In a bright morning light of the Sun,
When a tend was raised in the ground, when a bus came there with essential equipment, animals and chairs and so many amusement, we never thought it a circus. Summers were daily, a as tonishments in the temple ground by which football matches were carried out. People gather together without galleries, an open place of enjoyment. But their daily training seemed tiring by which some waited under the trees, with water and simple for refreshment.
They with their nets and covering materials setup it a fine place. Ring master, the organizer, seemed always tensed about the circus. It is not easy job to built it a place most situatable for a circus, with chairs , galleries, a fine hall, a green room ,kitchen and bath.wild animals which are tamed should be kept specifically, seriously, special food for them, everything have to be managed. His wife and children, along with them were handling a prominent roles, Lights, waterfacilities and food facilities should be managed in a better way
After two weeks of their arrival, one day after, first show at 1.30pm saw the postman trying to enter inside. It was a registered letter, for ringmaster Difi, before asking and inviting him for circus, he suddenly like to depart. With that registered letter and with trempling lips he asked" shall I close the door, Are the seats filled completely ? I am going to close the token counter " Ram Supervisor cum actor of the circus Camp said " yea, everything is alright" but Defi sir,we have some probems regarding water. The vegetables and grains and meat for animals would finish with this night. "shall I bought It today itself or tomorrow morning ? From where do we get sufficient water ? A well is there near our camp but it is in the closed position using iron net. Some houses nearby are having well, Don't know they allow us to take water from it?"
The Ringmaster said " we have to find some pond or natural water facility here, for bath, for drinking water public well or tap ...at the utmost from houses nearby. We need vegetables grains, and fruits to store for emergency but better to get it from hotels daily "
In between their talk a man named steve came, as the practicing is going on in heights trapezium, it is harder for those practising without using sponges and nets he said
This made the Ring master angry" Who told you not to use these nets and sponges ?"We are not responsible for your stupidity and not like to spend money for that if any hazard occurs, so care should be taken while practicing"
clowns came in between well dressed to make the people laugh. Everyone said they were crying inside and laughing outside. To some extend It is true with their short stature, disability, different ability. But basic human nature is sadness. It has to be filled with good emotions, thoughts, understandings. Really it is pleasure for them to spend some hours smiling. They came and said about elephants" practicing is going on, but they are tired, football has fallen several times from their tusk,need some rest, some food"
They saw boys doing practice in throwing knife at the board after placing one of them in the middle. It is really dangereous but they manage it with correct timing. Difi, the ring master watch it with a little fear, such a stonehearted personality who is well versed in managing beast. Lion and Lioness in cages doesn't seem dangerous but behave like performers. Fire flowing from the mouth of a magician who is continously blowing it outside, simulteneously handling four or five bottle throwing it in the air and picking It one by one for continuing the cycle.
Placing the bottle in head and grouping and standing one above the other made girls a fashion, some of them climb above through ropes and move from one side to other of the camp all around throwing their head and hang themselves upside down. In the flash light of dispersion of rays with colours their dress glitter. Their make up seemed sometimes awkward and their dress gaudy. They move an iron ring from head downward but a midway and suddenly making it above through stumbling movements whereby their fatty body hesitate to lean.
Some swinging in heights which were tied above with many in number where the oscillating time became rhythmic such that they transfer from one to another, which is really hazardeous, by which a slight difference in It is capable of taking lives of the performer without precautions. Even ducks were moving through certain artificial construction making a surprise memory elevation and in finding glasses and attaining success through trials.
In between entered mary,Defi the ring master's wife engaged the beautifying the performers' and said " we need some more glittering clothes with colour combination as per lights and fountains sprays. She looked at him for getting his consent. while he lay looking the programme sheet busy by half mindedly making a quick look through the collection sheet, and said"Look at our programme on Sunday, morning is free for us to went out for purchasing"But really he wanted to wake him from his thoughts and he was seen looking to the farthest because of some disturbed thoughts. Something bothers you, she said "shall I know about it?". Just as waking himself from a sleep, he said "oh!, only one more month we will be here, after that it is the time for us to leave this place" she laughed hearing this,"It is not new to us, we are just like wanderers moving from place to place, but we are not being attached to any place, what makes you ponder in thoughts? Hearing this he nodded his head, " a group of wandering dogs are seen outside, which were trying to enter in, through the camp" he said. "There are some of his relatives who were at hospitals some weeks back but they all were recovered, starring his movement into the gallery , she thought
There were cyclist group standing above one by one moving without holding the handle bar and after that one reverting the front portion all around. They renewed and presented these old skills with passion.
Reccuring the days with incurring the shows four or five times a day, continously in front of bright flash lights,exposing the sharpened in-born skills through practice. In between are Two hundred people beautifying their face and performance along with animals at its utmost beasts. Among them there were families, father, mother, brothers and sisters, relatives, small childrens, friends, strangers and love of lovers.
The ground they camped was vast a ground by which it supports a summer circus. plenty of allied sales trafficking on the ground without well built shops enriched with handcraft materials and some amazing food items became crowded day by day.
one can see fragments of terror of fight along with joy which they included recently in the face of those from the circus Camp after each shows.
But there were perplexity and eagerness in the face and mind of those who wait for tokens and stucked themselves in queues infont of the token counters
The animals refreshed them with peace and passtime and at the same time seemed challenging to maintain.
The temple authorities approached him, while mary accompanied by some girls and boys looked through the camp curtain tried to overhear." Are you continuing one more month?"
with the sadness clouded face he answered. What was the answer?
Their hearing ability can't grasp that things from the ground. In the moments of suspense mary said"They came to threaten him, what do we do?
I said him to make the tend at that left end so that it doesn't affect the passerby. That is the only way in front of us then" But when she watched she notice something sad shadowed on the temple authorities faces.
When he returned, for knowing the fact, the boys assembled there asked"Their looks towards us is sharpening now-a-days, we know they came to threaten us"
Difi, the ring master ,silently turned his head. His actions is not capable of making their eagerness satisfy.so they again asked, "shall we continue one more month Sir?" No, Really I want to say you all about this. But I programmed it for the last day? So come everybody I want to say you something !
In their business of gathering some said, Just as usual " Go to your place, Carefully, stay safely, At the time of next show I will inform you !"
Hearing these words Defi looked mary's face, both of their eyes then wandered for finding their children, then he made a quick look towards their audience "The Journey which we are going to do next, is something different as usual, I am informed by some orders, this is really a cruelty to animals, small children, to some seriously injured, some who faced death nearby.so we are going to dissolve the circus Camp. Everyone gets stunned hearing this"
Then emotionally he said, " we never had done any cruelty to anyone, while practising we have done scolding, small beats with hands for easy learning Just as a father or mother do to their children, that affection never make anyone harm. But their is one thing, they were saying the general truths, " you all can return to your home, but what we do with these animals, they become domestic, they can't live in the forest even a day, they were not skilled in living a wild life now. So I think it is better to handed them to zoo"Really we are not performing but living within a limited space." But sir, the plants watered by Sam, they are with flowers, shall we take it with us ?
No, Let It remain there. We didn't come with anything valuable and also return without. But we created some knowledge here through practice and left some fragrance and beauty of our actions by leaving this flowering plants here both last forever"
Difi sir, shall you make some request regarding that..we really don't want to disperse from this camp?"
No, we have to obey some orders of this worldly life. Before going I want to advice you something different."life is like a movement through a rope tied upwards... a tight rope walk ......adventerously..... So balancing It without fall is important one.There were joy and sorrows in life, if we sunk in sorrow, it is really hazardeous, and if in Joy we become arrogant, so keeping balance between these two we can win life, fortunately we all know the game"
Unexpectedly they all laugh, with a heavy mind, than their luggages in hand.
Next day morning those who eat food lying somewhere came in the hall gathering. The Ring master purposefully avoid their dimmed faces. They can hear the clamorousness of vehicles stopping,of truck drivers loudly murmuring outside ,waiting for animals......a van also came there for collecting camp construction Iron bar, huge curtains, Chairs and equipments.......words stayed in mind shuffled with grief, and hesitating to come out...what they have to say...words of comfort or worries ?when they were made stuffed into that never ending game.......!!!

© Uma.V.S