A Night on the Clown

Posted on by Simon J. Wood
clown-800x430
Deeply absorbed in my lunch at Olive’s, I heard my smartphone buzz with a message. ‘Please bring October figures to the Saudi meeting. Vernon.’
Damn! I’d forgotten it’d been rescheduled; I had just ten minutes! I ran outside to a nearby taxi rank, ominously vacant.
Hopping impatiently, I saw one approaching. As it stopped, someone with orange hair, a bowler hat and striped tights pushed past.
“Oi, I was here first!” I protested.
Ignoring me, the man proffered some tickets to the driver. “Here, you can have these. Smith’s Circus, and step on it buddy!”
The driver handed me one – “Sorry mate!” – and sped off.
With four minutes to go, another cab appeared and I was away.
–
“Jesus H Christ!” exclaimed the driver, braking suddenly. Traffic ahead was halted by an escaped herd of sheep.
Now on foot, I weaved frantically between sheep and cars. I tripped over a sheep, which bleated loudly, and papers from my briefcase were strewn around, getting both run over and trampled.
–
My phone buzzed. ‘John, we lost the Saudi account. You’re fired! Vernon.’
My ambitions were shattered.
A thought occurred and I pulled out a ticket – sod Vernon! – I was going to the circus!
–

Featured in the book, To Cut a Short Story Short: 111 Little Stories

2 thoughts on “A Night on the Clown”

Leave your thoughts