Welcome to Ruby City
Epilogue
“Dorothy,” the young woman was nudged back into reality by her friend Janet, “This is our stop, silly. We don’t want to be late!”
The two women got out of the neighbor’s buggy. The buggy started off with the whip of the reigns; on the other side of the dusty road stood a large red tent. This was a first in rural Kansas. The circus had come to town, and Dorothy and Janet were not going to miss it. The last time they had seen the circus was twelve years prior, but it had only been three small peddlers with trained dogs.
Dorothy followed Janet across the road and past all the vendors selling their cotton candy, popped corn, and peanuts. Children ran across the field where the tent was set, balloons swaying on strings from their hands. Dorothy smiled; she remembered how carefree those childhood days had been. She followed Janet to the front of the large tent, catching a glimpse of the caravan parked beneath the trees. One of the wagons seemed familiar, as if from a dream Dorothy had years ago. If she remembered correctly, the man mentioned on the wagon was a medium.
Janet and Dorothy found two seats in the front row. Within minutes the rest of the seats were filled, mostly by children or families. The sounds of trumpets opened the scene and a spotlight picked out a man in a tall, black hat. As the man began to speak, a little furry head popped up from Dorothy’s handbag.
“Dorothy,” hissed Janet, “You can’t bring Toto here!”
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” the voice seemed oddly familiar to the older Dorothy, “Tonight we have a spectacular show lined up for you!”
Dorothy could only see the back of the man’s head. He clenched one hand into a fist and tapped it with a thin black stick he held in the other. From thin air came a dove and the audience gasped. Toto II growled and sprang from Dorothy’s bag. Before she or Janet could catch him he was in the center of the ring, heading straight for the ringmaster.
“Look, a puppy mommy!” a child giggled.
Dorothy leapt from her seat and chased after her little dog. The ringmaster turned and scooped the little dog up into an oversized handkerchief; he tied the corners and held the bundle at arm’s length. Dorothy stopped before she came to the man.
“I’m sorry, sir, that’s my dog.”
The spotlight lit the man’s back now, but shadowed his front. He began to laugh, and instead of handing the tied up pup to his owner he placed the dog in his palm and clapped his hands together. The crowd gasped as the cloth fell limp to the floor with no trace of the dog.
“What did you do to my dog?!”
“He is in no way harmed,” the man removed his hat and the light hit his face, “Now what is your name, Miss?”
The young woman smiled at his kind face, “Dorothy, sir.”
“Well, Dorothy, I would like you to reach into my hat and pull out the first thing you can grab.”
The woman nodded and placed her hand into the hat. She was up to her elbow in hat when her fingertips brushed against fur. She took hold of the warm body and hauled it out to see her precious Toto II in her hands once more. The crowd began to cheer and clap and Dorothy laughed as the dog lapped at her face.
Jack brought another handkerchief forward and stuffed one end through a fist. He pulled the exposed corner through his fist and out popped a bouquet of daisies, “For you, Dorothy.”
He bowed and she curtsied in thanks. With flowers and dog in hand Dorothy whispered, “I didn’t think I would ever see you again. I thought it was all a dream.”
Jack, looking as young as he had when they first met in OZ laughed, “Don’t you know? Dreams come true when you believe in them.”
The two women got out of the neighbor’s buggy. The buggy started off with the whip of the reigns; on the other side of the dusty road stood a large red tent. This was a first in rural Kansas. The circus had come to town, and Dorothy and Janet were not going to miss it. The last time they had seen the circus was twelve years prior, but it had only been three small peddlers with trained dogs.
Dorothy followed Janet across the road and past all the vendors selling their cotton candy, popped corn, and peanuts. Children ran across the field where the tent was set, balloons swaying on strings from their hands. Dorothy smiled; she remembered how carefree those childhood days had been. She followed Janet to the front of the large tent, catching a glimpse of the caravan parked beneath the trees. One of the wagons seemed familiar, as if from a dream Dorothy had years ago. If she remembered correctly, the man mentioned on the wagon was a medium.
Janet and Dorothy found two seats in the front row. Within minutes the rest of the seats were filled, mostly by children or families. The sounds of trumpets opened the scene and a spotlight picked out a man in a tall, black hat. As the man began to speak, a little furry head popped up from Dorothy’s handbag.
“Dorothy,” hissed Janet, “You can’t bring Toto here!”
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” the voice seemed oddly familiar to the older Dorothy, “Tonight we have a spectacular show lined up for you!”
Dorothy could only see the back of the man’s head. He clenched one hand into a fist and tapped it with a thin black stick he held in the other. From thin air came a dove and the audience gasped. Toto II growled and sprang from Dorothy’s bag. Before she or Janet could catch him he was in the center of the ring, heading straight for the ringmaster.
“Look, a puppy mommy!” a child giggled.
Dorothy leapt from her seat and chased after her little dog. The ringmaster turned and scooped the little dog up into an oversized handkerchief; he tied the corners and held the bundle at arm’s length. Dorothy stopped before she came to the man.
“I’m sorry, sir, that’s my dog.”
The spotlight lit the man’s back now, but shadowed his front. He began to laugh, and instead of handing the tied up pup to his owner he placed the dog in his palm and clapped his hands together. The crowd gasped as the cloth fell limp to the floor with no trace of the dog.
“What did you do to my dog?!”
“He is in no way harmed,” the man removed his hat and the light hit his face, “Now what is your name, Miss?”
The young woman smiled at his kind face, “Dorothy, sir.”
“Well, Dorothy, I would like you to reach into my hat and pull out the first thing you can grab.”
The woman nodded and placed her hand into the hat. She was up to her elbow in hat when her fingertips brushed against fur. She took hold of the warm body and hauled it out to see her precious Toto II in her hands once more. The crowd began to cheer and clap and Dorothy laughed as the dog lapped at her face.
Jack brought another handkerchief forward and stuffed one end through a fist. He pulled the exposed corner through his fist and out popped a bouquet of daisies, “For you, Dorothy.”
He bowed and she curtsied in thanks. With flowers and dog in hand Dorothy whispered, “I didn’t think I would ever see you again. I thought it was all a dream.”
Jack, looking as young as he had when they first met in OZ laughed, “Don’t you know? Dreams come true when you believe in them.”