A clown

Family dinner was bound to happen as everything was well set up on that day of Saturday. After a long time, not being able to set my eyes on my family, my joy couldn't be expressed. I felt like just jumping to the middle of the street and scream all my voice out.

Harry was my only son, at that moment he wasn't in the house but had gone to play football all alone in a lonely field. He never noticed how fast time went, looking on his wrist watch that he had to hurry up to get home in time.

Through the quiet cemetery, walking in fear with no one ahead of him or behind. The strong wind that kept on pushing him like a paper, holding his ball tightly not to slip away from his hands. An image was seen from a distance, it wasn't clear who it was. The figure that was so fade, but all Harry knew was that He wasn't alone in that road.

The man approached Harry and stared at him and when Harry looked directly to his face, his face was all painted up in red . Harry panicked and screamed, "aaaarhg! as he ran as fast as he could that even the safari rally couldn't overtake him.

Banging the door, "mommy open for me".

I didn't not understand what all this banging was all about, opening the door. Harry couldn't even recognize to greet me, "am I transparent?

Harry ran so fast upstairs, closing the door of his room in a big bang. I followed him to know what was wrong with him. The door was closed, no matter how I pleaded for him to open the door but he didn't open it.

"Harry! Son, open the door-*

There was no any response, I was getting even more worried as I went to the next room to fetch some spare keys of Harry's room. At long last, I had opened the door but where is Harry?

i heard a voice of someone crying, looking into the bathroom I found him at the corner with tears dripping from his eyes.

"oh! Son, "bending towards him, as he held me so tightly like he was afraid of something.

"What's wrong son?

"mommy, I saw a monster

"There are no monsters, son-

mommy I saw a monster with red face and big nose, "Harry kept on insisting.

The backyard was all set up with decorations, long table and chairs with delicious food. The aroma couldn't stop pulling our nose so long. The place all filled up with lighting, that one could think it was a canval or a casino.

One by one family started arriving, standing next to the gate welcoming them. Harry had forgotten all his experiences the moment he made himself busy like ants together with his long time cousins.

Football was all in his mind as they ran around and around playing football. We had started to eat dinner, as stories filled the air together with laughter. You could see the happiness of having dinner as a family.

Harry's ball rolled towards the bush, and as he ran after the ball, he was stopped by a person with sharp shoes. Raising his head up, her eyes came into contact with a man in red face.

"Aaaargh! Harry screamed that he ran to get away, family didn't know what was going on. I welcomed the clown and offered him a seat and meal.

"Where are you, Harry?

Harry had hidden himself that no one had an idea where he was. Under the table, people could feel tickling on their legs.

"Ouch! Do you have cats here?

I peeped under the table with one eye, "I see you Harry, spiderman will save you-*

No matter how I made my boy to laugh, it was futile but wrinkles filled his face. In sadness as he bowed down in loneliness. I crawled down under the table and hugged Harry.

"what's wrong, my baby?

Harry looked at me, "mommy you invited a monster to have dinner -*

I didn't get all into my mind what Harry meant when he said a monster.

"Mommy, a monster is eating our food-*

Harry couldn't stop holding my dress so tightly, coming from under the table. The clown made us to break our ribs in laughter, pointing at Harry to go towards him -*

"Mommy, no -

Harry was filled up with fear thinking that he would be eaten up by so called monster. I walked towards the clown, Harry pulling me behind, "no mommy don't go-

standing before the clown that all of a sudden, the clown removed his costume.

"You-* as I pointed at the clown

All a long it was my husband that we had divorced, all disguised as a clown. My face was filled with anger as I called unto my sister, "Janet, take Harry with you upstairs. The family dinner had turned out to be a drama.

My ex husband wanted to be near his son but I couldn't let him, "Go away I screamed towards him. My family stood and ordered him to leave.He had no other choice but to leave. My divorced husband coming in for family dinner without invitation, but, disguised as a clown.

Copyright by Joan Opoyi