THE BIG AFFAIR



Wayne led the parade twirling his baton, delighting the cheering
crowd; posters everywhere depicted colourful scenes in the big top,
though Wayne was himself a monochrome figure. It was a large part
of his charm. Clowns cavorted as clowns will, trapeze artists
posed, and the usual cages contained pacing lions, tigers, and
a single black panther couchant.

A family of seals occupied a glassed in pool on a flatbed truck.
Two giraffes swayed in their specially adapted open top double
decker bus, and Tom, Dick and Harry the dog act, all frilly
collars and pointed hats, walked along on their hind legs, barking,
getting in the way of the horses in all their finery. Not that fine,
mind, it was only a small circus, but the girls riding them looked
pretty in high boots and red, green, and purple costumes.

Wayne strolled on at the head of the parade, now and again
turning to wave at someone in the crowd. Anyone really, he knew
good Public Relations did Wayne though you couldn't tell from
looking at him. As they turned the corner by the Town Hall for the
return leg he heard his name called and a shiver ran up and down
his spine. Hardly daring to look, he turned his head and there she
was, blonde and beautiful in a bright blue dress. The world stopped,
disappeared for long minutes as the two of them looked deep into
each other's eyes.

The procession began to back up and Major Culpepper marching
along behind Rafiq the Berber dromedary, cracked his whip,
and the two star crossed lovers came back down to earth. As he
gathered himself, Wayne could feel his cheeks aglow. He turned
for a last look at her, winked and did a little fourstep. How he loved
to dance. They had met at the Annual Masquerade in the big city
and that night as they embraced it seemed as though destiny brought
them together, but it was not to be. He had his work, of course,
and she was a married woman. They had one glorious night
of wild, almost impossible passion. Somehow it just happened.
She couldn't stop herself. Or him. Although his wild lovemaking
hurt her, it was what she wanted from him. His long probing
caresses took her to the brink over and over, until at last they
lay there, exhausted but content.

They could hardly bear to part the next morning but eventually it
was time for her to leave for the hospital. Days later, she called him
to say goodbye and wish him well. Their brief fling was over. It
wasn't long before she was able to walk unaided again, walk back
to reality, without him. It was all so long ago.

Now, as the procession moved on Wayne had to accept it was the
last time they would see each other. Next day, after the second
show, he was packing his trunk and leaving the circus, finally, for the
far off forests of his homeland to take up an important new post as
a logging consultant. Whatever else might happen to him, at least Wayne
was certain, in his heart of hearts, that he would never ever forget her,
his Cecilia.