Of course, it wasn’t that easy. There was a lot to organise before we could even start, and I’m not a good organiser. Neither is Oscar. Caramella is okay, but she’s shy and slow. Luckily Aunt Squeezy was on board, because if there’s too much boring stuff to do I can get feeble-witted, and drift. I’m a dreamer, not a manager, but as I said it’s no good having ideas unless you can make them into real things, so I tried. I tried to act like a driver.
First of all, Aunt Squeezy had to arrange a time when we could all come and when the back room was available. Then we had to find mats. In the end, Mum rang Ruben and asked about the ones we used to use in the garage. He said we were welcome to them, and that they were in storage in someone else’s garage. So, eventually, we had mats. I had a meeting in our kitchen with Caramella and Oscar in which we talked about the best way to run a class, and what we could teach. Aunt Squeezy agreed to oversee the classes, since there had to be at least one adult supervisor.
As well as all this, I was making other plans, so I was busy. Suddenly I was lying awake at night trying to work it out. Here’s what I came up with:
First of all, I get The Acrobrats up and running. In the meantime, I start working out my own act – for the audition. I’ve got about six weeks. In the other meantime, I return to sleuth mode, find out when Barnaby is leaving for the tour, and then stow away in the back of the car and catch a ride to Albury. Once I’m there I can stay with Kite and Ruben. (Will leave a note for Mum, of course.)
I do the audition, simply stun them all, they immediately offer me a place, Kite wraps me in his glorious arms and we go walk by the river, to celebrate. Mum is so proud of me she agrees to let me stay with Kite and Ruben. But first of all I explain to the circus that I have a commitment back home with The Acrobrats and I will join the Flying Fruit Flies in four months time (which should be long enough to get The Acrobrats functioning without me); and because they want me so much, they let me go, but for four months only…
What is the meantime? Is it mean? Because it isn’t real time. It’s a kind of secret, other time that goes on behind the scenes while real time is performing its show.
I know, I know, there were a few weak links in the plan, but I was sticking with it, anyway.
In the middle of all this, Ada comes for dinner. She hardly ever does. Barnaby says she’s allergic to family life. I say we’re hardly a typical family, so that’s no excuse.
Ada comes in with Barnaby, wearing a strand of jade beads high on her neck, a black singlet that is just slightly see-through, and the same, distant, haunted expression she always wears at our house. She folds her white arms across her chest and stays close to Barnaby, although she smiles if you smile at her, and when she smiles she doesn’t seem as if she’s about to break out in hives. Barnaby sits her down and gives her a beer. And then, just to make her feel not too allergic, I say, ‘I like your beads.’
Her hand floats up to her throat.
‘Thanks,’ she says, and she smiles again, but she doesn’t continue the conversation so I give up. I lean back in my chair and say very loudly so everyone can hear, ‘So, Barn, what’s happening with your tour plan?’
Mum interrupts and makes everyone sit down.
‘Funny you should ask, Cedar,’ says Barnaby. He sits down as Mum plonks a chickpea curry on the table and yells for Aunt Squeezy to come.‘We’ve had a change of plan, actually.’ He glances over at Ada, but her face gives nothing away. My heart drops.
‘We’ve been asked to do a festival in Sydney – Homebake, which is a great gig. They’ll fly us up.’
‘So you’re not going to drive,’ I say, while serving myself some rice and acting like it doesn’t affect me one bit.
‘Well, we’ll fly Atticus up and then Adie and I might drive so that we can do a couple of regional acoustic shows on the way.’
Regional, I think. Does that mean Albury?
‘Drive?’ says Mum.
‘Maybe,’ says Barnaby.
‘That would be nice,’ says Aunt Squeezy. ‘A little road trip, just the two of you.’
Ada blushes and sticks her fork in potato.
I say nothing. I feel as if my whole plan is teetering on a very fine edge.
‘What car would you drive?’ says Mum, suspiciously. She has her hawk eyes in and sniffer nose on.
‘Well, Mum,’ Barnaby pulls out his chair and smiles a nice slow smile, ‘that’s where you come into it.’ (Barnaby doesn’t have a car.)
Timing, I think to myself, what excellent timing. Barnaby always has that. Ask the big ask when someone else, someone not family, is around, so that Mum will feel obliged to be nice and agreeable. I’m proud of him. Mum sighs and rolls her eyes.
‘How long were you expecting to take it for?’
‘A week. It would just be easier than flying with the instruments. Also, we’ve got these gigs booked. But look, if it’s a hassle Mum, we could cancel.’ He leans forward with a concerned look. Another superb tactic. Make Mum feel responsible for them having to cancel a gig. Barnaby is an absolute master. I’m thoroughly impressed.
‘No, no. Don’t cancel. We’ll see what we can arrange,’ she mutters. You can tell she’s a bit frustrated, but you can also tell that she’ll let him use the car.
‘I’ll have to check the insurance. Make sure you’re covered.’
Ada glances up but doesn’t move her head. Barnaby looks sidelong at her with a grin.
‘Thanks, Mum. You’re a good bloke.’
He opens his arms, leaning back, as if the world has just entered them. I keep quiet. I’m dying to ask when they’re leaving, but I’m scared I’ll give the game away. So I shove some curry in my mouth to stop me opening it.
Mum sighs again. ‘So, which week is it?’
‘First week in December.’
Perfect! Absolutely perfect. That gives me a month to prepare. I gulp down my food.
‘This curry’s great, Mum.’ I burst onto the scene like a trumpet waiting for its moment. I’m exuberant.
‘Yes, it’s lovely,’ says Ada, and then we all look at Aunt Squeezy, who’s holding her belly and looking funny.
She grimaces and says, ‘I think I’ll have to eat the canned peaches instead.’
Oh God. It’s not easy being pregnant.
Must remember never to get pregnant.