Summer Magic (20 page)

Only a few days earlier, Lisa, tearful and heart-broken, had also informed him about the real reason fueling her decision.
 
Dr. Woodstock had tried everything possible to console her, all the while muttering about the cruel realities of young love.

He patted her shoulder now in a fatherly gesture, his smile reaching his eyes.
 
"All right, my dear.
 
Whatever you say.
 
But just remember what I've already told you.
 
I don't intend to fill your position right away.
 
If you should have second thoughts, Lisa, don't hesitate to contact our management headquarters.
 
They'll put you in touch with me as quickly as they can."

She nodded sadly, smiling back at him.
 
"Thanks.
 
I
will
 remember.
 
But please don't hold out any false hopes.
 
I'm not going to change my mind."

Morning came quickly.
 
Overhead, the sun blazed across an azure sky.
 
Before finishing her last-minute packing, Lisa hurried to see Ebony one final time.

"Take care, old girl," she whispered, giving the mare an affectionate pat on her velvety nose.

Ebony whinnied softly, as if indicating her own fond farewell.

"You're a real trooper, know that?" Lisa added, swiping away a tear from her cheek.
 
"I'll remember and love you always."

Later as she ducked into the back seat of the waiting cab, she turned to wave at Dr. Woodstock.
 
Thank goodness, none of the Figaros were anywhere in sight.

*****

That morning after Estelle had left the trailer, Lisa had left her a hurriedly scribbled note, avoiding any references to Michael.
 

"I'm sorry to have to leave so secretly this way," she'd written.
 
"But I do hate good-byes and I'm sure it'll be much easier for all of us."

 
My circus family
, she thought with painful realization as the cab wheeled away.
 
How many times before had she experienced similar heartache as she'd moved from one foster family to the next?
 
This time, however, her parting was infinitely more bittersweet.

The cab turned into a steady stream of traffic. Unseeing, Lisa stared outside at the landmarks whizzing by. Industrial parks, housing developments, concrete buildings. They all faded into an indistinguishable blur.

Later they squealed to a stop at the passenger loading area near the United Airlines sign.
 
Lisa paid the driver and waited at the back of the cab while he unloaded her luggage from the trunk.

"Have a safe flight, miss," he said.

"Yes, good-bye."

As she waved him off, her mind sorted through the sketchy plans she'd made.
 
Last night when she'd phoned Melanie back in New York, her friend had offered to share her small apartment until Lisa could find her own place again. Meanwhile, Lisa would need to update her resume and get busy looking for not one job, but two.

But how can I manage to salvage the pieces of my life and start over again? she wondered miserably.
 
And most of all, how could she ever survive, knowing Michael had been banished from her life forever?
 
At the thought, her heart twisted for the thousandth time.

She walked through the revolving door towards the United Airlines counter and took her place at the back of the line.

"Lisa!
 
Wait!"

Instantly she looked up.
 
Shock waves jolted her. "Claudette!
 
What are you doing here?
 
How did you know?"

Michael's twin sister sprinted breathlessly up to her, weaving her way through the other travelers.
 
"Oh, Lisa, I thought I'd never find you.
 
Estelle told me about your note. You forgot your itinerary back at the trailer, so that how I knew where to start looking for you. I was honking, trying to get your attention, but I kept losing you in traffic." Claudette stopped, sucked in a deep draft of air, and placed a hand over her heart.

"What's the matter, Claudette?" Lisa asked, blinking. A stab of fear shot through her.
 
"Is it Ebony?
 
Did she have a relapse?"
 
In the entire time she'd traveled with Jessell and Stern, she'd never seen Michael's twin so distraught--not even the night she tore her leotard.

"No!
 
It's me!
 
It's Michael!
 
Oh, I don't know, Lisa. It's both of us, I'm afraid."
 
Her face twisted into a frown. "You've got to listen to me.
 
Cancel your flight.
 
Hold onto your luggage."

"But why?"
 
Lisa blinked again, her mind whirling with confusion.

"Just wait ‘til you hear me out," she pleaded.
 
"Besides...you've got almost two hours until your plane takes off.
 
If you still decide to go...you'll have plenty of time."

"Uh...all right."

 
Claudette ran a hand through her disheveled mane of blond hair then touched her forehead.
 
"Oh, my...I should know better than to try to run so fast."

"Let's go inside and find a place to sit down," Lisa suggested.
 
She paused, darting Claudette a worried look. "Are you okay?
 
Can I get you an aspirin...or a cup of coffee perhaps?"

"Coffee might help."

"So what's the matter?" Lisa asked again after they'd found their places at a small oval table, clutching steaming cups of gourmet coffee.
 
She felt the tautness in her shoulders as she waited for Claudette's reply.

Michael's twin offered Lisa a wavering smile.
 
"I know this must seem terribly cowardly of me...but I hope you'll forgive me once you understand the truth."
 
Her nervous gaze angled off to one side, then settled back on Lisa again.

   
"Go on, Claudette," Lisa prompted softly, taking a tentative sip of coffee.
 
She tasted the chocolate sweetness of Swiss mocha, but the rich hot brew failed to soothe her escalating tension.

"All right.
 
Here goes."
 
Claudette let out a long, shaky breath.
 
"For over a year now, I've been troubled by severe dizziness.
 
In the beginning I tried to ignore it...but it didn't go away.
 
Finally I went to our family doctor in Florida, back at winter quarters..."

"And--?"
 
Lisa sat closer to the edge of her seat, inclining her head.

"Dr. Genski said it was an inner ear problem and put me on medication.
 
Later after the dizziness got worse, I...I made a long-distance call to his office to ask what I should do next.
 
Since our next stop was Galveston, the doctor put me in touch with an ear specialist there...a colleague of his from medical school."
 
She gave an apologetic shrug, averting her gaze.
 
"That's why Rita and I were late meeting you and Michael at the street dance.
 
The specialist got called in for an emergency consultation, pushing my appointment back."

"So what did that doctor do?" Lisa asked.
 
Immediate empathy eclipsed her unpleasant feelings about Claudette.

Michael's sister heaved a sigh.
 
"He started me on a new drug, an experimental one this time.
 
But he also said that if it didn't work, I would need to start making plans to get my replacement.
 
I was frantic, of course.
 
I didn't want my career to end."

"Of course not," Lisa said.

"That night at the street dance," Claudette went on, "Rita and I decided it was time to confide in Michael--and Estelle, too, just as soon as we could get back to the circus grounds.
 
But I made them promise to keep quiet till the doctors had come up with their final prognosis.
 
That bit about adding a fourth flyer was simply a decoy, of course."

"But why?
 
Why would you want to keep it from the rest of your family--and everyone else too--when they might've been able to help?"

"I don't know.
 
I...I guess I just wanted to hold on to what little hope I had.
 
I figured Mom had all she could handle with Papa being gone.
 
And of course he had his problems too."
 
Claudette's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "But now that's all changed, Lisa.
 
At Michael's insistence, I've told both Mom and Papa, just like I'm finally telling you.
 
I...I'm sorry I waited so long.
 
Michael's still furious with me about that."

Lisa reached out and squeezed Claudette's hand.
 
Poor lady.
 
No wonder she'd been acting so strangely.
 
"Isn't there anything else the doctors can do for you?" Lisa asked.

"I'm afraid not.
 
The experimental drug was my last ditch effort.
 
That night I fell from the trapeze, we knew for sure Rita would have to take my place.
 
We also promised ourselves we'd need to practice harder than ever."

"Gosh, Claudette."
 
Lisa gasped softly.
 
"I thought you fell because you ripped your leotard and lost your focus."

"Hopefully everyone else did too."
 
She took a long, slow sip of her coffee.
 
"And when it came to our practice sessions, I...I hoped no one would notice that I was spending most of my time coaching Rita from the ground.
 
Of course, that put most of the burden on Michael and my sister." Claudette stared thoughtfully down at her paper cup. "And speaking of Michael, that's another reason I'm here."

"Is something wrong with Michael too?" Lisa couldn't hold back the rising panic in her voice.

"Most certainly not."
 
A smile lifted a corner of Claudette's mouth.
 
"Nothing more than an incurable case of lovesickness."

"Oh?"
 
Sudden relief swept over Lisa while at the same time her stomach twisted with new dread.
 
Was Claudette about to inform her that Michael and Rita had made a commitment?

"Last year after our stay in Madison Square Garden," Claudette continued, her voice more confident now, "Michael talked about you constantly, Lisa."
 
Claudette went on to confess how she'd been certain Michael's real reason for leaving the circus was to go find Lisa.

Claudette took another swallow of coffee.
 
"That was also the time I started experiencing the dizziness.
 
I realized that if both Michael and I left, our troupe would fall apart for sure."
 
Her eyes softened.
 
"When my twin brother made the decision to come back, I was more relieved than you'll ever know."

"Then I came along and posed an even greater threat," Lisa finished for her.
 
"You thought I might lead Michael astray again."

"Exactly.
 
I know it may sound dumb, but I was scared and desperate.
 
That's why I tried so hard to get Michael interested in Rita.
 
I figured if he married her, he'd always stay."
 
Claudette poked at a crumb on the table, frowning. "But I finally managed to get a grip on myself and take a positive look at life.
 
I finally realized that though I’d have to find another vocation, my life wasn't over totally."

"So what are you going to do, Claudette?" Lisa asked softly.

"I'm going to move to Montana and work with Mom's poodle breeder," she answered, brightening.
 
"I've always loved dogs, just like you love horses.
 
And truth is, now that I've sorted everything out, I'm really excited about my future. And luckily, too, the dizziness hasn't affected my driving. Hopefully it never will."

"I'm glad your story has a happy ending," Lisa answered sincerely.