Threadbare- The Traveling Show

by Alexandra DeMers

  “Gia, if there’s anybody who can pull off what Glorious has in mind, it’s you. Anyway, I’m sure he can spare us a few minutes more.” Amandine waved to the cook behind the counter. “Excuse me, sir! Two chocolate shakes, please!”

  “You ladies wan’ whip cream? Cherries?” he asked, reaching for some glasses.

  “Why, natch!” Sangria beamed.

  The next two weeks were a blur of music, dances, fire, and color. Day by day, a new costume appeared on stage, and Coronado was the first to appear in a shining white tuxedo. He was pleased beyond words, and it showed in his renewed enthusiasm on stage. His new act had mastered fire-throwing, transforming everyday objects into doves, and making costume jewelry vanish and reappear on Sangria's body. He would secure a dazzling necklace around her throat, jeweled cuffs on her wrists and a glittering crown on her head, only for it to disappear with a pass of a silk kerchief. Back and forth, the gems would come and go, until Coronado fluttered his magnificent cape like a matador and Sangria herself blinked in and out of existence. It was all synchronized flawlessly to Glorious’ music and the dancers' choreography.

  Next, Marmi had a tiger-taming act. Her regal costume resembled a white orchid, touched with purple and dripping with gold. She would guide Rao with a small flail up stairs, through hoops, and even straight into the air. Rao could roar on command which added an element of danger to the act. Nobody in the audience could have suspected that after the performance, he laid belly-up on a rug backstage, waiting patiently to be scratched by anybody who passed.

  The third part of the show came as a complete surprise. It was a song performed by May, who up until this point, Amandine had assumed was incapable of speech let alone vocal talent. Somehow, Glorious managed to uncover her bright, brassy voice that shined in the song he wrote for her.

  It was one of those moments where Amandine had to stop her work and watch, unwilling to believe that she had any part in this incredible show taking shape before her eyes. The act opened with the dancers spilling out from a giant dragon’s mouth. Ludmilla and Chitra shimmied to one side in orange costumes while Sangria and Margaret shimmied to the other in gold. May bounced up to the microphone in an electric blue dress and sang with fiery attitude.

  “Don't grab your hat, try stickin' around,

  We can have fun here, I don't wanna go to town.

  I got a bottle of bubbles and my records are hot.

  I wanna see if you're the guy who can take it or not!

  “I wanna swing with my baby,

  Keepin' all the neighbors up!

  I wanna bounce with my honey,

  never gonna let it stop!

  When we've worn down the floors

  And set the ceiling alight,

  Let's take it back to your place

  And keep it jumping all night!”

  “Take my hand, hang your coat on the hook,

  I wanna show you how a real lady can cook.

  There's fire in my heels and hell down below.

  Just say the word, baby, I'll be ready to go!”

  Their dance featured energetic kicks, thrusts, and figure-eight hip movements. Sangria and Margaret had never danced with the others before, but as soon as they overcame the challenge of learning the choreography, they fell in with ease. Sangria had so much fun dancing in the chorus that sometimes she laughed uncontrollably during the climax of the act.

  The finale began with Sangria playing her violin alone on a dark stage. Hers was the last costume Amandine had to make and for now the contortionist rehearsed in her leotard. She was joined by Coronado and when the two danced, they moved as one with absolutely riveting chemistry. All of the others appeared on stage as the music swelled, and Glorious furiously worked his machine, leading the entire show to its explosively spectacular conclusion.

  Even after hearing the songs and seeing the dances dozens of times before, Amandine couldn't help but stand up and move. She only wished she weren't dancing alone.

  August 24, 1945

  Somewhere outside of New Work (formerly Newark), New Jersey

  It was the opening night of the Freedom Festival, but Marmi’s Marvels weren't scheduled to perform until the next day. Everyone got up before the sun and set to work, either fine-tuning their acts or loading the trucks up with their giant, moving sets. This was it; this was going to be the biggest performance of their lives. For most, the mood lingered somewhere between excited and frantic.

  René on the other hand, was completely miserable. He wanted to speak to Amandine so badly, but he couldn't even bring himself to look in her direction. She had set up her sewing table and a makeshift fitting room no more than twenty yards away from where he was disassembling the set, but the sight of her packed suitcase felt like a punch in the gut. He didn't know that she meant to leave until he saw it propped against the machine, waiting beside her coat and hat. She was ready to leave without giving him any warning. Did she even mean to say goodbye?

  Despite wanting to avoid thoughts of her, he kept picturing the way she would frown when she concentrated, thoughtfully nibbling the pins in her mouth until at last her face lit up, and she was satisfied with her work. He was picturing it so perfectly that he stopped paying attention to what he was doing.

  “Whoa, René! Watch that drill!” Glorious threw a bracket at him, and it bounced off of the brim of his hat. “We're taking the set apart, not scrapping it. Remember?”

  René peeked beneath his drill. Instead of removing the screw, he accidentally drove it deeper, making a split in the wood about six inches long. He heaved a sigh and moved across the flat backdrop.

  “Eh, sorry. I am glad one of us was paying attention.”

  Glorious grumbled as he dropped screws and brackets into his tool belt one by one. “Yeah, I been paying attention. I seen that you been down ever since we got here. No pep in your step, none of your fresh ideas or input. You just been moving from job to job like a machine.” With a grimace, he regarded the damage. “A busted machine. You’re so messed up, you ain't even talked to poor Miss Mandy.”

  René tried to focus on his work again. He managed to free the first panel, painted like a cloudy star-studded sky, but by the time he got halfway through the next panel, he got to thinking about the way Amandine’s skirt flared when she danced, and he accidentally pinned the end of his finger beneath a screw. He jumped back on his heels and cursed.

  “Bordel de merde!”

  “Language, son. What's the matter? You cut yourself?” Glorious clicked his tongue and tore off a strip of electrical tape to use as a bandage. “Why don't you take a break?”

  “I can work,” René muttered, sucking on his finger.

  “I insist.” Glorious walked René off of the backdrop and nearly tossed him in Amandine's direction. “Take a break. Go see if Miss Mandy needs one, too. She’s been at that machine for weeks, bless her heart.”

  René knew there was no fighting this; he needed face her before he ran out of time. He thought about what to say while he dragged his feet over to where Amandine was working.

  Hello, Amandine, he thought. How have you been? Busy? Me too.

  No.

  I am sorry I have been avoiding you. Let’s go for a walk and talk for a little while. You’ll change your mind about leaving if I kiss you until you’re dizzy.

  Don’t be stupid, René!

  Amandine, you can’t go. It’s dangerous out there, and your mother is probably already dead. What if the Inquestor finds you? You’ll end up in a replacement home or you’ll get the scaffold. Stay with us, and we’ll eventually go back to Europe, away from this terrible conflict. Please, mon coeur, I beg you. Please don’t leave me!

  He sighed again as his voice of reason fought a losing battle with his emotions.

  Amandine was close now, holding up a ruby silk costume with shimmering rhinestones around the cut-out front. She checked it over on all sides before she called out to Sangria, who was waiting in the fitting room.

  Sangria popped
out from behind the hanging sheets, bouncing with glee at the splendid costume held before her. She was about to snatch it from Amandine's hands when she stopped short with a troubled look on her face. She emerged in her kimono and Amandine collapsed, sobbing, in her arms.

  It was a scene that stunned René; Sangria's cold demeanor had warmed to comfort her friend, and Amandine's enduring joy had finally broken.

  Furious, Sangria's head shot up, and she scanned the camp like a predator. She spotted René, and her face curled up like a gargoyle when she realized that he had been watching them.

  “I hope you're happy,” she snarled before he could start apologizing. “Look at what you've done! You dote on her, you treat her like a princess, and then what? Not a word, not a glance for weeks! As soon as she gives you a kiss, you give her the cold shoulder! It's a good thing you didn't get any more than that, you dog!”

  She lunged, her wide sleeves whipped back like wings, and she slapped him square across his face.

  “So what happened, creep?” She pelted his chest and arms with her tiny fists. “She not good enough for you? You gonna shop for some cheaper skirts in the city?”

  “Gia! Don't!” Amandine snatched her hands up before she could hit him again. “Please don't! It's alright.”

  Coronado appeared so quickly, he was still holding a dove. “I could hear you from across camp! What on earth is going on? Why is Amandine crying?”

  Sangria spat on the ground at René’s feet.

  “What happened?” Coronado demanded, flinging the bird over his shoulder. Accustomed to this sort of treatment, the bird righted itself mid-air and flew back to his perch.

  “Please, Amandine—” René dodged another knuckle punch from Sangria. “May I speak to you alone?”

  “Yes, I think I have time.” Amandine nodded and blew her nose into a hankie. To Coronado, she asked, “Señor, will you still be able to drive me into town?”

  “Of course, but—” Sangria stopped Coronado’s question with a jab of her elbow. Resigned, he sighed. “When will you be ready?”

  “I want to see Gia in that costume once more, and then it's time for goodbyes,” she answered. “Probably within the hour. I don't know how late they accept visitors at the prison.”

  René felt as if the ground had given out from beneath him. Time had run out. He had less than an hour, an hour that wasn't his alone.

  He offered his hand, but Amandine coolly took his elbow instead. No sooner had they turned their backs when Sangria started recounting everything she knew about their troubled romance to Coronado, peppering it with insults against René’s intelligence and character.

  René led Amandine to the river's edge where the sound of coursing water was enough to deter any eavesdroppers. They stopped in a small clearing of soft grass beneath the whispering oaks. Under different circumstances, it could have been a very romantic spot.

  “It's so good to see you again, René,” Amandine chirped as if he hadn't been deliberately avoiding her. “I’m sorry for getting so emotional.”

  “Don’t apologize.” He ran both hands through his hair anxiously. “No, you must forgive me. I have been acting like a damn fool again, Amandine.”

  “Nonsense. I know you had important work to do.”

  For the first time, her cheerful front frustrated him. “Please don’t do that. You know that's not what I meant.”

  Her smile faded.

  “Why pretend?” he demanded. “You’re clearly just as upset as I am.”

  “I’m not pretending,” she said defensively. “I’m just trying to find the good in something that hurts so bad.” Almost to herself, she added, “Perhaps it’s better like this.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Perhaps it's better that you broke it off when you did.” She kept her voice high and light to conceal the way it cracked. “I can’t imagine what I’d be feeling now if we had really loved each other.”

  “You mean you don’t?” he said in anguish. “You never did?”

  Mon Dieu, Marmi was right.

  She shook her head vigorously. “How could you say that, René? I thought I made it clear from the start that I was wild about you! You are the kindest, most talented, hardest-working person I have ever met, and you’re as handsome as the Sheik of Araby to boot. The very thought of parting with you hurt so much, I thought about—” Amandine shrank back, ashamed. “I even considered leaving my mother for you.”

  René was stunned. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Well, why don't you?”

  “Because you dumped me without so much as a word,” she said coldly. “You don't treat somebody you love that way, René.”

  The truth stung him with shame. “Then I was wrong,” René admitted. “I didn’t know how you could still smile, knowing that you’d leave soon. I thought it meant that you didn’t feel the way I did.”

  “I smiled because I was glad for the time that we had,” she snapped and suddenly covered her mouth in surprise. Amandine wasn’t used to expressing anger and her voice adopted Sangria’s harsh tone all on its own. She tried to wind her emotions back like thread around a spool and demanded, “What made you think such a… such a silly thing?”

  René stared at the tops of his beat-up oxfords as if he expected the answer to appear there. “Marmi said… rather, I thought Marmi was trying to tell me as much.”

  Amandine scoffed and watched the river lap up the sandy banks. “Marmi has incredible intuition. Magic or no, she sees things others can’t, things she may not want to see herself. It puts her in a much greater position of responsibility than any of us could imagine.” She picked up a stone and tossed it into the shallow water, scattering dozens of tiny minnows. “Can you imagine it? Having the knowledge, the power even, to possibly change someone’s fate? It must be so difficult. She probably feigns ignorance just to keep from having to make those sorts of decisions.”

  “I believe you’re right.” René wondered why he hadn’t considered it before.

  “What if Marmi saw that I stayed, but the whole group got arrested by that creepy little inquestor?” She turned to give René the wide-eyed look that meant she was teasing him. “What if you left, but all of the trucks broke down in a blizzard, and everybody had to huddle around one of Coronado’s fireballs to keep warm?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time something like that’s happened,” he replied with a half-smile, joining her at her side. “I am so sorry, Amandine. I could have avoided all of this trouble if I had just talked to you.” He felt a little more rational now that his fears were put to rest, so he asked, “So what shall we do? Will I go or will you stay?”

  Amandine leaned against a tree trunk and played with the buttons on her cuff. “Neither.”

  “Have you thought of another option?”

  “No.” She bit her lip hard and furiously twisted her buttons. “I will go and you will stay, same as before.”

  “But—” He clenched his teeth. “I don’t understand.”

  “Whatever she sees, whatever she knows, I believe Marmi is still right. This is the only way.” She tried to collect her thoughts and explain. “The problem with looking on the sunny side is that people often think I don’t look anywhere else. I’m not an idiot. I know now that my mother likely helped the rebels, but that won't stop me from trying to defend her.”

  She stopped her vicious attack on her buttons before she pulled them right off and tugged on her locket instead.

  “If I manage to get maman out, we need to run. Innocent or not, we’re right in the middle of this mess, and I don’t think the inquestors will just let us go back to making dresses in Cold River. They’ll come after us any way they can, and if I join you, they’ll come after you too. You will never be free so long as I stay with you.”

  She searched his face for understanding. “The last few weeks have made it clear that it's better you stay away from my problems, safe with your family who needs you.” She opened her locket to her parents’ portraits, tak
en when they were newlyweds. “It's better that I try to save what's left of mine.”

  When their eyes met again, Rene saw that she was smiling, but the insincerity behind it saddened him. He reached for her hand. “It was not to be, chérie.”

  “I will miss you, René.” She gave his hand a squeeze and noticed his hurt finger. “Oh, no. Are you alright?”

  “I wasn't being very careful,” he explained glumly.

  She reached into her pocket and took out a tarnished silver thimble. “Maybe you need this more than I do.” She closed it in his hand before he could refuse. “Keep it… to remember me by.”

  He didn’t need a thimble to remember her, not when she left her mark on every member of his family. René already saw her in the way Coronado performed, ready to dazzle audiences like the super-star he used to be. He saw her in the way Sangria had finally broken free from her cage. He looked down at his own outfit, black and red just like the Rogue Rider. He couldn’t even enjoy his new favorite adventure series without remembering that it was Amandine who shared it with him.

  “May I ride with you to the prison?” he asked, rolling the trinket in his palm. “I would like to see you off and… say goodbye properly.”

  “Of course.” Her smile now held a little genuine happiness. “I would like that very much.”

  A little while after they returned to camp, Amandine finally decided that she was satisfied with Sangria's costume. The contortionist pranced proudly around camp, glowing like a firebird and cartwheeling for anybody who would look. Her display drew everyone out, and they circled around Amandine to say their goodbyes. The dressmaker was crushed by embraces, covered with kisses, and showered with parting gifts.

  “I have no doubt my music is gonna turn Nieuwestad on it’s head,” Glorious boasted while the Russians thrust a sack of pirozhki into the girl's arms. “But your costumes? They exceeded not only my expectations but my wildest dreams! I hope you open a proper shop someday where I can visit. I gotta look sharp if I’m gonna be performing in the biggest clubs and theaters in the country.”