faces around the table turned to listen, which made Ray self-conscious. Peg Leg Nel had removed his orange plaid coat and relaxed with his shirtsleeves rolled up his wiry, dark arms and his silk cravat loosened below his collar. He removed a small briarwood pipe from his shirt pocket. Across the table, the engineer, Ox Everett, was chewing something noxious-smelling that, when spit, looked like oily molasses.
“From all over up north, I suppose. We moved around to a lot of cities.”
“Your parents still living up there, Ray?” Ma Everett asked.
“No, ma’am. Both my parents are gone. I have a sister somewhere down here. Hopefully she’s been adopted and has found a wonderful family.”
Ma Everett wasn’t the only one whose face winced with sympathy at the understanding that Ray’s parents were dead. She gave him a gentle smile. “What are you going to do, dear? Are you looking for your sister?”
“No. Well, I’d love to see her again, but she’s … better off for now. I’m not sure where I’m going.”
Ma Everett cast a pitying look at Nel, who was eyeing Ray thoughtfully.
Ray said to the pitchman, “I did think that—if you would, sir—you could give me some work to do today. Not for money or anything. Just to help repay you all for taking care of me.”
“Well, certainly, son. Always appreciative of an extra set of hands. You’ll work the hawking stage with me. Two shows today. Should be bustling! I’ll situate you at the charge of collecting money—with me supervising, of course. Give Everett here a much-deserved respite so he can enjoy playing his devil’s box. See me at the stage in—let’s say half hour’s time.”
At that, the table began to clear in a rustle of movement.
“Thank you, sir,” Ray said. “Thank you all.” He nodded to Ma Everett and the others.
As Ray dropped his plate with the others in the soapy bucket, Peg Leg Nel stood from the table and called out to him. He waved Ray over and leaned close as he spoke. “Ray. If you decide not to embark on other employment, you got work—something more long term—right here if you want it. I’m of the mind that, in time, you might want to take up the calling of … divertissement, i.e., entertaining. Never been one to badger the reluctant, but just thought I’d mention. My point is … we’ll have you if you’ll stay.”
Ray’s hand brushed against the lodestone in his pocket. “Thank you, sir. I’ll think about it.” And as he looked once more at the empty table, Ray came upon the word that described Nel’s medicine show.
Family. They were a family.
Sitting on the edge of the stage stitching the hole in his cap, Ray counted the days since he had last seen Sally. It might as well have been years ago, for all the time he could gauge. The hungry days wandering in the strange wood and the fever left abysmal holes in his memory. A wave of longing crushed down upon Ray and briefly his eyes burned.
Had she found a good home? And if so, where was it? Maybe the family would let him visit her, explain why he had left. But how could he possibly find her? She could be anywhere. There were hundreds of towns, thousands and thousands of houses across the South.
Ray tied off the last stitch and bit the end of the thread off. Plopping his cap on his head, he took out the lodestone. It was still not moving. He wondered if it had led him here, to the medicine show. And if so, why? He put the lodestone back and kicked his heels against the stage as he looked around the tent.
The performers were away, most likely cleaning up and getting dressed before the show. Ray noticed a few townspeople gathering beyond the entrance, reading the sign or at least looking at the pictures and casting curious glancestoward the stage. He overheard a man say to another, “Won’t catch my God-fearing soul around no darkie hoodoo.” But as he stormed off, Ray saw the other man count the coins from his pocket while he waited for the show to
“From all over up north, I suppose. We moved around to a lot of cities.”
“Your parents still living up there, Ray?” Ma Everett asked.
“No, ma’am. Both my parents are gone. I have a sister somewhere down here. Hopefully she’s been adopted and has found a wonderful family.”
Ma Everett wasn’t the only one whose face winced with sympathy at the understanding that Ray’s parents were dead. She gave him a gentle smile. “What are you going to do, dear? Are you looking for your sister?”
“No. Well, I’d love to see her again, but she’s … better off for now. I’m not sure where I’m going.”
Ma Everett cast a pitying look at Nel, who was eyeing Ray thoughtfully.
Ray said to the pitchman, “I did think that—if you would, sir—you could give me some work to do today. Not for money or anything. Just to help repay you all for taking care of me.”
“Well, certainly, son. Always appreciative of an extra set of hands. You’ll work the hawking stage with me. Two shows today. Should be bustling! I’ll situate you at the charge of collecting money—with me supervising, of course. Give Everett here a much-deserved respite so he can enjoy playing his devil’s box. See me at the stage in—let’s say half hour’s time.”
At that, the table began to clear in a rustle of movement.
“Thank you, sir,” Ray said. “Thank you all.” He nodded to Ma Everett and the others.
As Ray dropped his plate with the others in the soapy bucket, Peg Leg Nel stood from the table and called out to him. He waved Ray over and leaned close as he spoke. “Ray. If you decide not to embark on other employment, you got work—something more long term—right here if you want it. I’m of the mind that, in time, you might want to take up the calling of … divertissement, i.e., entertaining. Never been one to badger the reluctant, but just thought I’d mention. My point is … we’ll have you if you’ll stay.”
Ray’s hand brushed against the lodestone in his pocket. “Thank you, sir. I’ll think about it.” And as he looked once more at the empty table, Ray came upon the word that described Nel’s medicine show.
Family. They were a family.
Sitting on the edge of the stage stitching the hole in his cap, Ray counted the days since he had last seen Sally. It might as well have been years ago, for all the time he could gauge. The hungry days wandering in the strange wood and the fever left abysmal holes in his memory. A wave of longing crushed down upon Ray and briefly his eyes burned.
Had she found a good home? And if so, where was it? Maybe the family would let him visit her, explain why he had left. But how could he possibly find her? She could be anywhere. There were hundreds of towns, thousands and thousands of houses across the South.
Ray tied off the last stitch and bit the end of the thread off. Plopping his cap on his head, he took out the lodestone. It was still not moving. He wondered if it had led him here, to the medicine show. And if so, why? He put the lodestone back and kicked his heels against the stage as he looked around the tent.
The performers were away, most likely cleaning up and getting dressed before the show. Ray noticed a few townspeople gathering beyond the entrance, reading the sign or at least looking at the pictures and casting curious glancestoward the stage. He overheard a man say to another, “Won’t catch my God-fearing soul around no darkie hoodoo.” But as he stormed off, Ray saw the other man count the coins from his pocket while he waited for the show to
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