The Tears Of A Clown

Mom have you seen my mp three player? I can't find it anywhere," Maria Sanchez demanded, as she skipped the last bottom two stairs, landing deftly beside where her Mother Melanie was about to open the front door, in the hallway.

"The last time I saw it, the thing was around your neck the other day," her mother replied, as she hauled the large blue hold all, over her shoulder.

Maria frowned, "But I can't go without it, especially when we have to travel so far in the car. Its so boring. I need my music," she complained

" Well you have five minutes to find it; your brother is already waiting for us in the car," Melanie informed her, "We are already running late, and you know what your father is like if we are not there when he expects us to be, he will get tetchy"

Maria just pulled a face of irritation, rolling her dark eyes up in her head, in a way that reminded Melanie so much of her husband Ricardo, that she still found it a little uncanny, even after seventeen years of witnessing it.

But then all of their three children had the swarthy skin and dark colouring of their father, but only Maria had acquired Ricardo's mannerisms as well.

She was truly her father's daughter.

"It's not like the circus is going anywhere, so I can't see what the big deal is if we don't meet him there at the exact appointed time," Maria continued to grumble

"You know your father likes us there early, so he can get in as much rehearsal time as possible with you for tomorrow night's show. He likes to stick to his scheduled regime," Melanie reminded her.

"It's more like being in the army than the circus sometimes, where dad is concerned," Maria huffed.

"It's called dedication, George understands that, so should you by now," Melanie replied curtly, "Now you have got five minutes, then we are going whether, you have your mp three player or not, so stop wasting time, and go look for it,"

"Ok, I'm going, I'm going." Maria exclaimed, her slim figure now deftly turning and disappearing hurriedly back up the stairs again.

Melanie sighed, and opened the front door. Despite all the years of moving around with the circus, and being on the road, she thought she should have this down to a fine tee. But after the six month winter break, it was a matter of getting back into the routine again

If Ricardo had been there, they would probably be already on their way. But he had left the day before to meet up with the other circus bigwigs, for discussions and meeting about the forthcoming tour before they actually set off.

So knowing her father wasn't around to snap orders at her, Maria had taken her time getting up and ready, much to the rest of the family's irritation.

Melanie knew she was going to have trouble with her daughter.

Like her father, she could also be headstrong and obstinate; and now she was in her teenage years, these traits seem to be coming out more than usual.

She made her way over to the silver car in the drive way where her oldest son, George, who had only recently turned nineteen, stood by the opened car boot, looking relieved to see his mother, taking the holdall out of her hand to put it in the back of the car.

At almost six foot, he stood just about head and shoulders above his mother, and now frowned over the top of her head, towards the house.

"Where is Maria?" he demanded

"She should be coming now, she can't find her mp three player I have given her five minutes to find it" Melanie replied

"I know what I would like to give her," George muttered, as he slammed the boot of the car shut. Then whilst he got into the drivers seat, his mother got in beside him at the front, glancing around at her youngest child, fourteen year old Carlos, who sat in the back of the car, engrossed in playing with a hand held game console.