Story for Their Town: A Town of Circus Freaks

I'll tell you wwhhhat! This town, this very town that your very feet be standing on, aren't like any other town that you have seen. Or maybe you have, I don't care for your tale. No siree, we be special. Well the real type of special not the insulting type of special, if you know what I mean. This town has folks gather from all forms of life. The forgotten folks or the ones that other people wish to forget or wish to remember. We are what you would've called… “Circus freaks”. Our town does not really have a name but when others say “Their Town" they are referring to this here town. So to them, it is "Their Town” and to us, it is "Our Town". So, depending on where you live will be the name of this town. I hope I haven't confused you. Yessiree, this town be one in a trillion, in my humble opinion. There be a trillion and one stories to tell with many characters, some colourful, some only looking colourful. Howdy, I may even tell you my tale and you can even tell me yours if lady luck smile upon thee face. But, this here story is not about me... well it is but I aren't no main hero, really, and this is not the story that gave me that whole character arc development, nor is it a story about you riding into town. This one is about one man. Nick Jackson: a man who has toes for fingers and fingers for toes. You could call him 'Finger-Toes' but you won't reply and even if he does you may even understand him. So some say, his fingers that are squeezed, fatter, with half a finger-nail size, like toes, while his toes are long, have more joints on them, longer nails, like fingers... so they say it's a birth defect, others say a curse, and all say "AHHHHHH!!!" when they first witness it. He be living in that pink- painted cottage on that, here hill, overlooking this town. That is his family farm with the best damn eggs anyone has ever tasted. The eggs seem to have more nutritional value in whichever which way they be done, the flavour soaks throughout your whole being and therefore through yours. Your eyes see more, see further, your ears hear better but they never ache, your muscle grow without you needing to change clothes and your mood… is the highlight of your life and those around you. Nick Jackson's eggs are magic, light and love magic. I say that he shows every chick fatherly love and when they become chickens, he gives them grandfatherly love. You can easily say his chicken family be the biggest that this land has ever seen or heard of. And when one, unfortunately, passes into the warm embrace of the soft arms of Heaven, it is silence from him and his farm for a week. No talking- well he aren't much of a talker- so no grunting and no moving and no working. Nick lives alone on that hill... because his wife and an eighteen-year-old good-looking lad of a boy are away on work. They are part of a small travelling theatre group that goes from town to town, city to city, village to village, performing every night and sometimes even during the day if they feel like it. They are the good and pride of our town. Anyway, I got a bit sidetracked with the details, so let I get back to the story that be at my lips. Nick Jackson is a quiet fellow who seems to merely talk in grunts and with his eyes. It is no wonder he wasn't asked to join the theatre and to be blunt he only goes when his wife or kid or both are performing. But, Nick be a lover of all things, even those that most people find bad or gross such as leeches. Those nasty little buggers that get on your skin and drain your blood. And I know for a fact that leeches aren't any type of medicine and they suck more good than bad. The Doctor will say otherwise but he has half his jaw missing on the right side of his face and half his skull missing on the left side, not to be confused with the Dentist who has half his jaw missing on the left side of his face and half his skull missing on the right. They are married and have been for the past ten or so years, God willing. You see, Nick would go down to the river that ran behind the hill and encircled Our Town to pick up leeches and keep them up in his pink-painted cottage. He would stick his toes hand in the water up to his shoulders and get as many leeches which were willing to go for a walk with him. He took them to his farm and carefully plucked them off his skin as not to hurt them. They must know his true intent because they never once sucked him dead. He placed them in a glass cage-like construction that had raw, blood red meat so they have something to suck on. I should know, I went with him one time on one day to the river and then the cottage. Well to the cottage, then the river, then the cottage. His cottage. He said: "Grraanhtyuw.” Which were to explain to me why he does what he does with those there leeches. I nodded and smiled but… between you and me… I never understood why and was too afraid of being branded as a bad, impolite, listener to ask again. I for the life and death of me never understood what Nick was saying but lucky his wife or his kid would usually be there to repeat. Not in a "you no speak no good" but they would… like… let's just say Nick asked a question and their answer would have his question in it, or if he made a statement they would repeat his statement while either agreeing or disagreeing. Do you get my flow? Any-woo, Nick is a good man who looks after all that comes in his eye line and still keeps in heart those that leave it. Plus, he a friendly man who tilts his hat to all that greet him and that he greets himself. A fine fella regardless of his big build and the tall structure of his body. He is often compared to a giant, baby bear and with good reason: this one time, McGary tried to take him in as a pet forgetting he was a human. By the way, McGary be that one who walked passed us while we were walking into this here saloon. You know, the man who walked on the palms of his hands with his knees hanging down and his head held high, like a mighty proud, skinny and hairless gorilla? Yep sire that one. You know what… he cut off below both his knees… on purpose, for no reason. What a strange man... There I go again getting distracted with me own memories. So, Nick's story is as such…