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“Hello, my name is Luna Bodman. I’m doing some research on carnivals and I came across two flyers with your name on them.”
“Are y’all looking to book something?” the gentleman asked.
“Well, no. As I said, I’m doing some research. The history of carnivals in the South.” Luna was surprised that she was able to conjure that lie so quickly. It just spilled out of her mouth. Although that wasn’t anything new, really.
“Do tell,” the man insisted.
“Do you have a few minutes?” Luna asked politely.
“I do. What can I do fer ya?”
“First, if I send you a photo of the flyer, do you think you’d recognize what year it’s from?”
“Can’t say until I see it.”
“Good point. Can I e-mail you a copy?”
“Sure thing.” The man gave her the e-mail address associated with the company.
“I’m going to send it over now. Meanwhile, if you don’t mind answering a few questions?”
“Go ’head.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Goin’ on forty years now.”
“Do you travel all over the South?”
“Mostly the Carolinas and Georgia now. But we keep busy.”
“How many people attend the carnivals?”
“That depends. Anywheres from a couple hun’red to over a thousand. Sometimes we’re the only family entertainment available to a lot of folks. Getting yer family to Disney World ain’t no free walk in the park, if you get my drift.”
Luna chuckled, thinking about the rambunctious kids who descended upon the center. “Yes, family vacations can be very expensive.”
“You ain’t kiddin’.”
Luna was getting the impression the man had much more free time on his hands than a few minutes.
“While we’re on the phone, can you check to see if my e-mail came through?” Luna did not want to drag out the conversation any longer than necessary. She feared he was going to tell her much more than she was interested in.
“Sure can. Hang on.”
Luna could hear footsteps in the background. Some clicks that sounded like someone was typing on a keyboard. Then footsteps getting closer to the phone.
“Yep. One says ‘Special Appearance by Wild Bill Harper.’ That had to be 2000, 2001, 2002, I reckon. He’s no longer with us. Thems were the two years he traveled with our troupe.”
Luna could barely contain her excitement. She had it narrowed down to two years.
“And do you recall where you had the carnivals?”
“Lots a places them years,” the man answered.
“Can you narrow it down a bit?” Luna crossed her fingers, hoping she’d get something geographical from him.
“Like I said earlier, mostly the Carolinas and Georgia. Usually started in Georgia and worked our ways back north. So, if I was goin’ to make a guess, I’d say Georgia was June, South Carolina would be July, and North Carolina would be August.”
