A Tale of Two Carnies

4 - The Hideout

Cozbi and I made a decent team the rest of the evening selling her sketches. As it got late and the crowd thinned, I began to worry about where I'd be able to hide out for the night.

A man I recognized as the operator of the sausage stand approached. Later, I would come to know him as Donnie Strahan. "Cozbi, your father is busy settling accounts with the fire company. He wanted me to tell you to pack it in for tonight. He'll meet you back at your trailer."

I helped her gather the sketches from the table and load them into cardboard boxes. We folded the table legs. I looked for a storage nook. "Should we carry it somewhere?"

"Lean it against the side of the tent. The crew will come get it when we tear down the canvas tomorrow morning."

We each picked up a box of sketches. "Where are we going?"

"The sketches go into the trailer where I live with my dad."

"You think I'll be able to talk with your dad tonight?"

"Probably not. He and some of the other carnies usually go find a tavern on closing night. He won't be back until late."

"What about your mom?"

Cozbi stopped walking. "She died."

"Oh, I'm sorry. My mom died too. I'm all alone now."

She gave me a long, hard look but said nothing. She readjusted the grip on the box she carried and started toward the row of trailers.

"I can carry it for you if it's too heavy."

"No thanks, I can make it. That's my trailer." She nodded with her head.

When we got there, she set down her box to open the door. "Wait here." She carried her box inside, returned a moment later, and motioned for me to hand over the box I carried.

"I'll carry it in for you."

She shook her head. "You're a boy." She had instincts. Either that, or her father had schooled her. Don't allow boys to get you alone in the trailer. Boys could be dangerous. Especially townies who might take advantage and then disappear when the carnival pulled away in the morning.

"Right." I handed the box to her.

She disappeared inside, and I worried she might close the door. "Hey, Cozbi, wait."

She appeared and looked at me through the screen door.

"I, uh...is there any place I can go?"

"Yeah, home."

I sighed and looked at the ground. "I can't."

She looked at me for what felt like a long time. She came out from the trailer. "I know a place, but you can't tell anyone. Sometimes I hide there to get out of doing chores."

"It'll be our secret."

I recall feeling humbled, having to rely on the younger kid for help, being led around by her, and at her mercy. But I was desperate.

The sun had gone down, but there was enough twilight remaining so we could still see. Cozbi led me to where all the carnival vehicles were parked. She stopped at an old bus.

"I can sleep in the bus?"

"No, the passenger compartment is locked." She found a handle low on the side and pulled open a panel. "You can sleep in the luggage compartment, but if you're not gone early, you'll get caught. We store the tent and rigging in there after tear down."

"How can I find you in the morning?"

"I'll be around helping with the tear down. All the carnies have to help."

When she left, I pulled a water bottle from my backpack and used some of it to rinse after brushing my teeth. I climbed into the unwelcoming cavern under the bus and used the bottle as a wedge to keep the flap from closing completely. I didn't want to accidentally get locked in, and heeding Cozbi's warning about not getting caught, I wanted to be able to see the dawn.

I ate the Snickers bar I brought from my foster home. Using my backpack as a pillow I spent an uncomfortable night lying on the unyielding metal deck of that luggage compartment. It was hot and no air circulated.

After a fitful, anxious night, I woke to the sound of men talking. To my relief, they walked by the bus. I eased out of my hideout. It was raining and the wind had picked up. The dense cloud cover had fooled me into thinking it was still dark, but dawn had broken.

A man wearing a ball cap was barking orders, coordinating with the others in the tent tear down. He seemed worried about getting it stowed before the wind made it unmanageable for them to handle the enormous canvas.

I wondered if the man was Cozbi's father. It didn't seem like a good idea to bother him while he was all frantic. Later, I found out the man was Marcus Green.

The way people were running around, I figured I could just start helping and blend in with the others. As some of the stronger men on the crew pulled tent stakes from the ground, the women were gathering them and taking them to the bus. I joined in.

It worked! With the rain pelting us and making us miserable, everyone concentrated on doing their jobs as quickly as possible and didn't pay me any mind. I watched and pitched in where I could.

By mid-morning, things were winding down, but the rain and wind kept us soaked. I kept an eye out for Cozbi but never saw her. I recognized some faces of the carnies from the night before and kept my head down. I didn't want them to recognize me.

People began heading for their vehicles, and it looked like they were about to pull out. I thought about ducking into the luggage compartment again but knew that wasn't an option. It had been packed full of poles, stakes, and canvas. Some of the carnies were getting on the bus, but I wouldn't be able to do that.

I looked around in desperation for a hiding place. Not knowing what else to do, I made my way to the trailer where Cozbi lived with her father. I didn't know what I'd say other than to throw myself on the mercy of her dad.

Nobody answered the door even after repeated knocks. Figuring there was no turning back now, I opened the door and stuck in my head. "Hello?"

Nobody answered.

I checked to make sure nobody was looking and walked in. I made a new plan. I'd find a place to hide in the trailer until the carnival got to its next stop. Where though? I worried about the puddles of water streaming from my clothing until I noticed the floor was already wet. Cozbi and her dad had already come and gone.

Hiding in the bathroom would be no good. There was a closet, but it was too small. I found a cushion atop a blanket chest. Opening the lid, I found the box didn't hold blankets but rather Cozbi's sketches. If I removed them, it would make a place for me to crawl into. I pulled them out and got in. It would be cramped, and I would have to bend my knees to my chest, but it would work.

Two problems. How would I set the cushion back atop the chest once inside, and what about the sketches I had removed?

I had no time to puzzle out how to solve the problem, because at that moment the door opened and someone entered.

Easing the lid closed, I listened and hoped for a miracle.

What do you think will happen to Jason when he is caught?