“Haaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! What did you do?” Emily screamed at the top of her voice, charging at Carlos with tears and catarrh gushing out of her eyes and running down her nose, her face turned red with the veins on her forehead becoming visible, her whole body vibrated as she hit Carlos as hard as she could.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
“Dad?”
“Yes Son”
“Are you scared of clowns?” A question Anthony threw at his father while the family had dinner. A question no one expected and these almost sent George his father to the great beyond as he choked badly on his meal. Emily, his wife and Carlos his first Child all rushed to calm him down.
After performing several anti choking procedures, George regained himself as he managed to cough out the food. The entire atmosphere was tense as all eyes were on Anthony, who was fidgeting and investigating how to escape the family wrath.
“What did I tell you about talking while eating?” George asked in a coarse and cracked voice, while still gasping lightly for air.
“I'm sorry dad” Anthony apologized amidst tears.
“What in the world brought about all this clown talk anyway?” Emily fired at Anthony, but he hesitated, which angered Emily the more as she screamed, “Answer me!”
“I overheard you and dad discussing my upcoming birthday party and how dad said No clowns”
“But I want clowns, so I decided to ask to know why dad said No clowns.” Anthony responded while trying to catch his breath as he sobbed.
“Mom, I think you should chill out and cut Anthony some slacks, I mean he's just a child, and it's only a harmless question or is dad petrified of clowns” Carlos gave a mischievous smirk upon his inquiry.
“The both of you, off to school now!” Emily commanded.
As the boys carried their school bag and Anthony his lunch, Emily grabbed her car keys as she gave George a bye for now kiss on the cheek.
After the family had gone, George placed his hands on his chest as he exhaled softly and blurted, “this boy will not be the death of me”.
At school, Anthony could not stop talking about his upcoming party, he has promised his classmates it's going to be a blast, they were all anxious as they screamed in excitement with every detail Anthony dish out pertaining to his party.
“I'm telling you guys, my birthday party will be a blast, the best anyone has ever had” Anthony bragged some more.
“Hoooo…” Anthony's classmates chorused in excitement as their eyes widened.
It was all fun until they got interrupted by Elvis, the coolest kid in class whose parents gave a state-of-the-art birthday bash.
“So you mean your party will be better than mine?” Elvis questioned and this unsettled Anthony who didn't know Elvis has been in on his bragging…
Huh….ha ha…. Anthony chuckled weakly.
"Will your party be better than mine or not? Elvis questioned again, this time in a more authoritative tone as the rest of their classmates listened with rapt attention.
By now, all eyes were on Anthony, and he's trying so hard not to cry, as he doesn't do well under pressure.
“Well, I mean my parents said there would be a clown at my party." Anthony said in a shaky voice.”
Elvis eyes lit up, “Wow! Adult clowns, you mean?”
“Yeah….” Anthony responded, shaking inside and wondering which clown is considered an adult clown. “Are clowns, not, clowns, again?” He wondered, but too embarrassed to even let out his thought.
“Brilliant then!” Elvis said in excitement.
He continued, while giving Anthony a light tap on the cheek, as him and his crew excused themselves for recess. “We shall be there, and do make sure it's worth our time”
“You shall be what now?” Anthony questioned in disbelief as his eyes enlarged, threatening to give up its eyeballs because he had lied about the clown coming.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity man, do not ruin this for yourself.” Collins, Anthony's best friend said as he squeezed and shook on his shoulders.
School ended and Emily punctual as ever was already parked to take the boys home. It should be worthy to note that the boys Anthony and Carlos are 10 and 16 years old respectively.
“So…. How was school today, boys?” Emily questioned, trying to break the ice of their unusually quiet ride.
Carlos was on his video game, with his headphones on that he could barely hear a thing. Anthony, on the other hand, was busy thinking about making demands for his birthday bash to bang so he won't be turned into a laughingstock.
“Mom?” Anthony called out to his mother calmly.
“Yes? Anthony, what is it?” Emily inquired, while trying not to encourage him to go on with his demands, since that is what he has been doing the moment they started planning for his bash.
“Would there be clowns at my party?” Anthony went on with the demands anyway.
But Emily wasn't having it as she snapped at Anthony, “I thought we settled it at the dining this morning? No Clowns!
A response Anthony expected but probably wasn't ready for. For the rest of the car ride, everyone was silent as Anthony kept boiling in a range of mixed feelings.
FEW DAYS TO THE BASH
“Hey young one of whom I share parents with, what's been eating you up of late?” Carlos questioned Anthony over his sour mood.
Carlos teased: “You know, For someone hoping to throw one of the biggest parties there is, you should be excited”
“How can I be excited when mom and dad said No clowns and I already told every one of my classmates, including the coolest kid in my class, that there will be clowns, Adult clows at that.....” Anthony yelled.
He continued, “What do I do now?” Anthony questioned.
“Hmm mm… let me talk to mom and dad first to find out exactly what the issue is, I'm sure it's something your big brother can handle” Carlos assured Anthony.
“Hey mom!” Carlos swung by the kitchen to greet Emily halfway through the stairs.
“So, what's for dinner? Because I'm starving” Carlos added while rubbing his tummy and fake yawning.
“Dinner will be ready any minute now, just go do what Carlos usually does to pass time” Emily said as she waved her hands, scooting Carlos away.
Carlos turned to leave but then turned back to Emily, “So mom about Anthony's birthday?”
“No Carlos, No! I already told him NO CLOWNS!”
“But why mom? It will make the boy pleased, don't you want your son to be happy?”
“Carlos? No Clowns… We simply can't afford one, we are running on a very thin budget, but still manage to go through with Anthony's party. He shouldn't push his luck”.
Oh! I see Carlos muttered as he nods his head in rhythm.
Carlos excused his mom to get back to finalizing her cooking while he went on with plans to make Anthony's party bang with the clown. His parents has been doing so much and what is a Clown costume he can't whip up for his baby brother?
THE PARTY
Anthony's birthday started on a bright morning, decorations were up, the tables were set, the Piñata was tied up and the food plus drinks were served. Soft music filled the air as the Georges all got ready for Anthony's big day.
After several hours of preparation and looking okay, plus smelling nice, Anthony's classmates and their parents started trooping in alongside some family members and neighbors.
It was a full yard and Emily with her husband was prepared to host them. As Carlos stood watching the event unfold, he said within himself, for someone running on a very thin budget, Emily, you sure know how to throw a party.
Looking at Anthony, Carlos could tell he's not happy, he could tell Anthony was anxious and scared of what his classmate would do to him if the Clown doesn't turn up.
At the peak of the party, while everyone gathered to cut the cake, after so much dance, food and drink time.... Carlos snuck upstairs and quickly dressed up in the scary Clown costume he has rented.
He snuck into the party just to give the kids a good surprise and scare. So, the moment they finished spelling Anthony's name to cut the cake, Carlos jumped in the party yelling surprise!!!
While the children screamed in delight, scare and excitement, George collapsed and convulsed terribly at the site of the clown.
Right from his childhood, he has been frightened of Clowns after he got attacked by a lunatic dressed in one in a dark Alley.
A secret him and Emily has kept from the boys and just as George struggled for his life, the adults all tried calling the medica while some experienced ones was already administering some first aid.
As Carlos took off the mask, Emily got livid as she charged at him. The party was disrupted and brought to an abrupt close.
Thankfully, George survived but Carlos could not live pass the moment.
