The Un-named Circus

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Oomph! I pulled my suit case off of the conveyor belt and set it down. I heaved up the heavy duffel and walked towards the bench where the impatient social services lady stood. The bony woman had pointed features and cruel dark eyes; I could describe her in one word… grey. Grey clothes, grey hair, even grey skin; we sat waiting for my Aunt Lea, who was going to be my new guardian now that my parents had died.

It wasn’t long before a tanned, dark-haired, young woman strode towards us. She was a petite lady but she had good muscle tone. “Hello!’’ she greeted us. ‘’Are you Daniel Jay?’’ she asked me.

I was about to answer when the ‘grey lady’ interrupted. “And who are you?’’ she demanded.

‘I’m Lea Jay, Daniel’s Aunt,’’ she informed as she produced a bundle of papers. The ‘grey lady’ looked over them briefly, signed them, and handed them back to Aunt Lea.

“He’s all yours!’’ the grey lady’ was delighted with the exchange and walked away hastily.

‘’Alright,’’ said Aunt Lea calmly. ‘’Let’s go.’’ She led me to a massive jeep and we drove the short distance into the city of Jerusalem. We parked outside an apartment building and climbed the fire escape to the top floor. There, Aunt Lea opened the door and we entered into a room which looked like a museum.

The entire apartment was filled with tapestries, statues, and paintings. ‘’You don’t say much, do you?’’ she asked.

I responded with what I taught was a joke, ‘’my parents told me not to talk to strangers’’. Aunt Lea turned around, she actually looked offended.

“I’ll make dinner,’’ she replied. ‘’Your room’s down the hall.’’ Then, she turned away navigating through a maze of stuff. I went to the room at the end of the hall; I opened the door and stepped into a room a little larger than a closet. I set my suit case on the dresser and flopped on the bed. I put in my ear buds and listened to music while waiting for dinner.

I jumped at a knock on the door, Aunt Lea entered the room. “Dinner’s ready,” she stated. I got up and followed her down the hall and to the other side of the foyer. She pulled back a curtain and we walked up a stair case I hadn’t seen earlier. We entered a roof top dining room with a kitchen under a big red awning.

We sat down at the table covered with odd food. I took a little bit of everything. I tried some and almost gagged on the first bite, it was as salty as the sea and as dry as the desert. “What is this?!’’ I exclaimed with confusion.

“Smoked goats meat, lightly salted,” she replied.

“It’s disgusting!’’

“Sorry I tried to prepare a healthy, tasty meal and you hate it!” sobbed Aunt Lea. “I know you don’t want to stay with a stranger, in a strange country, with strange food,” She was almost to tears now. At first I felt sorry for her then angry that she could be so sensitive, even worse she had said exactly what I was thinking.

“Wow!” I exclaimed impatiently. “You don’t have to cry,” as soon as I said it I wished I hadn’t. Aunt Lea stopped crying and looked up. Something changed in my Aunt’s composure. The hunter (me) had just become the hunted, as they say.

“Very well.” she said stiffly, standing from her chair. “As your official guardian, I order you to go to bed.”

“What!” I challenged, all sympathy gone.

“You heard me!” she stated coldly.

I stopped arguing, “I hate you!” I screamed, and then I ran down the stairs. I ran through the main room. I passed the hall. Without thinking, I threw open the front door, I clanged down the fire escape and ran down the street. In the distance, I heard a young women calling for Daniel.