Caged

Chapter 2: Carnival

         Every year to celebrate the beginning of spring, the city of Montréal throws the biggest Carnival the province of Ontario has ever seen. The Carnival has everyone pouring in from around the country, and even people from the United States and other nations would come to celebrate in the festivities. The Carnival was an amusement park, circus, fair, water park, and market combined. The Carnival used be held in the area where the current Place des Arts building now stands.      

      The day we went to the Carnival; it was my second birthday, and what a special day it was. It was a beautiful, promising Saturday with a crystal, cloudless blue sky, and everyone and everything seemed more serene with the promise of a perfect tomorrow. It was the first time that I ever left the house with my family. Annaliese put me in a nice floral dress with a spring grass green headband with a magnolia on it. Annaliese was wearing a classic rose pink dress which made her sea green eyes sparkle and put me in the car with simple practice. Katherine drove without saying a word the entire trip while Annaliese spent the entire ride making me laugh, since I still couldn’t talk. Annaliese would ask me simple things like: “What is my name? or "What is her name?,” and I would just sit there with a confused look on my face by wrinkling my nose, then I opened my mouth trying to form a word, but nothing came.

       Once we got there, Annaliese picked me up and out of the car. As soon as my feet hit the ground, my sky blue eyes wandered over all the people and places at the Carnival. The people there were eating everything from hot dogs and churros to Chinese food and something that looked like a squid. The people were not what captivated me; it was a force stronger than gravity pulling me towards a yellow and blue striped big top circus tent. 

         All day, I was captivated solely by the magic originating there; it was as if they were calling me home. We walked around the Carnival grounds doing everything from riding in giant teacups to racing in bumper cars. Annaliese, even went out of her way to ride a pony with me. I loved that she tried to do all these wonderful things for me, but my mind was always diverted back to that tent. Finally, Katherine and Annaliese saw the Ferris wheel which gratefully contained the longest line in the Carnival for a single ride. Here was my one and maybe only chance to figure out what has been captivating all day, and I was going to find out.  I waited until my mom and sister were in line for the Ferris wheel, then when I was positive that their attention wasn’t on me; I followed the force.

     It was late, about twilight when I made the journey to the tent. A lot of people were heading to see the show, and because I was small no one noticed that I was by myself. I didn’t walk slowly like most babies my age; I ran like a dancer gracefully gliding to the tent as if a secret was hidden there, and it was imperative that I found out what it was. I walked in the tent, and noticed that the interior was set up like an arena with a stage, props, and hundreds of seats. I jumped for a while because I couldn’t find a seat, and then a woman called out to me and asked “Would you like to sit my lap to show the show, sweetie?”

       And I told her “Yes, please.” The first time I talked! It wasn't the voice of a year old, but the voice of a child who has been speaking for many years. She picked me up and I sat in her lap remotely still. The announcer started the show by greeting us in the same fashion as all circuses have been repeated throughout time. Then, as the lights went dim; I got a little nervous, and the woman reassured me that everything would be ok. And it turns out that it was alright. It was more than alright; the circus show was more spectacular than I could have ever hoped for, and ended all too soon.

       The lights came up, and the people departed, but I had nowhere to go. My mom and my sister didn’t know where I was, and I wouldn’t be able to find them in the dark. I looked around for them for a while thinking that they would’ve come looking for me, but they never did. I figured that I would just sit and finishing watching the crew deconstruct the stage for the night. They moved quickly and fluidly, never missing a beat. Then, one of the cast members caught my eye. She was the White Dancer in the show. She noticed that I was still sitting there looking at her, and whispered to her friend, and together; they were coming towards me wondering why I was sitting there waiting on them.