by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: October 11, 2010   Last Updated: October 19, 2010

It was going to be a great surprise when Mom dressed in her new clown outfit. Wanting to work as a clown for years, she had finally taken steps to pursue her dream. Dad accepted the package with the clown suit inside yesterday when the deliveryman rang the doorbell. Mom couldn't get the door because she lay sick in bed.

Although it was Saturday, Dad had gone to work. Mom assured him he could leave without regrets as long as he left homemade soup in the fridge. Warming up a bowl of soup in the microwave would be cinchy. Even Joseph, the eldest brother, who was eleven, could help mom with that.

Joseph was smart. He knew how to do all kinds of things. When seven-year-old Susie got a bike for her birthday, Joseph helped dad make sense of the assembly instructions. Once, he even helped Mom figure out how to measure ingredients for sugar cookies.

Ten-year-old Jimmy could hardly keep his eyes off the delivery box when the children piled up on Mom’s bed. Dad had placed the box in plain sight next to the dresser. “Why is the clown suit box so big?” Jimmy asked.

Mom told him the box was big because it contained everything she needed to transform into a clown.

“You mean rainbow hair and big shoes and stuff,” Jimmy pried.

“Ah-ah-ah! That’s a surprise,” laughed Mom. Her stuffy nose and scratchy throat made her sound like a hissing cat talking with people language instead of meowing.

“Well hurry up and get better so we can see you in it,” chuckled Jimmy.

“Yeah, Mom,” injected Joseph, “It’s too bad you won’t be able to wear it for the fair grand opening.”

“I know, Sweetie,” said Mom. “But it'll look just as good when I wear it tomorrow.”

“That’s another thing, Mom,” added Joseph. “Today is the only day the first two hundred people get free prizes. Since the gate opens at 10:00, it would be great if you forced yourself to feel better by 9:30.”

“Joseph, you’re kidding. Right?”

“Yeah, Mom, I'm kidding about you going. But I really think Jimmy, Susie, and I should go. It’s only half a mile away. We could walk there in ten lousy minutes!”

“You’re making me feel sicker talking like that. I couldn’t let you guys walk to a fair alone.”

“Why not?”

“The traffic is bound to be immense! You know how crowded the fair will be? Just be patient for one day. Then we'll

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