even had a beard! His excitement was running rampant. He didn’t know if he could stand much more

He wanted to see the sources of all the noises from inside the wagons, but was warned away by the men traveling along side the wagons. "You gotta wait just like all the other young-uns, Son. You'll see soon enough--if you got the money that is."

The travelers all encouraged him to pass the word around that they would be setting up as soon as they arrived in town, and that the circus would be opening up in just a few days, depending on the weather and how much help they got setting up. Jess happily agreed to spread the word. He could barely wait to go back and tell his parents. "Pa don't understand how important this is to me," he reckoned, "but I sure hope he don't change his mind 'bout lettin' me go."

He even mustered up hope that Pa would let him go into town and watch the circus being set up. Heck! He might even get to help! Wouldn't that just be fittin' for that braggart, Billy Thornton! He might have to get Ma off to the side, somehow, and ask her what she might could do to persuade Pa. She always stood up for Pa, but sometimes, she had this secret kind of way to soften Pa up when she thought it was the right thing to do.

It would be awfullly hard to sleep tonight, thinking about what was ahead.

Pat Nelson
Sept. 10, 2009