The red-haired clown. A novel. Elena Fedorova
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Название: The red-haired clown. A novel
Автор: Elena Fedorova
Издательство: Издательские решения
Жанр: Современная русская литература
isbn: 9785448520204
isbn:
“Birdman!” the audience breathed out.
“The golden bird of happiness!” the voice of the compere was heard. “The trapeze artist Edward Houdini.”
Charles wiped sweat on his forehead, having thought that he would never become such a brave man like Houdini. His beautiful dream faded into oblivion. Its place was immediately taken by another, more realistic dream. Funny clowns, white-haired and red-haired, appeared at the arena. Charles sat up to get a better look at them.
“Oh, what a brave boy!” the red-haired clown exclaimed. “Look, look, he wants to repeat the flight of Houdini.”
Charles had not time to figure out what boy was being referred to, and the red-haired clown was already rushing upstairs, jumping over the steps.
“Do not be afraid,” he was crying and throwing his arms about.
“Come here, boy, come here,” people pushed Charles.
“Me?!” having gotten wide-eyed, he whispered.
“You, you” the clown smiled and, having grabbed him by the arm, yelled at the whole circus:
“This braveheart is willing to perform the trick of the trapeze artist Edward Houdini before your eyes!”
Charles realized that he had nowhere to run, so he decided not to resist but to go down and to stand a few minutes at the arena in the spotlight. He knew that such a possibility could be given once, and decided not to miss his hour of triumph.
“Do not be afraid,” the clown whispered him when they were running down. “Trust me, and everything will be fine.”
Charles confided. They pushed him into the gun instead of the projectile. The drums began to rattle… and the gun broke into two pieces, and the audience was showered with multicoloured paper rain. Splendid!
“You can go to your place,” the clown said happily, helping Charles to get to his feet.
“Can I stay with you?” Charles asked with the voice of hope.
“Well, if we do not have problems with your relatives, then,” the red-haired clown said.
“No, no,” Charles cried. “I am an orphan. I am homeless, living under the fence.”
“Perfect,” the red-haired clown tapped him on the shoulder and, having held out his hand, introduced himself:
“I am Bebe.”
“I am Lele,” the white-haired clown said.
“Are you a woman?” Charles exclaimed enthusiastically. “Wow!”
“Yes, wow!” she mimicked him. Then she hugged him by the shoulders and asked: “Do you really live under the fence?”
“Well, it is not always under the fence,” he smiled. “Sometimes it is possible to spend the night at the station, or at the museum, or in the park, near some statue, which is not very scary.”
Lele began to laugh resonantly, disarranged his hair, and said:
“If so, then we are ready to allow you to participate in our number. We will call you Benosh. Okay?”
“Okay!” Charles exclaimed, not believing his luck. He not only stays in the circus Chapiteau but becomes a clown with a sonorous name Benosh, and Bebe and Lele will be his parents!
Charles was ten years old at that moment. Now he was twenty-three. He is not the little boy Benosh but the red-haired clown Benosh – an idol of a public, who has just been scolded by the gentleman in eyeglasses and praised by the girl Simone.
“What happened?” Bebe asked, having got into the show-booth past Charles, sitting on the steps. “Why did you freeze like a terrible statue?”
“What did the gray gentleman need from the little boy Benosh?” Lele asked, trying to look Charles in the eye. He handed her a note and said:
“The girl Simone wants me to congratulate her on her birthday.”
“Wonderful!” Bebe exclaimed. “We will seat ourselves on our the circus bicycles, arm with whistles of all sorts, and…”
“Wait, Bebe,” Lele cried. “We need a different approach here. You have seen this snow-white phenomenon. You first said that she looked like an angel, descended from heaven, and our Benosh looked like a bewildered waif, who can disrupt the performance.”
“Ye-e-es,” having leaned out of the door, Bebe said. He made a funny face, having portrayed the confused Benosh.
“Did I really look so stupid?” Charles exclaimed.
“Really,” having tapped him on the shoulder, Lele said. “But that’s in the past. Forget about it. Get up, we are going to do great things.”
Charles got up and trudged after Lele. He did not ask her any questions. He knew that Lele is a unique woman. He loved her like a mother. Thirteen years, not once she has raised her voice at him, has got mad at him. Although, there were enough occasions. How she had managed to be soft, gentle, kind, still remained a mystery for Charles.
“Do as I say,” Lele whispered him, hiding behind the door to the office of the Director of the circus.
A minute later, her big red nose, then her eyes, and her hand leaned out the door, and only then the mysterious whisper began to sound: “Come in.”
Charles looked around. No one. He whisked into the open door.
“Hey, it has been a while,” the Director of the circus Rudolf Welzer said. He was sitting at his polished desk and was condescendingly smiling. “Matilda is upset with you. She sheds tears. Good thing you had the sense to come before I called you. Well done. I value brave people. I forgive you and…” he got up.
“I allow you to take Matilda to the cinema.”
“Oh, we are so honoured!” Lele exclaimed, having pressed her arms to her bosom. “It is an honour, a great honour. But… Benosh will not be able to go to the cinema.”
“Why?” the Director frowned.
“He had nothing to wear,” she said in a tragic voice. “He will not dare to take your daughter by the arm if he wears a such a clownish attire.” Lele ordered Charles to turn around several
times.
“Ye-e-es,” having sat at the table again, the Director said. “Yes, that’s not right.”
“You should not be upset because of the trifles,” Lele smiled and said in her clownish voice:
“If you, Mr. Director, give us a fee we will be able СКАЧАТЬ