Wednesday 15 June 2016

Circle Lives: Paddington

Another story in the series. I have not edited any of these for a while and trying not to or I won't publish a thing! I am a bit picky and keep changing things!
Photo by Andrew on Flickr

The Little Magic House of Horrors
Although it was a cold November night, the streets around Paddington Green were crowded. People wearing winter coats and striped scarves, little children who puffed and deflated their cheeks pretending to smoke invisible cigarettes and dogs trotting along, sharing the general excitement, were converging towards the park entrance. At the gate, a man was playing with fluorescent strings to rouse children's desires. Adults who fished coins out of their pockets brought happy smiles to small faces.
Duncan was walking on his own, his cold hands thrust into the pockets of a bright yellow anorak. He had left his room through the window, walking down the fire escape metal staircase. Alison believed him to be in bed. To fool her, he had put two cushions under the duvet, in case she checked his room.
He cheered up at the thought of the coins he had entrusted to a small zip pocket at the back of his trousers. He had been saving his pocket money for weeks. But his parents were at a dinner party.
"Duncan, I am sorry we cannot take you to see the fireworks tonight. We are not going out for fun, it's a business function. You're a clever boy and I am sure you understand. Your father bought some fire-crackers," his mother had said hugging him.
"We'll bang them tomorrow," promised his father smiling down at him.
Duncan had smiled back, but he didn't understand why he had to spend the evening with the horrible Alison. She had arrived with a giant bag of chips and her TV magazine. Duncan, who didn't want to be defeated, had asked her nicely to accompany him to the park.
The horrible Alison had shaken her frizzy head and glared at him. "Little boys go to bed early. Besides, there's an interesting movie I want to see. Your parents don't even have a video," she had said in an accusing tone. Alison was fond of smoochie movies. She was a fat, ugly and vicious girl and Duncan was sure nobody would ever kiss her.
Duncan had shrugged. "All right, it doesn't matter. I will finish my book and then I'll go to bed."
"Yes, go to bed, darling," Alison had replied from the couch. Her jaws were busy munching crisps and little crumbs were stuck around her big wet mouth. She turned back towards the television screen and fingered the remote control to turn up the volume. Duncan walked to her side and looked at her absorbed expression. Her eyes were very round. He had seen the same expression on a man hypnotised by a magician. The magician had made the man do silly things, Duncan would have liked to have that power. He glanced at the screen. It was one of those smoochie scene and Allison was licking her lips. Her fat tongue looked liked a chewed burger.
All was not lost, he thought while walking to his room. Alison would not move from the couch for at least two hours. He had checked the time in her TV magazine while she was taking her coat off. He put on his anorak, dropped some coins in the zip pocket of his trousers, inserted his torch in one of the anorak's big pockets and wrapped a scarf around his neck.
He climbed on his desk and unlocked the window. There was a small gap between the sill and the fire escape staircase. Duncan walked down the metal steps trying not to make much noise. In the courtyard, he opened the small gate and joined a group of people who was walking towards the park. He checked his Mickey-mouse watch, the fireworks were going to start in fifteen minutes. He rushed along, only stopping to pat a friendly dog.
At the park gate he saw the man selling fluorescent strings. The thin tubes were attractive to look at in the dark, but Duncan knew they didn't last long. He had been deceived more than once in the past. Their coloured beams were appealing, though. He tightened his right hand into a fist. "No," he muttered under his breath. "Resist." He breathed harder. "Resist, resist." He turned his head away and walked past the man. He knew that there would be a fair and he wanted to spend his money on rides and candy.
When he arrived at the big clearing, where he played football with his father on Sundays, he stopped. There were many people already and more were coming. Some children were exploding crackers and holding sparklers. Their flames sizzled in the dark, oscillating when shaken. Duncan looked at the two women who were selling them and had to repeat his spell: resist, resist.
Soon the fireworks exploded in the dark sky. Lovely colours created patterns in the night and when they died small clouds of smoke littered the sky. Birds made frightened noises, flying from tree to tree, dogs barked. A small child near him started crying and his parents had to drag him away. Duncan wished storms were as pleasant to look at, lightning only came in one colour and was much more frightening.
Boom, bang, bang, boom; red, blue, yellow, green, purple... flowers, fountains, stars... Duncan stared at the sky, his mouth slightly opened. The previous year's fireworks were not comparable to this display. Quickly, he glanced at the watch and was relieved to find out that he had still a lot of time.
The crowd applauded, thinking the show was over. Suddenly, four Catherine wheels threw sparks of light in the sky, spinning in a mad dance. Then the frame of two big animals lit up. Two dinosaurs started to fight ejecting flames from their gigantic mouths. Children and adult cheered at the unexpected treat. Then all lights went off and a voice through the loudspeakers declared the end of the show. The crowd applauded. Duncan clapped his hands until they hurt. Dinosaurs were his favourite animals.
The crowd started to disperse. Some people walked towards the exit, others directed their steps towards the lights and music of the fairground, surrounded by tall dark trees. Duncan walked in that direction, attracted by the sweet smell of candyfloss.
A merry-go-round with wooden animals was whirling to the sound of gay tunes, dodgem cars were clashing against each other under fairy lights, blue, pink and yellow teacups were spinning around a giant white teapot. A gloomy house with skeletons and huge spiders painted on the front stood in an ill-lit corner, its little cars waiting for passengers. A yellow light illuminated the words "Magic House of Horrors". Duncan shivered and then laughed. He had been in one of those before: fake spider webs brushing your face, water jets and some not very scary scenes badly painted on the walls. His mother had screamed when a jet of water had taken her by surprise. But this house also claimed to be magic. It could only be a trick to attract more customers.
Duncan walked to the stalls. There was a "sweet chariot", a "shoot-and-win-a-prize", a "lucky dip" and the usual pyramid of prizes swinging from the stalls' roof. He bought a bag of tricolour candyfloss and approached the lucky dip stall. He read the "Everybody is a Winner" sign painted in gold letters, inserted his hand in the big glass bowl and held his breath. The woman behind the counter smiled and gave him a lollipop. Duncan looked at the green sticky candy with distaste and the woman took it back, turning to serve another customer.
Duncan was about to utter a complaint when the woman turned towards him and said in a harsh voice: "Another try? No? Off you go then, back to your parents." Duncan left hastily. He was still looking around nervously to see if anybody had spotted him going around on his own, when a squeaky voice made him jump.
"Hello young man, fancy a ride?" Duncan turned around and faced a boy just a few inches taller than him. He noticed that the stranger's hair was white and his face wrinkly. Duncan had never seen a dwarf, but he remembered the little creatures that live in forests in fairy tales.
"Are you an elf?" he asked.
The stranger's body shook with laughter and his piggy eyes filled with tears. But he soon regained his composure. "I see you are a special boy, a boy with imagination," he muttered to himself and rubbed his small hands. Then he added in a louder tone: "I like you boy, do you want a free ride at the Little House of Horrors?"
"I don't know," replied Duncan, remembering his parents' warning not to take anything from strangers.
"I can see you are tempted," said the dwarf and jumped in the air clicking his heels.
"How can you guess what I think?" asked Duncan suspiciously.
"I have my ways, boy. I have my funny, little ways to know what I want," the dwarf sang in a squeakier voice. "Aren't you worried I might offer the ride to someone else?" he asked coming nearer.
Duncan scratched his head as he did when he couldn't make his mind up. If he saved the money on this ride, he could buy more sweets, maybe a candy apple or liquorice strings to bring home. There were many people around, the little man couldn't trick him.
"All right," he said and took the ticket the dwarf was offering.
"Good boy, come along, this way," he said, galloping ahead towards the dimly lit corner where the ride stood. He stopped by the youth who was collecting the tickets from the small cars and announced: "There I am, to claim my free ride with my friend, that boy there."
"There is a queue here," said a woman indignantly.
"I am sorry madam," apologised the dwarf. He took off his cap and bowed to the woman who was holding a little girl firmly by her side.
"Let them go first, I don't mind waiting," said the little girl in a frightened voice.
"You do mind, Elsie, don't be coy, you'll enjoy it," replied the woman viciously.
When the woman turned to look at him, Duncan recognised her. It was Susan, his schoolmate Ronald's old babysitter. Ronald called her Susan the witch and she looked like one with her nose shaped like a hook and the big mole above her upper lip where dark hairs grew thick and shiny.
Ronald had pulled one of the hairs with his mother's tweezers while Susan was sleeping and she had made such a big fuss with his parents that they had to replace her. Ronald kept the hair in a match box and charged two pence to look at it and three to touch it.
"Don't you want to see a ghostie, dear?" Susan asked Elsie. "They come cheap at 50p a go."
"I want to go on the other ride with the cups and saucers," replied Elsie.
"You ungrateful brat, I take you at the fair and you can't stop whining all the time. One more ride and off we go to beddy-bye," replied Susan, twisting Elsie's hand.
"Oh dear, oh dear," whispered the dwarf in Duncan' ear. "That's not the way to treat a child," he added louder.
"Do you have a problem, shortie?" asked Susan. She approached the dwarf and knocked off his cap.
"Respect, off with your hat in front of a lady," she bellowed and laughed viciously.
The dwarf picked up his cap and brushed it to remove a mud stain.
"Oh dear me, this won't do," he muttered. "It's hardly lady-like behaviour, don't you think, boy?" he asked Duncan.
Duncan nodded. He didn't dare to be heard by Susan the witch, not even for a free ride. She had big arms like tree trunks and Ronald had told him she could detach the head of a child just by slapping his face.
"Lost your tongue?" asked the dwarf.
Susan pushed Elsie into a car. The dwarf and Duncan stepped into the one behind. The youth collected their tickets and the door of the house opened to swallow them in the darkness. Duncan could hear Susan laughing at Elsie's screams of fear.
"Please, take me out, I am afraid of the dark," pleaded Elsie.
"Ghostie, ghostie, where are you?" shouted Susan.
"That woman is horrible," whispered Duncan to the dwarf. The cars were slowing down and at every turning a red light illuminated a scary scene that made Elsie scream louder. Susan's big laughs echoed in the confined space.
"Ghostie, ghostie," she called.
All of a sudden the laughs stopped and Susan started to scream: "What's this, help, help, this isn't funny, help, help!"
"That's more like it," said the dwarf.
"What's happening to Susan?" asked Duncan.
"Help, help, something is touching my leg, help," shouted Susan.
"I don't hear Elsie's voice," said Duncan, concerned.
The cars speeded up and reached the exit gates. When the car emerged into the lights and sounds of the funfair, Duncan noticed that Susan's hair had turned white. She looked frightened and little Elsie was crying.
"Have you seen a ghost?" asked the dwarf mockingly.
"You mind your business," snapped Susan. "I think it's time to go home, dear," she said in a kinder tone to Elsie. They stepped out of the car and disappeared in the crowd.
Duncan was about to follow them, but the dwarf stopped him. "Don't leave yet, I have a couple of free rides left."
"What happened to Susan?" asked Duncan. "She sounded like she saw something inside, I thought it was all poppycock," continued Duncan, using his mother's favourite expression.
"Boy, don't let grown-ups tell you what to believe," warned the dwarf. "Think with your own head and heart."
"So she has seen something," said Duncan and wondered if it was a real ghost.
"Everybody gets what they deserve," remarked the dwarf.
"It's not always true. I have been good this week, but my parents didn't have the time to take me to see the fireworks."
"But you got here, somehow. Won't your parents get worried if they discovered you are not in your bed?"
"Yes, they would, but I'll go back on time before anybody will notice."
"Except your conscience," concluded the dwarf. "Call me a funny man, but I like to collect bad consciences. Should I add yours to my collection?," he asked.
Duncan thought about what had happened to Susan and got scared. "No, please, I will be good forever," he pleaded.
The dwarf's eyes shone and he rubbed his hands. "That's what I want to hear. Fancy another free ride?" he asked juggling three imaginary balls.
Duncan looked at his Mickey Mouse watch. "No, thank you, I'd better go home, it's getting late."
"Good, good, I have still plenty to do," said the dwarf mysteriously. "I guess I am through with you. Remember to be good," he said and stepped out of the car. Duncan followed his example and joined the families who were leaving the park. He walked home thinking about what had happened that night. He climbed the metal staircase and entered his bedroom. He locked the window, took his clothes off and wore his pyjama.
Duncan crept outside his bedroom to see what Alison was up to. The TV was still on and a woman was reading the news. The couch was empty. He tiptoed to the kitchen to see if Alison was stocking up on food. The light was on, but the room was empty. He checked the bathroom, nobody there either. Puzzled, he walked to the couch. A glass jar was propped up by a cushion. Inside a frog was walking up and down a red plastic ladder making gurgling noises.
Duncan couldn't believe his eyes. He picked up the glass and peered in. On the bottom laid a doll-size coat and a bag. Duncan recognised Alison's possessions. On the lid a label said: For Duncan, keep for two weeks, then let it go outside.
Duncan switched off the TV. The frog jumped up and down making gurgling noises. He switched all the lights off and carried the jar to his room. In bed, he heard the front door open and his parents coming in. He crept behind the door to listen to what they were saying.
"Honestly, John, it's the last time I call her. Look at the mess, besides, where is she? I told her to wait until I got back," said his mother wearily. "She has taken the money I left her on the table, though. We'll find somebody else. I am going to see if Duncan is all right."
"Do you want a glass of water?" asked his father.
"Yes, and alka seltzer, please."
Duncan run to his bed and pretended to be asleep. The door opened and closed noiselessly. He tiptoed to the door and heard his mother say: "He's all right. Let's go to bed, I am worn out."



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