The Unseen Star

Is this a story of an inclination towards incognito or invisibility induced through ignorance?

?

The birds brought forth dawn at the circus campus, heralding its golden hues and calling to their friends near and far. The sky was painted with shades of pink, and Max doused his lamp, now enjoying the company of his beloved elephants in the daylight. Ron roused with an air of optimism afforded him by his newfound acceptance by the circus crew. After weeks of worrying acrobatics, both sides had come to realise that they shared the same goals. They had gripped each other's hands, promised not to let go, and discarded the deceit and defensiveness that had them divided. Now, they were well on their way to building the trust long-known by the trapeze two-some.

As Ron's razor crunched through the stubble that sprouted since his last shave, he heard the gentle knock on the door. Today, he may be met by the generous courier of coffee. But alas, by the time he opened the door, only the steaming mug and a warm muffin greeted him. In the days since Ron was welcomed around the fire, each morning, he was met with a small rap and a breakfast entrée. He had not tired of this routine, remarking at how such a small token made him feel truly special. It was becoming clear that whoever the kind culprit was preferred to remain anonymous. Still, they required acknowledgement and to know how much their thoughtfulness meant.

So, when the whole crew gathered at their weekly meeting, Ron raised the subject.

“Now, before we conclude and continue with our great work, I would like to give a shout out to the considerate soul who is bringing me my morning coffee. It would give me great joy to recognise them here today, so whoever it is, would you please raise your hand?”

He was met with bewildered looks, shuffling in seats and whispers of wonderment.

No one owned up to these acts.

However, he could not see the shy, small hand that lifted cautiously in front of him. So, he continued.

“Ah, I understand. You would prefer to remain anonymous. Your humility is so honourable. Well then, please just know that your courtesy brings great brightness to my day. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

With that, the meeting was adjourned, and the crew went their separate ways.

Leo caught up with the strongman Ivan, who was dawdling and looking bemused.

“Ivan, you really are too kind. How on earth do you get the coffee to Ron without anyone noticing?”

Ivan looked down at Leo, not in condescension, but given his size an inevitable necessity for listening.

“What are you talking about Leo, mate?”

“It was you, wasn’t it? You know, delivering Ron’s coffee each morning? I can’t think of anyone else who would go out of their way to make him feel at home.”

“No Leo, it wasn’t me. I was just trying to think of who it could be too. Do you think it could be Max? He has had a soft spot for Ron ever since he made space for the elephant’s art supplies in the budget.”

“Well, it could be. He is certainly the first one up. Let’s go find out.”

Ivan and Leo tracked Max down, making a cup of tea.

“Hey Max. We are so curious. Is it you taking Ron his coffee?”

“No guys, not me. Ivan, I thought it was you.”

“How strange,” said Leo. “Do you see anyone wandering about?”

“No, only the cooks who head in to get breakfast started.”

“Ah ha! It must be them,” said Ivan overjoyed. “Let’s go find out.”

Max joined the detective duo, and they came across the cooks chopping and frying for the lunchtime feast.

"Hey, guys," said Leo. "Sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to pop in and say thanks for taking Ron his coffee, you know, making him feel welcome."

The cooks looked at each other and pulled faces that suggested he was stupid.

“Nah, not us, mate. In fact, we have our own mystery going on here. The coffee is already brewed by the time we make it in. Which, honestly, is a blessing. But we thought it was you, Max given you’re the first one up.”

“No, not me. But are you saying someone else starts the coffee machine each morning?”

“Yep. Never questioned it until now.”

“Well friends, it seems like we have a head-scratcher going on here.” Said Ivan.

“Let’s investigate further.” Said Leo, excited by the idea of some controversy.

“Hang on.” Said Max. “Maybe the person didn’t own up for a reason. Maybe they just want to stay incognito. I think we should honour that.”

“What?” said Leo “and miss the chance to solve the Great Coffee Mystery?”

“Well, kind of.”, said Max. “But I think all will be revealed if we just step back and allow events to take their course. It can’t remain a mystery forever, and I think it would be nice to whoever is doing this if we abided by their wishes to remain anonymous. They will come clean when the time is right for them.”

“That’s a really nice approach, Max," said Ivan. "Because if we start banging around on doors, we risk them running away and ruining everything, right?"

“Right, mate.”

“But I really want to know who it is!" said Leo, exasperated and excited.

“I know you do. So do I.,” said Max. “But I think this is a situation that we have to play smart.”

So, they all agreed to sit back and simply observe, becoming as subtle as the unseen breakfast butler. But Leo, Ivan and the cooks secretly decided that it was definitely Max, and Max was satisfied that it was the strongman.

These assumptions lasted for months until Leo overheard a conversation in the costume department.

“Tiff, thanks so much for doing those repairs last night. It really took a load off my plate. I hope they didn’t take too long.”

“Sorry Sam. What are you talking about? I didn’t do any mending last night.”

“Oh, ok. It must have been the fix-it fairies.”

“Yep. Must have been.”

Both tailors left it at that but surmised it was their partner who had put in the extra hours.

And then, during practice time with Sasha, something very strange happened. As they swung high and prepared for their first toss, Leo saw that one of the safety net ropes had come loose.

“Hey Sasha. We have to stop.” Yelled Leo, fighting momentum to slow the movement.

But as he gazed towards the net, he noticed it slowly being knotted again around the pole. His hands still held Sasha's, so he could not rub his eyes to correct his vision. There it was: the rope was being secured by an invisible force. No hands held the rope, and no person was behind the proceedings. By the time the pair came to a stop and made it over to the previously undone knots, its repair had been confirmed.

“Leo, babe, I think you are losing it. Tell me again how this was actually undone?”

“Sasha, it was. I promise.”

“And while I was not looking a ghost miraculously made everything ok.”

“Shoosh Sasha. Don’t say that word!”

“What word?”

“Ghost. You know how quickly these guys get spooked. You don’t want to stir a frenzy. No, trust me, Sasha. I will get to the bottom of this.”

Leo spent his days and nights looking for the creator of all these kind gestures, but despite numerous stakeouts, he could not find a single person placed at each event. The coffee filter and jugs moved by themselves, and Ron's tray would simply disappear from the kitchen to reappear at his door.

“Hey, Marco.”, said Leo to the mime. “I have a problem that I need your help with. But you have to keep it a secret. You can’t say a word, ok?”

Marco gave an exaggerated nod.

“I think we have a ghost.”

Marco’s hand shot up to his mouth, and his eyes became magnified, showing the mime’s superior skill.

“Stop it, Marco. I am serious. I don’t want to freak people out. But I want to understand if this is a new thing or whether this ghost might have been travelling with us for generations. Do you have Jack’s number? You know, the magician who retired just as we came on board? I know he was here for ages, and so he might have some insight.”

Marco gave a gigantic nod, and in response, Leo rolled his eyes. Marco, licking his fingers in an elaborate manner, started rifling through his address book. His finger made a full circle in the air before it landed on a point, accompanied by Marco's excited nodding. Leo, finding this both frustrating and funny, grabbed the book and punched the number into his phone.

“Thanks Marco.”

As Leo left, Marco's hands went to his heart, and he sent Leo off with a massive smile. Then he slumped back into his chair and continued scrolling social media. The influencers he watched were better than any comedy show he had seen.

But before Leo could call Jack, Max came to him looking white and worried.

“Leo, I saw something last night that could explain everything.”

“Go on, Max, what was it?”

"I think I saw a ghost.”

“What?”

“Yeh! I was up with Willow well into the night. Her gout has flared up and it is making her grumpy. So, I take her ice packs. Last night I had just delivered one and was sitting with her for a while, when, I saw a shape in the moonlight. It was a woman Leo, with a long flowing skirt and a fedora. I swear I was not seeing things. She passed through the rays, and I saw her as clear as day. But out the other side she just slipped into darkness. You believe me, don’t you mate?”

“Yes, I do, Max. Don’t worry. I have been thinking the same thing. Now we have something more solid, well kind of, to go on. Come with me.”

The men walked purposefully to the edge of the campus and sat under a gigantic ghost gum, which was deemed a fitting location for this secretive task. Leo dialled and turned the phone into a speaker.

“Hey, Jack. It’s Leo. From the circus. How are you?”

“Good, mate. How are things there?”

“Yeh, good. Well, kind of. There is something we would like to ask.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Was there a ghost at the circus when you were here?”

“A ghost?” Jack’s exclamation perfectly reflected the fear that the crew would feel if they thought there was one. Their acts required precision, trust, and equipment in perfect working order. Everything needed to be predictable and safe. A ghost on the premises, especially one with malicious intent, would take away this security. In the past, cruel ghouls had been the cause of many a great circus collapse.

“Has anyone seen it?” enquired Jack, now seething with seriousness.

"I have." Piped up, Max.

“What did he look like?”

“It was not a he, Jack. It was a woman. She was wearing a long flowy skirt and a fedora.”

The next question took Max and Leo by surprise.

“Was it short-brimmed?”

“Sorry?” said Max.

“The hat mate, was it a short-brimmed fedora?”

“Uh, yes, I think so.”

“Was there a white feather in the side?”

"Um, well there was a feather, sure, but I couldn't tell if it was white."

"Was she wearing boots? Boots with buttons all the way up the side?"

"Yep."

"And a scarf as bright as a tropical bougainvillea?"

"Yes. That's it. That's her! Why, Jack, what are you thinking?"

With this, Jack let out a tremendous laugh, one that came from his very core. It took a minute for him to compose himself and share the source of the amusement.

“That’s Evaline! Everyone was wondering when she would come back. She went touring just before I left. It seems, gentlemen, that you have had the great fortune of witnessing the work of The Invisible Lady – Evaline.”

"What? Wow. Really? An invisible lady?" said Leo, stunned.

“Sure! She is a real gem.”

"Um, I'm confused though." Said, Leo. "Why hasn't she said anything to let us know she was back?"

“She’s mute, mate—she would get on wonderfully with your mime!" Jack said with a snicker.

“No seriously. She is a truly beautiful woman. She was always doing stuff for others but decided she needed to do something for herself, so wrote us a little note and took off to Europe. With all the changes that have occurred at the circus it is probably no surprise she had been forgotten about. But not now. That is great, guys. She’s back!”

“Wow, Jack. Yes, she is. Thank you!”

“No trouble at all. And hey, when you see her, tell her I said hi.” Jack said this with a snicker and then hung up.

There were moments of silence under that tree as they took in the news that they had an unseen star in their midst. Then, with one shared look, they raced to Ron's van.

The next day, Ron called another team meeting, with the pews full of curious cast members. What was this all about, they wondered. Hopefully not another hair-brained scheme that would cause renewed exasperation and separation.

“Thank you for joining me today. For I have a very special announcement. A member of our esteemed family has returned from extended leave. I would like everyone to give a very warm welcome to Evaline – The Invisible Lady.”

By now, word had gotten around on the grapevine, so it was not much of a surprise. Still, the greeting was gigantic and genuine."

“Evaline, you must forgive our ignorance, and since you are invisible, forgive our inability to acknowledge your appropriately. However, we give our great thanks for all of your assistance and need you to know you are greatly appreciated.”

With that, there was another round of applause. As it settled, Ron went over to the table and took hold of a plush cushion covered in maroon velvet.

“Evaline, this is your seat, and it will be placed always here, in the front row, so that you will not ever be forgotten.”

Ron solemnly placed the cushion and stepped back. There were gasps when they all saw its surface dent and the sound of soft claps.

From then on, while Evaline remained inconspicuous, the shift in energy in the circus was striking. Notes of thanks to this phantom were posted on notice boards, and a new van was ordered just for her. No one knew where she slept, but they all decided the least they could do was fit her out in her own special space. A seat was also assigned for her by the fire, which she marked with a white feather. And, at the end of each performance, the spotlight shone on an empty space on centre stage, and the audience gave a standing ovation to Evaline – our beloved invisible lady – and a performer truly dedicated to her craft.

These rituals continued long after she had left for Egypt and Ron began missing his morning coffee. But they could never be sure if she was still there, and they didn't want to make the same mistake twice.