Clowning Around

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  He chucked her under the chin and wiggled his eyebrows, a habit she was coming to enjoy. “Yeah, I’m pretty good at knocking down pins at my favorite arcade game. Last time I came here, I went home with two giraffes, a sheep, and a huge pink bear.”

  Lois giggled as she tried to envision Joe carrying that many stuffed animals back to his truck. Of course, she reminded herself, he might have been with a date. Why else would he have tried to win so many prizes?

  “You don’t think I’m capable of winning anything?” Joe said, inclining his head and presenting Lois with a look that reminded her of a puppy begging for a treat.

  “It’s not that. I just can’t imagine how you ever carried them all out of here.”

  “I admit I did have a little help. I gave one giraffe and the bear to some kids who’d spent all their money trying to win a prize and had come up empty-handed. The other giraffe and the sheep went home with me, and now they occupy a special place in one corner of my bedroom.”

  “So you have a circus theme in your room?”

  “More like Noah’s ark,” he said, grabbing her hand again and pulling her through the crowd. “Which ride is your favorite?”

  “Well—”

  “Please don’t tell me you like them all,” he said in a teasing voice. “I don’t think we have time or money enough to go on every one.”

  “Actually, the only rides I enjoy are the gondola, the Ferris wheel, and the merry-go-round.”

  Joe shook his finger at her and clicked his tongue. “All baby rides. If we’re going to remember this day so we can tell our grandchildren about it, we need to do something really fun and exciting.”

  “Like what?” Lois asked, a knot forming in her throat.

  “The roller coaster, of course!”

  As they approached the midway, Lois grew more apprehensive. She hadn’t ridden on the roller coaster since she was sixteen, and then she’d embarrassed herself in front of her friends. She could feel her fears mounting as she watched the cars climb the track, knowing they would zoom down and up again, and around the bend made her stomach lurch just thinking about it.

  “You okay?” Joe asked with a note of concern. “You look a little green around the gills.”

  Lois swallowed hard, fighting down a wave of nausea. “I, uh, had a bad experience on the roller coaster one time.”

  “How long ago was that?”

  “I was sixteen and had come here with a bunch of kids from my high school.”

  Joe nudged her in the ribs. “You’re all grown up now, so riding the curvy monster should be easy as pie.”

  “Why don’t you go on it alone, and I’ll find a bench and watch from the ground below, where I’ll be safe?” She nodded toward a mother and her two children who were walking by. “I’d much rather people watch, if that’s okay.”

  “You can watch people from up there.” Joe pointed to the climbing coaster, and Lois swallowed back another wave of nausea. “You’ll be safe with me—I promise.”

  Before Lois could respond, Joe grabbed her around the waist and propelled her toward the ticket booth. “Two for the roller coaster,” he announced to the woman behind the counter. Tickets in hand, he led Lois to the line where people stood waiting for the ride.

  Lois wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of all these people, but if she rode on what Joe referred to as “the curvy monster,” she was certain she would.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Joe whispered in her ear. “Just hold my hand real tight, and when we’re riding the wooden waves, scream like crazy. It wouldn’t hurt to pray a little either,” he added with a chuckle.

  Standing in line, Lois’s fears abated some. Being with Joe made her feel carefree, and his jovial spirit and playful attitude kept her laughing. But when they were ushered to the first seat of the coaster, her throat tightened again. What if she got sick as she had when she was a teenager? Or, worse yet, what if she threw up on Joe’s white polo shirt? She decided to turn her head away from him, just in case.

  “Smile—you’re on Candid Camera,” Joe said, reaching for her trembling hand.

  She moaned. “I hope not. I’d be mortified if the whole world saw me right now.”

  Joe nuzzled her ear with his nose. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m serious,” he asserted. “I love your silky yellow hair, and those bonny blue eyes of yours dazzle my heart.”

  Lois’s heart began to pound, and it wasn’t just because the roller coaster had started up the incline. Did Joe think she was beautiful, and had she dazzled his heart? With his clowning around so much, she couldn’t always tell if he were serious or not. She didn’t have long to ponder the question, for they’d reached the top and were about to cascade down the first part of the track.

  “Yowzie! Zowzie!” Joe hollered as they began their descent. “This is way cool!”

  Lois braced herself against the seat and held on tight. She screamed—and screamed—and screamed some more, until they reached the bottom and began to climb the next hill.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Joe asked.

  Lois shook her head quickly, too afraid to speak. The truth was that it hadn’t been as awful as she’d remembered. At least this time she’d managed to keep her breakfast down—so far.

  “Here we go again,” Joe roared in her ear. “Hang on tight and yell like crazy!”

  Lois complied. It felt good to holler and howl as the up-and-down motion of the coaster caught her off guard and threw her stomach into a frenzy. It was actually fun, and she was having the time of her life.

  At the end of the ride Lois felt exhilarated, instead of weak and shaky as she’d expected. “Let’s go again!” she shouted.

  Joe chuckled. “Maybe later. Right now I’m ready to ride the Ferris wheel.”

  Lois sighed. After their wild ride on the roller coaster, the Ferris wheel would seem like a piece of cake. It would be mellow and relaxing, though, and that was probably a good thing. It had been a long time since Lois had been this keyed up, and she was a bit concerned that she might make a mistake and blurt out to Joe how much she liked him. I don’t want to scare him away. He’s too good to be true, and I need to go slowly. If she and Joe were going to have a relationship, she knew it was better not to push or reveal her feelings too soon.

  The day sped by like a whirlwind. They moved from one ride to the next and even stopped to eat barbecued ribs, cole-slaw, and a huge order of curly fries, with lemonade and, later, soft chocolate ice cream cones. Joe won Lois a fuzzy, brown teddy bear and a huge spiral vase filled with gaudy pink feathered flowers. She loved it. The truth was that she would have been happy with a jar of old marbles if Joe had won them for her. Today had been like a fairy tale, and she wished it would never end. But it was getting late, and they both needed to be at church in the morning. She had a Sunday school class to teach, and Joe had told her he was scheduled to do a program at his home church in Olympia.

  It was a little past ten when Joe walked Lois to her apartment door. She started to fidget. Would he kiss her good night? This was their third date, and so far he’d only held her hand, slipped his arm around her waist, and nuzzled her neck a few times. She didn’t want him to see how nervous she was so she decided to ask him more questions about himself.

  “You seem so naturally funny, Joe. I’m curious—did you get your humor from your dad or your mom?”

  Joe stood there and stared at her while she waited for him to answer her question. She hoped he would tell her more about his family. Instead, he bent his head toward her and puckered his lips.

  Lois held her breath then and closed her eyes. He was going to kiss her, and she was more than ready.

  “Thanks for a great day.” Joe gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “You were a good sport to ride that roller coaster with me.” He squeezed her arm gently then turned to go. “See you, Lois.”

  Disappointment flooded Lois’s sou
l as she watched him walk away. “So much for a perfect day,” she muttered. Had she said or done something to turn him off? Maybe Joe didn’t like her as much as she liked him. Would he call her again?

  Nine

  Lois had given Joe her work phone number, hoping he might call during the day if he was busy doing programs at night. Four days had passed since their date to the fair, but still no word from him. The weekend would be here soon, and Lois was beginning to think she would have to spend it alone. Of course, she could make plans to visit her folks. They lived in Olympia, and so did Joe. Would that be a good enough excuse for her to drop by his house and say hello? Should she call first or stop by unannounced? What if that peck on the cheek and Joe’s “See you, Lois” had been his way of letting her know he wouldn’t be calling again? Even though he’d acted as if he enjoyed their day at the fair, he had made no promises to call.

  She didn’t want to scare him off. But if she didn’t let him know she was interested in a relationship, he could slip through her fingers. She saw it as a no-win situation, and she felt frustrated.

  As she prepared to leave the church after work on Friday afternoon, the pastor and his wife stopped her in the hallway. “Hi, Lois. How are things going?” Pastor Hanson asked.

  “Good. Is there something I can do for you before I go?”

  “No, but Norma just mentioned how you seemed a little down this week. We were wondering if you wanted to talk about anything before you head out for the weekend.”

  “Oh, well, I hate to bother you. You’ve both had a busy week.”

  “We’re not in a hurry, Lois,” the pastor’s wife assured her. “We don’t have any plans for the evening.”

  Lois studied the floral pattern in the carpet. Should she tell them why she was feeling so uptight? She felt sure they would hold in confidence whatever she told them. Besides, she knew they’d counseled several couples recently, some married and some about to be. No doubt they had good insights on men and dating and how to know God’s will for finding that special person. Maybe she should get their opinions about Joe.

  Lois looked up and smiled. “Actually, you might be able to help.”

  “Let’s go to the study then,” Pastor Hanson suggested.

  Once they were in the office, Lois took a seat across from the Hansons. “I’ve recently met a clown,” she began.

  The pastor chuckled. “You’ve just met a guy and already labeled him as a clown?”

  Lois smiled. “No, he really is a clown.” She leaned forward in the chair. “Joe Richey is a gospel clown, and I met him at a crusade at Westside Community Church a few weeks ago. He sort of fell into my lap.”

  The pastor’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

  “You see—I told God that if He wanted me to find a man, He’d have to drop him into my lap.” She paused then related the rest of the story, including the part about the little girl rolling into Joe and knocking him over.

  The pastor and his wife laughed.

  “That must have been quite a sight,” Norma Hanson said.

  “It was pretty embarrassing. Especially when Joe landed in my lap.”

  “I can imagine,” she agreed kindly.

  “After the program, Tabby and Seth invited me to join them for dessert at a nearby restaurant, and Joe showed up. I was wondering if Tabby planned the whole thing, but she said no when I asked her a few days later.”

  Pastor Hanson leaned forward on his desk. “Changing the subject for a minute—and we’ll get back to it—I was wondering if you’ve heard anything from Tabby and Seth since they went on tour.”

  “Only once. Tabby called to say their group was in Baker City, Oregon, and they were having successful revival services. She said they might stay on the road a few more weeks.”

  “That’s good news. I hope the rest of their trip goes as well,” Pastor Hanson said.

  “So do I.”

  “Now back to your clown. What’s troubling you about him?” he asked.

  Lois drew in a breath and let it out quickly. “Joe and I have gone out a few times since we met, and even though I don’t know him well yet, I really like him.”

  “Well, that’s good, Lois. You know we were hoping you would get out more. I’m sure you’re talking with the Lord about this.”

  She nodded. “Oh, yes. I’ve done nothing but pray. The trouble is that I haven’t received any answers, and I’m not sure whether Joe returns my feelings.”

  “What makes you think that?” Mrs. Hanson asked.

  “He dropped me off after our date last Saturday and, after a quick kiss on the cheek, said, ‘See you, Lois.’ ” She swallowed against the lump lodged in her throat. “He hasn’t called all week, and I’m worried he won’t.”

  “Because he didn’t say he’d call, or you’re just not sure he will?”

  “A little of both,” she admitted. “Anyway, I’m planning to drive to Olympia tomorrow, and since Joe lives in Olympia—”

  “You thought you’d try to see him,” the pastor said, finishing Lois’s sentence.

  She nodded.

  “I’m not sure I believe it’s always the man’s place to pursue a relationship, though that’s what worked best for Norma and me. And since I don’t know Joe personally, I can’t say how he would respond to your visiting him.” He looked at her. “Did you plan to call first?”

  “I don’t have his phone number or address, so I’ll need to get them from the Olympia phone book once I’m in town.” Lois shrugged. “I’m not sure I should drop by without calling first.” She looked down at her hands. “Besides, he may not want to see me anyway.”

  “Why do you think that, Lois?” Mrs. Hanson asked. “Didn’t he enjoy your dates?”

  “He seemed to, but then Joe always appears to be having a good time. He’s a goofy guy who likes to laugh and make wisecracks and do silly things.” Lois blinked against the burning at the back of her eyes. She didn’t want to break down in front of the pastor and his wife. “Joe makes me laugh and feel carefree. It’s something I’ve never felt with any other guy.”

  “Would you like our opinion, or do you feel better after talking about it?” the pastor asked.

  “I’d like your opinion, if you wouldn’t mind sharing it,” Lois said.

  “If it were me, I’d probably get Joe’s phone number and call him. Tell him you’re in town, and if he invites you to stop by, you’ll know he wants to see you again.”

  “And I agree with Sam, Lois,” Mrs. Hanson said. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  Lois sighed with relief. That’s what she had thought too, but it helped hearing it from them. Calling first would be much better than barging in unannounced. If Joe didn’t want to see her, at least she would be spared the humiliation of looking him in the face when he told her so.

  Lois stood up, a smile on her face. “Thanks for taking the time to listen.”

  Pastor Hanson smiled. “We’ll be praying for you, Lois.”

  His wife gave her a hug. “Everything will work out fine. You can be sure of that.”

  ❧

  Joe felt tired and out-of-sorts, although he never would have admitted it. On Monday he’d put on an hour-long program at a senior center, plus two kids’ birthday parties the following day. This morning he had another party to do.

  “Well, I’m glad people want me for my clowning and the balloon animals, especially for parties,” he said aloud. “But I don’t feel nearly as fulfilled as when I can present the gospel too. Oh, well, it does help pay the bills,” he reminded himself.

  He zipped up his rainbow-colored clown suit, recalling the squeals of delight from the younger children when he’d worn it to a party. He put on a fuzzy wig with different shades of blue and a cone-shaped hat streaked with lots of colors. Joe had contrived many of his costumes, most of them from rummaging through thrift stores. A professional seamstress at his church had made the other ones, including the one he wore now.

  Joe remembered asking his mother to make his first
costume. He knew she could sew and thought she might enjoy taking part in his ministry, but she’d refused and then scolded him for expecting her to work her “fingers to the bones” and get nothing in return.

  “Did your love always have to be conditional, Mom?” Joe murmured as he studied his reflection in the mirror on the back of his closet door. “Couldn’t you have supported me and offered your love freely?”

  Joe stuck out his tongue at the clown he saw staring back at him. At least he could hide behind the makeup, which had taken him nearly an hour to apply. His nonsensical costume took only five minutes to don, but it made him appear to be someone else. From the minute he dipped his finger into the jar of grease paint and slapped some of the goop onto his face, Joe was in character. Even though he knew deep inside that he would always be little Joey Richey, who could never please his mother, everyone seemed to love him when he was a clown.

  “Forget about Mom and how she made you feel,” Joe said, as if he were speaking to someone else. “She’s gone now, and it’s best for you to put on a happy face.” He smiled at the image in the mirror then turned to leave when he heard the phone ring.

  “Joe Richey here,” he said.

  “Hi, Joe. It’s Lois.”

  Joe felt his heart slam into his chest at the sound of Lois’s voice. He’d wanted to call her all week, but somehow he hadn’t found the time. “Hey, Lois. What’s up?”

  “I’m in Olympia. I came to see my folks and thought if you weren’t busy maybe we could get together while I’m here.”

  Joe frowned. He’d like nothing better than to be with Lois. If he’d had his way, they would find something fun to do and spend the whole day together. But he couldn’t. He had a birthday party to do, and afterward he was supposed to meet with someone at the hospital about doing a special program for some of the staff next week.

  “I’m busy today, Lois,” Joe said. Did she know how much it pained him to turn her down?

  “Oh, I see. Well, I thought it was worth a try. Guess I’ll let you go then. ’Bye, Joe.”

  “No, don’t hang—” It was too late. The phone went dead. Lois hadn’t given him a chance to explain. She probably thought he didn’t want to see her.