Life's Cruel Joke

Haly's Circus.

I remember as a little girl going to the circus with my dad. The tents huge and striped white and red. The towered over everything. The biggest was the main tent that housed the headlining show. Other tents of smaller sizes sat next to it. The tents contained the side shows. I recall all of this as if it were yesterday. Going into the main tent, crossing the thresh hold. The dimly lighten tent coming to life as soon as I step foot inside. My dad and I sat near the front so that I could see better. Being only five or six at the time didn't help with my height. Since we were so close I hoped that I would be picked to help in the magic show. I had always loved magic, from the simplest of card tricks to the cutting a woman in half, everything about it fascinated me.

The show began with the ring master coming out and welcoming us all to the show. There was a spot light solely on him. He wore a red over coat and had a stereotypical top hat on. "Ladies and Gentleman I would like to welcome you to Haly's Circus. Please enjoy the show!" The ring master threw up his hands and the lights went off. It was pitch black dark for all of two seconds. When the lights came back on there were clowns everywhere.They started to run around and make noise. I didn't like clowns they scared me, but as along as they didn't get near me I was fine. I clung to my dad hiding my head behind him. A hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me out from behind my dad. It was a clown with a red hair and white make up. I screamed to the top of my lungs and ran out of the tent. I didn't know where I was going I ran threw the circus until my legs got tired. I didn't want to return to the circus until I knew the clowns were gone so I found somewhere to sit. I hated clowns they were creepy and weren't normal. I couldn't help but cry. I wanted my dad and now I was lost in the circus. I covered my eyes trying to stop crying. I heard footsteps approaching, so I looked up hoping my dad had found me, but instead of my dad a young red headed boy stood in front of me. He looked about one to two years older than me. His face was pale and he was taller for his age.

"What are you crying about?" He asked me.

"I-I can't find my dad. I'm lost." I couldn't speak because I was still catching my breath from all the tears that had just fallen.

"You shouldn't cry. Losing isn't all that bad, but winning is so much better. Plus without your dad you're free." There was something off about this boy. I couldn't put my finger on it. He made me want to run away, but I couldn't stop starring at his eyes. They kept me locked in his stare. At that moment I didn't care what would happen.

"-ce! Alice!" I heard my dad calling out my name. I snapped out of my trance and ran off in the direction of his voice.

"Daddy! Where are you?" I looked around until I found him.

"Alice,honey, there you are. I was worried sick. Don't ever run off like that again!." My dad hugged me close and then carried me back to the main tent so that we could finish the show.

Those were my fondest memories that I have with my dad. Unfortunately he died a few years after that. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit the car. I was in the back seat. My dad and I were sent flying I hit my head rather hard, but his neck snapped. I was only ten when it happened. I didn't have my mother to go back to she is a drunk and lost custody of me when she and my father divorced. The court wouldn't let her take me when my dad died. Without my mother or my father I was force into the system. I was there up until a few days ago. I turned seventeen and they let me out. I was no longer a foster kid. I worked enough to afford a extremely small apartment some where in the city. It wasn't located in the best part of town, but at least it had a roof and running water.

I worked as a waitress at a local diner. I got really good tips because I was one of two female waitress in the joint. I have had my ass pinched and number have been given to me by the dozens. I hated it there.

One day my friend, the other female waitress whose name is Betty, gave me tickets for a show that was in town. She said that her and herhusband couldn't go because he got called in for work and wanted to see if I wanted the tickets. She said that they weren't anything special, it was for a small circus that was in town and the tickets were cheep. I gave her twenty dollars for them. I hadn't gone to a circus since that day with my dad. I thought to myself that I might as well go and see one. I gave her the money and I took the tickets.There were two of them. So I went to my fathers grave a placed the second one on the stone, hoping he would be there in spirit. As I looked at the ticket something caught my eye. The name that was written across the top was Haly's Circus.