The walk through the Fair was a simple one. Despite the amount of
people darting from one place to another or many in one place, it was
surprisingly easy to navigate without bumping into anyone, save from a couple
of twists and turns as one or two kids decided to break away from their parents
and dart towards something they wanted.
As I followed
Tom, I saw not just stalls full of various items, but also events that anyone
could have a go at, such as arts and craft, needlework, the Hoopla,
ball-in-a-basket, archery and air rifles and paint balls shooting where you
have to shoot at a range of targets and the highest ones means a better prize.
There were also many rides for all ages, from the standard Ferris Wheel,
miniature train rides and rollercoasters and the always popular house of
mirrors that I used to love when I was a kid during the many times my parents
or my grandparents took me to a travelling fair during the summer holidays.
Seeing my reflections all twisted and contorted kept me entertained for hours.
I absolutely hated the haunted house ride. That scared the living heck out of
me and I vowed never to enter its spooky doors again, and I haven’t. Tom, being
Tom, loves that ride and always heads straight towards that no matter what.
This time, however, we walked straight past it.
‘You do know that
you just walked past the haunted house ride, don’t you?’ I asked.
‘I know,’ he
said, ‘but I’m not interested in that at the moment,’ he said rather
cryptically.
‘That’s a first,’
I said.
‘And if all goes
well for you,’ he said, turning around and walking backwards at the same speed
as he was forwards, ‘what is about to happen will be a first for you, as well.’
I should know what he is up to, yet my brain is unable to piece the clues together.
I know the answer is staring me in the face, but just cannot see it, no matter
how much I try and look for it.
We carried on
walking, past the rides designed for the likes of teenagers and adults alike.
The bigger, scarier rollercoasters with steep drops and large banked curves.
One even had a loop right in the middle where people screamed the coaster
entered and exited in one motion. The largest Ferris wheel is always a must no
matter what type of fear it is. And the always infamous mechanical bull that
everyone brags about how long they can or have lasted on its back only to fall
off in a matter of seconds much to the spectator’s amusement. We bypassed
everything until we were right at the back of the fair where a large white tent
stood. Many people entered and exited at the same time. Tom stopped just before
the entrance and I stood beside him, reading the sign that hung just to the
right of the door.
I read the sign
out loud, ‘Talent competition. Everyone has a hidden talent. Here you can show that
off and win prizes. Come and have a go for only five pounds. Prize: a year’s
supply of pizza.’ I turned towards Tom, who was awaiting my reaction. ‘A year’s
supply of pizza is a bit much, don’t you think. I mean, wouldn’t it go out of
date before you could finish every last one of them, and wouldn’t you get a bit
bored of having pizza every day for an entire year?’
‘Oh, you are such
a party pooper, you know that,’ Tom said shrugging off my questions.
‘You’re not
expecting what I think you’re expecting, are you?’ I asked really hoping that
he is going to say what I think he’s going to say, ‘because I don’t have any
talent,’ I said not wanting to put myself down so I quickly added, ‘not one
that would be good enough to entertain a panel of judges, anyway.’ I do have a
hidden talent, but it’s not something special, just something that I found I
was able to do with ease. But isn’t how all hidden talents are discovered, by
finding out that you can do something with ease.
‘No, I am not
expecting you to get up on stage and perform,’ Tom said, ‘I expect you to go in
there and meet someone, talk to her and actually get somewhere.’ ‘Her’ can only
mean Amy.
‘I would rather
perform, thanks,’ I said as my nerves kicked in.
‘Suit yourself,’
he said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well,’ he said
in that tone that told me he has a very dubious plan, ‘I can either put your
name down on the list and you perform on stage in front of all those people,
and from the sound of things, it’s pretty packed, or you can have a casual
conversation with Amy. What do you want to do?’
‘You’re evil,’ I
said. But I can see his logic. I have liked Amy for four years now, ever since then
I laid eyes on her on the first day of college, and Tom has been trying to get
me to talk to her, even if it’s for one sentence ever since he figured it out
that I liked her, which was immediately because I apparently zoned out as I
watched her enter the classroom and walk towards her seat, sit down and get
prepared for the first class of the day. In a way, Tom was only doing what any
good friend would do, which is help me. And if anyone has that one friend that
is stubborn, then they will find a way around that. In the end, that one
stubborn friend always sees the good intentions in their friend’s actions and
thank them for it. That’s just the way things go.
‘But thank you,’
I said after I thought about it for a while.
‘No problem,’ he
said smiling.
‘How did you know
that Amy would be, not only at the fair, but in this tent?’ I asked.
‘Oh, you know, in
passing,’ he said. ‘So are you going to stand out here all day or are you going
to enter?’
‘Well,
considering the other option is not what I want to do at all, I have no choice
but to enter.’
‘Good choice,’
Tom said, patting me on the shoulder.
‘But what do I say
to break the ice?’ I asked. ‘I can’t just walk up to Amy and her friends and
join in the conversation they are having as if it’s nothing at all. That’s
intruding and not a very good first impression.’
‘Just follow my
lead,’ he said and I followed him into the tent. I did have that expression
that told me he was surprised that I am optimistic for a change, but he carried
on anyway, as if nothing’s any different.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Thanks for reading
Antony Hudson
(TonyHadNouns)
My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:
Amazon:
eBay:
SkyCat Publications:
Ask me anything at:
ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk
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