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Four “bands” and three dancers perform before it’s Hunter’s turn. Dad shifts in his seat, anxious to see his grandson. Tyler, Maisie, and I are amused by the kids.
Even Izzy looks at me a few times and says, “They’re not bad,” or, “That kid was really good.”
“Thank you, Erol and the Bandits, for that awesome rendition of ‘Thunder’! Now, for our next performance, we have a magical treat for you. Kindergartener Hunter Landish and his partner, Officer William Bronson of the Valor County Police Department, will perform a magical levitation!”
We clap as the head of the arts department heads offstage and wait a few moments before the curtain opens. From what I understand, their magic show comes with props that Will was bringing from his house. I’ve seen some of them over the past few weeks, but I have yet to see the performance. Hunter was adamant it remain a surprise and would only let Izzy be their practice audience.
“The cop is going onstage with him? I thought they were just practicing together?” Tyler looks at the program booklet, confused.
Izzy explains, “Hunter needs a lot of help, especially with his cast on. Will’s got him covered though.”
Will walks out onstage, and butterflies take over my chest. He’s wearing a tuxedo and a top hat, carrying a small speaker and placing it onstage. He hits a button on his phone, and theatrical music plays.
“Welcome, everyone. My name is Officer William Bronson, and it is my honor to introduce you to the great Huntino!”
Smoke pours from a fog machine I didn’t realize was onstage, filling up most of the space. Hunter appears out of the fog with his hands up in the air theatrically.
The audience cheers at the handsomest five-year-old in a tuxedo with tails and a top hat, holding a magic wand.
“Thank you, and welcome to the Great Levitation. For my first trick, I will make this card float in the air.” He holds up a playing card and shows the audience.
He makes a great show of proving to the audience that the card is ordinary. Before he starts, he turns around and shows Will the card. Will fiddles with Hunter’s hands for a minute while the music plays. When Hunter is ready, he turns around and magically makes the card float in the air between his hands.
It’s visually quite impressive, although I’m pretty sure he has an invisible string or something to make that happen. Still, the crowd cheers and whistles, making Hunter smile.
“For my next trick, I will levitate off the ground, standing up.”
Will takes out a small blanket and hands it to Hunter, covering the front of his body with the blanket. Hunter looks down and gets himself in place. When he’s ready, he lifts the blanket off the floor, and when he does, his feet rise with the blanket, and Hunter appears to be levitating.
The cheering starts again but milder this time. Clearly, this crowd needs to be wowed in order to form a commotion.
When that trick is done, Will places the sheet back while Hunter addresses the crowd. “And now, for my most dangerous trick, I will levitate while lying down!”
Will changes the music to one of intensity. The fog machine goes on again, and Hunter walks to center stage. When the fog has subsided, Will is behind him. The two start their trick with hoops in their hands. They’re painted gold—something they asked me to do last week. They choreographed a short dance and make some cheesy poses for the crowd as they prove their hoops are solid. It’s like a vaudeville act with the two tuxedo-clad gents acting goofy and showing off for the audience. This routine earns a big applause—most, I presume, is from the women. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the duo were father and son.
Tyler shifts, uncomfortable in his seat, with a clenched jaw.
“Now, for the big trick!” Izzy grips the edge of her seat.
Hunter says some magic words and suddenly falls over Will’s arm until he’s horizontal in both of Will’s hands. Slowly, Hunter starts to rise, and Will’s hands slowly move away from him. In a fascinating feat in magic, Hunter is floating midair, eyes closed and stiff as a board. Will takes his hand and moves it under Hunter to prove there are no strings. He then takes the hoops and waves them over and around Hunter’s body to show Hunter is levitating with magic.
The crowd goes wild.
People stand and cheer. Whistles and calls of amazement come from the parents and kids alike. It’s an amazing trick, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how they pulled it off.
I look over at Izzy in question.
She lifts a shoulder. “I’ll never tell.”
I smile and then look at Dad. He’s a hard one to impress, and in this moment, I can see he’s both mesmerized by Hunter and proud of his grandson.
Will lowers Hunter just as slowly as he raised him. Hunter falls back into Will’s arms, and he stands Hunter right side up. When he’s done, he takes a bow.
I’m out of my seat and clapping like a maniac. Hunter is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. As he takes a bow, Will is by his side, arms urging the crowd to cheer on the kid magician.
While I’m ecstatic for my son, I find myself enthralled by the man beside him.
Will. This wonderful, caring, man. He spent weeks, dedicating his time to a boy he just met and helping him put on this incredible performance. Hunter’s own father wouldn’t give his passion for magic the time of day, but Will came to the rescue tenfold.
