A Tale of Two Carnies

6 - Jason's Audition

Later that day we pulled into the Smyrna, Delaware carnival grounds. I helped Cozbi return her sketches to the chest and clean up. When the trailer came to a full stop, I snuck out. The troupe wouldn't set up the tent and stands until Monday and the carnival wouldn't start until Tuesday. Today, Sunday, was a down day. Cozbi thought it would be best for me to meet Mr. Green that day since he wouldn't be too busy. She told me to look for the green and white two-tone trailer, the only one like it in the troupe.

My soaked clothes had dried during the trip, but my sneakers still squished when I walked.

A few trailers away from Cozbi's, one of the carnies seemed to be having trouble with the leveling jack at the front of his yellow trailer. He kept cranking the handle, but it wouldn't rise.

When he kicked at the thing and started cursing, I decided to see if I could help. I walked up to him and said, "It's either low on hydraulic fluid or you have a busted seal."

He eyed me. "Who the hell are you?" It was my first contact with Marlin Cleveland. He was big and muscular and a bit scary.

"I'm from town." He didn't need to know from which town. Bending over to inspect the jack I asked him if he had a screwdriver.

He grunted and walked away, returned with a tool kit. I removed the screw covering the port to the fluid reservoir. Sticking my finger in the reservoir I discovered it to be bone dry. "Bad seal. Your fluid all leaked out."

He looked at his unleveled trailer and cursed. "Can you fix it?"

"I can take it apart. You'll need to go to a parts store for a replacement seal and new fluid. I'll go with you to make sure the parts match."

Without waiting for his permission, I began disassembling the jack. In the fifteen minutes it took me to tear it down, a crowd gathered around wondering what was going on. Glancing up, I saw Cozbi watching me and wearing a big grin. An olive-skinned man with black hair stood beside her. Was that her dad?

One of the men laid a hand on Marlin's shoulder. "I see you found yourself a mechanic."

"More like he found me."

I inspected the seal and hooted. "Good news! I was wrong. The seal is intact. It just came unseated." I popped it back into place. "After I get it back together, all you need is to add new hydraulic fluid and the jack should be good as new."

The man who laid his hand on Marlin's shoulder bent to get eye level with me. "What's your name, son?"

"Jason Muir. I'm looking for Mr. Marcus Green."

The man wore a bemused expression. "Is that so?"

Cozbi coughed. I looked at her. She held a hand against her belly where only I could see it. Her finger pointed at the man.

"You're Mr. Green?"

He stood. "When you finish with Mr. Cleveland's jack, come see me at my trailer. We'll talk."

Cozbi and her father hung around with Marlin Cleveland while I reassembled the jack.

When done, I stood with Cozbi and mumbled, "Keep your fingers crossed for me."

Her father overheard me. He looked at his daughter. "Do you two know each other?"

"Jacey is my new friend."

My jaw dropped. Would she now spill everything to her father?

"I mean new as in starting right now," she said trying to recover from her blunder.

"Jacey," her father said. "How can you know this boy's name if you just met him?

She cringed and blushed a pretty pink. She said nothing.