STREET CIRCUS

It was the late 1980’s. I was standing outside a movie theatre in Trivandrum, waiting for the ticket counter to open. The theatre was near the railway station. After a few minutes, there was a large crowd in front of the theatre. Some of the people began to form a queue in front of the ticket counter.

Then, I noticed a young man carrying a long pole. There was a child of about four years with him. The man was clapping and trying to attract the attention of the people. Soon after, he held the pole upright and the child climbed up the pole and lay on his back on the top edge of the pole. The man lifted the pole. The child cried out 'I am afraid' in Tamil. The man told him to ‘shut up’. He then raised the pole, placed it on his forehead and started balancing it with the child at the top end. Then he held the pole and with an upward jerk, dislodged the child. As the child fell towards the ground, he cast the pole aside and caught the falling child. All those watching heaved a sigh of relief.

The man and the child then went around the crowd hoping to collect some money for the show. Only one man gave them some money. I am sure the others may have felt that he deserved a thrashing for putting the child’s life in danger.