A Place For Innocent Amusement

My mom and stepfather were arguing so loudly I just had to get out of the house. Apparently Mom had burned dinner or "Gerald" had been hiding gin under the sink again. I threw some snacks into my backpack, turned off my cellphone and was straight out the front door just before a "Where do you think you're going?" was yelled into my dust. There was a nearby alleyway to the side of our house I ducked off into, in case Mom or (ugh) "Gerald" came out after me. A few minutes passed and there was no action from the house. I guess they had more important things to argue about.

That battlefield wasn't nearing a ceasefire anytime soon, so I wandered further from home and towards the streetcar lines. The main strip was still bustling: a car zoomed by with the windows down and a bunch of dudes hollering at the night; a scene through the liquor store window where two underage kids were trying to negotiate with a clearly impatient cashier, and young couple pushing a stroller while their older child ran in front and smacked his palm against everything. A trio of girls in university sweaters walked past me and giggled. A group of boys in the same sweaters followed behind and eyed me suspiciously.

Action was happening all around, but I caught sight of something strange hidden within. Across the street was a strange yellow and red light, shining brightly through the trees of Kew Park. I hopped over the streetcar tracks, the curb, the garden sidewalk that just wouldn't grow, and headed deeper into the park. The source of it seemed to be around the bend where the baseball diamond was, so I crept behind the trees that hug the bleachers to get a peek without being seen.

Once I got a clear look, I couldn't believe what I saw. Striped tents of various colours were scattered across the ballfield, with all sorts of booths, games and attractions inbetween them. At the furthest edge of the fair in centerfield was a modest Ferris Wheel, yellow lit and spinning brightly against the background of dark trees. I entered the fair through the open dugout door and was amazed at both how noisy it was and yet how there was nobody here. The game booths were well maintained but unmanned, the small rides spinning constantly without supervision, and the show animals allowed to wander the grounds without consequence. I grabbed a baseball from the ground and threw it randomly at a row of bottles, knocking four of them over. A slight ringing sounded from behind me.

'Congratulations! You win the medium sized prize. Help yourself!'

A woman appeared, white haired in a hat, tall and proud looking despite holding a silver cane and being dressed in the same gaudy colours and stripes as the carnival.

'Who are you? What is this place?' I asked, like a generic protagonist.
'Why, I run the carnival of course! From the blue feathered duck brothers to Worchester's Wheel way back there. The most fun place in town!'
'Sure but, sorry I... I don't really have any money on me...' I said, fumbling through my empty pockets.
'Don't worry, kiddo. We've got you covered! Except for the food concessions, but you wouldn't want that stuff anyway...' She winked and handed me a stuffed owl toy. 'Don't forget your prize!'

She led me through the grounds for a while, mostly as an excuse for her to point out and explain the many dazzling attractions featured tonight. An expert trapeze monkey, a seven horned rhino, a cheeseburger from 1904 that still sizzled and smelled great, a diary from lost Atlantis, and a cannonball that could not be lifted by mortal man. One obvious question couldn't escape my mind, though, despite the tour.

'Where's everybody else? Like your staff? Or the other visitors?'

The carnival leader stopped and ran a finger slowly along the brim of her hat. 'Well, most of my staff have moved on, I'm sad to say. And I miss them. Now it's just me and the animals. We don't talk much, understandably.'

She began walking again to show off the other attractions, but I was unswept.

'But why am I the only one here?'
'Hmmm. Well my young, questioning friend, because you're the one who wants to be here.'

She spoke it like a line repeated countless thousands of times to countless others who maybe existed or maybe didn't, but still I felt the words directed at me personally. Something in the tone, the warmth, the welcoming acceptance. This was an escape, a safe space. My safe space. The mysteries of this place I could not explain, and that's not what I really wanted anyway.

I played the fairway games, marveled at the centenarian burger, petted the friendly blue feathered ducks, had a sporting conversation with the seven horned rhino and rode the giant wheel twice before the chilly wind from the lake told me of the late hour. I waved goodbye and closed the dugout door behind me. The sounds and colourful lights faded as I left and by the time I got back to the streetcar lines, any signs of the carnival were completely gone: the trees of the park dark once more. The air here on the street was warmer though than before and I took a longer way home, thankfully with a stuffed owl toy to keep me company.