By ;
Jessica Singleton
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls of all ages. Please feast your eyes upon this sideshow. This is the show to see. Right here and right now. - Common Circus
The definition to the word insanity, is to do the same thing over and over again. Only you expect different results each time. - Albert Einstein
The Little Dog laughed to see such a sight. And the dish ran away with the spoon. - Diddle Diddle
1
I went out on Friday to apply for a new job. It did not take long. They had an easy day of it. I filled out simple paper work and the lady saw me right away.
I got the new job. I was very happy. I got a drink on the way home.
The weekend was lazy. I stayed in bed and I read a book. Nothing happened until Monday.
Monday Ak came over. He has not been to my house for years. I almost did not expect to see him. He wanted to start over. I did not want to see him leave again. I seemed to take to him.
I was looking into his eyes when he was talking.
He looked like he could not guess what my response would be.
I did not want to jump at him. But I did not want to hessitate.
I was as afraid of him leaving as he was afraid of being turned out.
This is just wishful speaking.
I curled up into him. I do that. I like playing with his hair when he is wrapped around me.
It felt so good to have him breathe on me and to be in his arms again.
I really do love him.
Things seemed like they went back to normal again.
A few days later
2
I found a home for sale. This is where my story begins. I wanted it. The job approval made that easy. So I could obtain that home and then not lose it ever.
I wanted to go out and look for candles and junk to decorate with. I went to a few thrift stores and then hobby lobby.
AK was working , so he was not with me that day. When I went into that one thrift shop, I found a table that I bought. It was not much. I could afford it.
It was metal and vintage. When I was in the thrift shop, I found this old book. It was one of those finds that never happens. It was poetry from POE.
I also found myself talking to the woman behind the counter. She and I were talking about antiques and then that lead into a conversation about old blankets. How you never get rid of odd things. But in reality, if you moved somewhere and found an old blanket , you'd never keep it.
Why is that?
I guess that is like family in general. If a stranger offended you, you'd never forgive them. But even though it hurts more when family hurts you, you always love them. In fact you will take family back.
Anyway I was in that antique store for over an hour talking.
By the time it was time to leave, it was late.
I was hungry. I text AK. He met me at that diner that sits on the highway. Then we got something at the alcohol shop before he spent the night with me.
His clothes are always all over the floor by time he is asleep.
It is funny. I do not bother picking them up.
I guess I do not want him to put them back on.
3
So this new job was easy. Anyway my story is about the antique shop. I got restless one night. So I walked into town. I was on that main road. It is lined with antique shops.
I happened to look into the window. I guess I was window shopping.
I saw this doll that was big for a doll. It was moving it's mouth. It looked like one of those mechanical puppets talking. But no one was in the shop to move it's strings.
Then I saw a wooden monkey sitting on a shelf. It had the puppet stings in it's tiny hands.
I went on.
A few days later I saw it again.
When I ask the woman in the shop about it, she was acting odd.
I wanted to know the truth.
So one night I stayed in the shop after hours.
I had to know what was going on.
The old woman who owned the shop had a child once.
Where was it?
That doll was a not a doll. It was a person who had been through a lot of surgeries. So they had the face of a puppet.
They could talk, but their thoughts were jumbled like they had a problem thinking right.
The girl had been through a lot.
So her mother hid her in the shop.
That way no one would know that she lived.
The monkey was a toy.
He wound up and the strings were put into his hands.
That way the girl would not feel alone.
The toy monkey was wound to the point of his own strings popping out of joint.
That way he'd go all night jerking at the strings.
The strings made the girl feel alive, since she was pretty much a doll.
I could not figure out why her mother left her in there like that.
I worried that she was being neglected.
I thought she would want to get out of the shop.
So one day when the lady was not looking, I tried to move her.
She started to cry and one of her wooden legs jerked out.
As though she was trying to kick me.
The woman heard and she came out from the back of the shop.
I told her what happened and why.
She told me about her child.
Her child had a toy monkey. Her child was insane. She was born that way.
Nothing was wrong with her.
She was just crazy.
Anyway they had been in an accident years before. The monkey was the last thing the child saw.
So when the girl came out of her mirrored state, she did not want to leave certain things.
She refused to leave the last place that was home.
The shop used to be a downtown city apartment.
Now a thrift shop.
The woman saw no harm.
She kept her in the shop and took care of her there.
Every night she would wound the monkey up . That way her daughter would not think that he died.
Because when they had the accident, the child halfway woke up.
She did not understand why the monkey would not talk to her anymore.
There was nothing wrong.
I felt bad. She looked just like a real doll. That is because she wore a mask and she had a wooden leg.
The End
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