1959

[fiery_ring]

It's dark when Carlotta emerges with Teja and Egil. The audience are making their way home, and the circus folk are winding down for the night.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"It smells of horses," Egil whispers as the step through the door. "And hay, and sweets."

[fiery_ring]

"It does." Carlotta smiles. "But if we go deeper, it should smell of kippers."

[ostro_goth]

"What is kippers?" Egil asks.

[fiery_ring]

"Fish." Carlotta says. "We fry them."

[ostro_goth]

"All the time?" Egil asks. "Like we eat bread?"

[fiery_ring]

"Not quite - but after a sell-out show, we fry them to celebrate." Carlotta says.

"Matta? Bobbie used my toothbrush." a blonde girl with wavy hair appears from one of the caravans. "I keep telling him it's horrible and..."

She stops, seeing the visitors.

"... Teja?"

[ostro_goth]

"The very same," Teja says, looking at her. "And what would your name be, young lady?"

"I am Egil!"

[fiery_ring]

"Molly Brown." the girl says. "Do you remember me?"

[ostro_goth]

"I do," Teja says, "but you were smaller."

[fiery_ring]

"Yes, or perhaps you were taller." Molly says, with a cheeky sparkle in her eye.

[ostro_goth]

"No," Teja says, smiling at her, "my axe was the same length, in relation to myself. "

[fiery_ring]

A boy of about eight appears, still dressed as a clown.

"Bobbie, I thought I sent you for a bath?" Carlotta says.

"I had it." Bobbie says.

"You still have all your clown make up on." Carlotta points out. "Don't tell untruths."

[ostro_goth]

"He could have put it back on!" Egil argues in favour of the other child.

[fiery_ring]

"In that case, you're in trouble for wasting greasepaint." Carlotta points out.

[ostro_goth]

"Less worse," Egil points out in return.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta sends Bobbie off for another wash.

"Are you a handful?" she asks Egil, with a cheeky grin.

[ostro_goth]

"No, four paws full, even!" Egil grins.

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta laughs and ruffles his hair.

"Has much happened in the bar?" she asks Teja. "Is Demeter still around?"

[ostro_goth]

"She is but rarely," Teja says. "And we see her even less often."

[fiery_ring]

"That's a shame." Carlotta says.

She considers, as she watches her two children going to get ready for bed.

"I think the bar tends to do that with people who have been coming a while. It's like we have our turn to be helped and then it's someone else's. I wonder why it has picked me up again now."

[ostro_goth]

'Maybe you need us again," Teja muses. "Or we, you."

[fiery_ring]

"Maybe. It would have made more sense if it had picked up Molly." Carlotta says. "She's just a few years younger than I was."

[ostro_goth]

"We never worked out why it brings some people, and not others," Teja says. "At least we can all come here now."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta is quiet for a moment.

"I'm not sure I want Molly and Bobbie to have a door." she says. "Some of the things that happen in the bar are rather heavy. But I'm glad they can see you, again."

[ostro_goth]

"You dealt with the heavy stuff just fine," Teja points out.