As I walked towards the huge tent, I caught sight of Uriah. I jogged over to him. "Uriah!"He turned towards me, "Ah! Kenna, dear! Sleep well, darlin'?"
I nodded.
"I expected you to sleep longer..." His scanned my clothes. "Oh! You changed! They look fabulous! I wasn't sure they would fit. I had to guess sizes."
I smiled. "Somehow you managed to get the perfect sizes. I'm not sure I could have found better clothes for myself. The only clothes I ever bought for myself were a tank top and a pair of gym shorts."
"Let me guess, you weren't allowed to wear them?" he asked.
I nodded.
He sighed, "So, I had a question for you."
"Yeah?"
"School."
"Oh. That." I shook my head. "I was 'homeschooled' but I don't think I have had much of an education."
"Well, we would have to figure out something. Since we travel so much I wouldn't be able to send you to a public school other than in the winter and fall months when we are off season. Some of the families that perform here, who raise their children in the circus, homeschool their kids. I guess you could say they are circus-schooled. They don't really use a curriculum per sé. It's more like they use experience to teach them. If you think about it, you've got physics in some of the acts, like acrobatics and the aero arts. Math in selling tickets and such. I suppose it's sort of a genius idea. I think the kids enjoy it too."
"Yeah. I guess so. But you don't even know what you're doing with me yet. I mean, I just got here and I haven't heard anything." I had my hopes but I Knew better than to expect anything from this man I just met.
Uriah smirked, "What are you talking about? I have some ideas."
I raised an eyebrow, "You do?"
"Yes. But you need to be patient with me, love. It's going to take some time. For now, have you ever had cotton candy?"
I shook my head.
He bounced on his toes excitedly. "Well! That is gonna change. Right now!"
*****
He led me towards the concession stand, grinning like a giddy little boy the whole way. I sniffed the air around me. It smelled of salty, buttery popcorn and something super sweet. There was a faint smell of the animals as well, but all together it was thrilling. We walked up to the stand and were greeted by an adorable black woman.
"Uriah! I haven't seen you yet today! I'm so glad you came to visit me! And who is this young beauty?" She had an enormous smile which made her cheeks form a perfectly round shape. Her teeth looked so white contrasted against her warm chocolate skin. Her curly black hair bounced as she spoke. Being around her made me happy.
Uriah laughed heartily. She made him happy too. Maybe more than happy? I thought.
"This is Kenna, she's joining us. But!" He exclaimed, sticking a finger in the air, "She has never had cotton candy!"
"Oh Honey! We need to get you some of heaven's clouds! Let me fix this problem!"
"Heaven's clouds?" I asked, confused."Cotton candy, candy floss: it has a couple names. But to me it tastes like what I imagine the clouds in Heaven to taste like!" she answered.
"You can't eat clouds," I responded, rolling my eyes.
She laughed. Finding her laugh endearing, I kind of just wanted to hug her. I hadn't had many hugs in my life, but she was exactly the kind of person I would want them from.
"You're right, of course, Honey. But if you could eat them... Well, let me just show you. Pink or blue?" she asked.
Uriah noted my confusion, "They don't taste any different. Pink is the traditional color, though. We just provide blue too because, as you can imagine, sometimes little eight year old boys aren't too happy about pink," he offered.
I turned back to the bubbly woman, "I'll take pink."
"Good choice," she said as she turned around to make it. I peeked at Uriah as she turned around. The corners of his lips were slightly turned up. His mustache was twitching. I grinned.
A few seconds more and I held a fluffy pink cloud on a stick. It sure looked wonderful. Both Uriah and the woman intently watched me as I took my first bite.
Oh my word. She was right. It was like a cloud. If you could eat clouds, it would be exactly like cotton candy, I was sure of it. The texture at first felt like I had licked a cotton ball, but then it melted into a sweet puddle in my mouth. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever tasted.
I realized I had unknowingly closed my eyes. I opened them to see my small audience grinning ridiculously. I can only imagine how I had looked. We all laughed.
Once our laughter ceased, I turned to thank the woman, but I had never caught her name. "Thank you, miss...?" I looked to her with one eyebrow raised.
"Oh! Yes! I'm so sorry! You can call me Char, Honey, it's short for Charlotte. Let me hug you!" She stepped down from the stand and only then did I realize she was about two inches shorter than me.
Compared to Uriah she was really small! They were quite the pair. Uriah: tall, slender, British. Char: short, round and African American. Very different from each other, but so perfect.
I found myself smothered in a big bear hug. It made me feel wonderful. I didn't realize hugs were so magical. It made me feel safe... and something else too. Did I feel loved? I'd never felt loved before. Was this what it felt like? I had missed out on fifteen years of feeling like this? I felt like crying again.
I laid my head on her shoulder and she held me as I cried. She didn't seem to mind. I needed a Char in my life.
YOU ARE READING
Running
Teen FictionKenna O'Hare lives with her overly conservative, abusive parents. She is not loved. No one cares about her. She wants out. But she doesn't know how to get out. When a circus comes to town she considers doing the cliche thing. Running away and joinin...