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You asked (well pestered) so here it is a new series by one of PW's favourite writers. Logan Niadin. This is the first in a new series. Friday evenings in the Rego household was always happy, mainly because Richard would be excited about the weekend. This Friday was even better, the Christmas break, had started. His Mum and Dad watched him bolt down his food, and right on cue as he finished his last mouthful, ‘good evening Aunty, good evening Uncle’ said a little voice at the back door. ‘Come in Noel’ said Richard’s Mum.
‘Dad, said Richard, you haven’t forgotten, have you?’. ‘No I haven’t, I’m taking the both of you to Andersonpet tomorrow, ‘and’ prompted Richard. ‘and, said Richard’s Dad, looking tellingly at his wife, I’m going to let you hire cycles for the weekend’. Yeaaah! Said both the boys.
The next morning, Richard awoke, bright and early, really early; six o’clock to be precise, that for a Saturday was really trying it on. He knew better, not to chance his luck, trying to wake up his Dad, and went to the window to watch the mist lift as the sun rose between Oolugamadi hills.
Andersonpet was only a 20 min walk away and as they came to the maidan that bordered the town, Richard and Noel were excited to see that the mini travelling circus was in town. ‘Dad, dad can we go and watch the circus?, please!’ said Richard. ‘What about your cycles? He asked with a smile on his face. ‘We’ll get them later’ said Noel, and off they ran to join the crowd around the performers.
These travelling shows came into KGF every three months or so. They were not actually Circuses but all of them had acrobats, a balancing act, animals, maybe a small honey bear or a monkey, sometimes a horse, snake charmers and all the rides of the fair. It was an open air show and always great fun. Anglo Indians used to call the people in this travelling show, Gypsies and were always a bit wary of them. Anyway back to our young friends.
The next act up was a man doing a combination of pulties and cartwheels and somersaults. He came off the ground with a big leap in the air somersaulted twice and landed on his feet, the crowd clapped and whistled. Richard was strangely drawn to the man and noticed that when he smiled something seemed to flash in his mouth. He had very long curly hair, which was kept tidy with a red piece of cloth tied around his forehead, and a very trim moustache. Suddenly it came to him, he looked like a pirate in that movie, Crimson Pirate ‘Errol Flynn’! that’s it Errol Flynn. He looked up and saw that the man was introducing a small girl, dressed in shalwar kameez. Richard caught the last of it, in Hindi. ‘Meri beti ----Kunti.’ (My daughter Kunti)
He proceeded to do an astounding assortment of tricks with Kunti.
He threw her up in the air, and she landed feet first on his raised hands. Up again and she landed on his shoulders. Then she balanced upside down on his one hand, then on his head. The finale was dangerous. He held her by her ankle and her wrist and swung her round and around. Swooping high up and then low, inches from the ground, like a little rag doll. The crowd gasped and then clapped and whistled.
After she caught her breath, she came around with a little cloth bag to collect money. The boys had no money on them, but Noel pulled out of his pocket a handful of boiled sweets and gave it to the young girl Kunti. He was rewarded with a huge gap-toothed smile, which made him go all shy.
They picked up their half size cycles and rode back to Edgar’s block, and spent the rest of the day riding everywhere around the mine. There was a
stretch of tarmac from the entrance of the mine downhill to Creswell Paul’s.
(A store that sold everything.) The boys loved to go full speed down the hill, and laughed with excitement as they screeched to a halt at the bottom of the hill. On the way up they passed ‘chinaman John’ the hawker. He sold fine material, like silks and satins, and hand painted cushion covers, which he carried in a big box strapped to the back of his cycle. They raced home to tell their respective mothers the news. All the mums seemed to get very excited when chinaman John came to town.
Sunday the boys spent showing off their riding skills to anybody, who would watch. Mounting the cycle like men, no hands, attaching a cigarette packet to the fork holding the back wheel, so that when they rode the bike it made a helluva racket.
Soon it was time to return the cycles. On the maidan there was no sign of the circus, but there was a crowd watching something. Noel’s dad who came with them said it was ok to go and see what was happening. They pushed in to the front and saw ‘Errol Flynn’. This time he had a monkey on his shoulder. There was something about the man that at once fascinated and frightened Richard. He couldn’t take his eyes off him. Noel said, ‘I wonder where Kunti is?’. ‘Who is Kunti?’ asked Richard absentmindedly. ’You know, the girl who did all those bendy tricks’. Richard looked at him blankly. ‘Kunti, The young girl I gave my sweets to’. Said Noel, a bit impatiently. ’Oh yes, said Richard, still watching Errol Flynn, who was now getting the monkey to do some tricks. The man was saying something as he walked around the circle of people, with the monkey showing its teeth to everyone. Again it sounded like Hindi.
‘Aaya Aaya Bunderrwala’,(the monkey man is coming) and as he passed the boys he looked straight at Richard and said, in a low threatening voice.
‘Aaya Aaya Bunderrwala!.’ Noel was unmoved, but Richard got up and quickly went and stood next to Noel’s Dad. He didn’t like that man one bit!. That night sleep came quickly for the two cyclists and while Noel was dreaming of buying sweets for Kunti, at Creswell Paul’s, Richard dreamed he was standing back to back with the real Errol Flynn on a ship, sword fencing a whole gang of grinning monkeys.
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Funny Incident.
Written by ernest on 2008-02-24 02:53:02
Hi Raoul, Thanks for the comment. But you just cant mention a funny incident and then not tell us. Please share. Ernie | Nice
Written by Raoul on 2008-02-23 21:43:40
Hey Ernie,
Superb man , very well done. Conjures up some pretty vivd images in my mind. Nicely written , Yeah those street performers were incredible especially those little girls.India would do very well to harvest and develop their talent , who knows we may have a gymnastic's medalist somewhere in there. These street performers also bring to mind a very funny incident that happened many years back in my hometown of St.Thomas Mount. Pat Suares wherever you are RIP. Thanks Ernie , keep them coming. | WWJDD
Written by conradical on 2008-02-21 11:47:49
WWJDD - what would Johnny Depp Do. I think i'll buy charlotte a bracelet that says that...  | Very nice!
Written by domestic engineer on 2008-02-21 06:23:31
A fun begining!
Errol Flynn the olden days hollywood hottie like our modern day Johnny Depp hottie! | Hi
Written by delicep on 2008-02-20 20:17:20
Welcome back with your enthralling stories, which makes reading enjoyable.
Can’t wait for your next chapter.
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