The Deadly Circus

It was the year 1954 in the country of Tuvalu, the Durhamians were at war with the Eastlandians and a number of refugees took over the southern part of the country.Despite the long war, school was already back in session from the usual winter break in January. Madrick Bell High was a small country school in the west part of Tuvalu, in a town called Belle Ville, it was clustered and even had a built in altar at the end of the hallway, in the 1900 it was a catholic church donated to the county for it to be used for a school as the owners had moved away to a nearby town. My name is Jonathan Brooke, I’m a thirty-five (35) year old Arts teacher and the newest member of staff to the Madrick Bell High School. This was my first time back in my hometown after I left for college twelve years ago to pursue my now- found career. It was pretty much the same, here in BelleVille but it has become quite overcrowded compared to my childhood. I was scheduled to start working the Monday after the winter break and I was pretty bummed about the whole idea. My girlfriend of ten years, Evie suggested that I refrain from thinking so much about it and just get it together. Evie Jones, a twenty-seven (27) year old Journalist working for the New York’s paper and my girlfriend was living in New York part-time to gain as much experience to start her own newspaper company, was now lecturing me from the other side of my desktop computer that I made things to be a whole lot bigger than they actually were. I responded by nodding my head and wishing her a good night’s rest. The night ended with me prepping for classes tomorrow… Buzzzzzzzz..zzzz…Buzzzzzzz.zzzz I woke up to the buzzing sound of my alarm clock. Slowly, I rolled from under the covers and headed straight for the bathroom. After getting dressed, I brushed my long, blonde hair backward and straightened my bow tie. I hurried to the front door as the relentless honking grew louder- it was the bus waiting outside my apartment, I quickly reached for my keys and briefcase and raced downstairs to the bus. “About time,” the bus driver shouted. I slowly climbed on board and waved to the remaining passengers “Goodmorning, uhh, sorry about that.” After a few minutes, the bus abruptly stopped signaling that we had arrived at our destination. As I drew closer to the school doors, I could already hear all the commotion coming from inside. I pushed the doors open and drew my briefcase closer to my chest,walking briskly to the staff room. My baggy pants made a clapping sound each time I picked up the pace,but luckily it didn't draw much attention. Finally reaching the staff room I slammed the door shut, panting “It’s like hell out there man,” I said damping my face with a handkerchief A slender man seated around a desk in the corner of the room, smiled and responded that it has always been noisy in the mornings but this morning was a bit more chaotic. It could be because there is a new circus opening in town or the ongoing war that will soon cost a great deal, either way it was frustrating and so will the rest of the school year. The sound of an old church bell rang out signaling the start of classes,the first set of students I thought were the ones in 2b, the last classroom on the corridor. It went well for my first class for the day but I was later asked to visit the headmaster’s office. On my way to the office I got a few side eyes from each person I passed by in the hallway or a nearby classroom, since I didn’t know the headmaster personally because I had just sent in my application and got the job without an interview I felt it was due to me doing something probably. I clenched my fist as I walked towards the door unsure of what i might walk into i knocked, “Come in,” a strong voice came from the other side of the wooden I slowly entered with my head bowed and eyes fixed on the floor, seemingly I forgot that I was a grown man. I slowly lifted my eyes to greet a fat, short,brown,hunched back figure facing the window, “Yes sir,you called me ,” I said, looking ahead, waiting for a response. “Ma’am,” she shouted while turning to face my direction. I was almost certain that she was a man, even more now that I could see her face, her face was covered with bumps and pimples, she even had a beard. “Sorry,may I know why you called me ma’am?” “I heard today was your first day, how is it?” “Fine ma’am, thank you” She stretched out her hand signaling me to sit on a nearby chair in the corner of the room. Upon having a seat I could see her doing her absolute best to stand from the chair she was sitting on, after she had finally mustered up all her strength she started limping towards me, her fat, stubby legs made it really hard for her to walk all the way, she may have even nearly tripped once trying to speed up the pace. After a few minutes of drooling and aggressively biting on her button lips she signaled me to leave the office. Honestly, that was sort of a nightmare, I intentionally walked a bit faster than normal just to avoid having her call me back for the handkerchief that I now notice was missing a few minutes after searching my pants pockets several times. I slammed the staff room door shut behind me, peering through the glass in the door,I double checked to see if she was following me. “What was that about?” a voice, suddenly aroused from the corner of the room. Startled, I spun around to see that it was the same man from this morning. “Uhh, nothing,” I said turning to leave the room “Wait! I’m Mr. Willing, I teach bio,” he said while extending his arm for a handshake I sighed, “ My name is Mr. Brooke, I teach arts,” I said holding my hand out to meet his. I need to go now,” I said while grabbing my briefcase from a desk nearby. I started for the entrance door at the end of the hallway, I was done with school for today and to top it off I’ve had way too much drama for one day. I stood outside the school gate, shoulders slumped and a sour face, I had already unbuttoned my shirt and removed the tie from around my neck. I took out my phone and started dialing Evie’s number, I glanced up just in time to see a yellow cab driving towards me, I quickly raised my arm in efforts to get the driver’s attention. “Come in,” said a rough-voiced,middle-aged man, gesturing for me to go around to the other side. “Where you going?” he said with his head still fixed ahead of him. “43 Dunthill” “Oh, over there,” he said side eyeing me I nodded, refusing to continue the conversation. The rest of the ride was silent until he pulled over at the steps of my apartment building, “Here we are, it’s twenty by the way,” he said while holding out his arm I reached into my pants pocket revealing two, ten dollar notes, I folded them together and gave it to him, within seconds he was already blocks away. I was already too tired to even question why he sped off like he was being chased or rather hunted.