The elephants came to town, and the nuns gathered up the lot of us. A generous donor had paid for tickets for the “orphans” to attend.
We really weren’t orphans as most of us had been seized from our families for whatever reasons, but that was a mere technicality. We were going to the circus!
One entire aisle was held as “reserved” and we felt rather proud to be so close to the action. I’ll admit it was lots of fun to see the stunned faces of many folks observing our parade. One nun led the pack as she walked the entire length of the row to sit as a bookend on the right.
Child after child filled one seat after another until the other nun was able to take her place as the bookend on the left.
Sitting nearest to the nun on the left I was first to be handed a frozen ice cream bar in exchange for passing the box down the row. I was audacious and asked the vendor who had purchased for us the treats. He pointed to a man way up in the seats behind us. I, along with other children and spectators surrounding us who’d heard my question turned to look at the man.
I stood on my seat and waved a thank you until my left-side-bookend-nun grabbed me and sat me back in my seat scolding, “Have some respect. That man didn’t do this to be part of the circus.”
© Zora Zebic 2016
I can almost see the whole scene. I like your expression “bookend nun”.