Reportedly seen at the fair

When the fair came, I have to say, that was a good time of the year. We all put on our best clothes. Janice went on the Waltzer, she had a good time. The best time all year, she said. I don’t think she was being serious, but she may have been. You could believe it. When the fair came. And it was special because it was unexpected.

Yes, that’s right, the fair was such a surprise. Such a treat. I saw them arriving, out of the mist, and I said, this is an adventure! They seemed to think they were somewhere else. I don’t think it registered with them at all where they had come to. It was like nothing at all to them.

We talked about that, didn’t we?

They did not mention the journey through the mist, or their encounters with anyone who wanted to sow doubt in their minds. They looked businesslike, bored even, by the mist, by the figures in the mist.

That was very much a topic of discussion the night before the fair. We were already excited. We met outside the shop and had some wine, and talked about it at length.

Very true. We talked about how they came looking like they thought they were in a normal town, on their list, sort of thing. It could have been near Solihul, or near Corby. It could have been a place like that. Does that sound right? Those names, do they sound right?

Yes, that’s just how it was, they arrived with their shirt sleeves rolled up, so clean from the air, their shirts. There’s a special kind of clean you get from air going through the fibres.

There’s definitely something in what you’re saying about the shirts. I think that added to it all, do you think? It added to the atmosphere. One of them spoke to me, he said ‘In the morning.’

That was nice. I was there when he spoke to you – and that’s exactly what he said. Because you had asked when we could have a go on the rides, and he said ‘in the morning.’

He spoke to me in a very kind and gentle voice. I think he was actually quite a senior member of the fair.

 Yes, I agree, he was senior, definitely. In the fair organisation. I think his main role is to meet the public, you know, drum up support and such.

Yes, I know what you mean – it all added to my sense of anticipation. And Janice went on the Waltzer, didn’t she? She went on with Dave and then Charlie. She said it was the best time of her life.

She was overplaying it!

Maybe, but she definitely did have a good time. After they packed up and went away, she returned to the park, did you see her? She looked at an area of the floor.

The ground! Not the floor. In the park it’s the ground. Not the floor.

Regardless of what it’s called, I want to ask this: Is it necessary to report what Janice did after the fair left? People here, aren’t we supposed to respect privacy? Isn’t that the point?

But this is an official record. They might want to record Janice’s actions. We don’t know what’s important, do we? All we know is we had a good time, and then she stared at the ground. A real good time. A treat.

I don’t think it’s necessary to record what Janice did after the fair left. It’s nothing. She stood there, that’s all. She stared into space for a while. She looked at the ground.

They couldn’t get her to go back to her dwelling. Not for hours. Not at all. She said it was the only happiness she had ever experienced. She said those things, and she refused to be moved.

Do you think if I spent more time out doors, my clothes would be more like theirs? I suppose you have to start with quality. They must have been old, those shirts, but they were a good quality. Well built. Sorry, I realise I am deviating from the current topic. Please continue.

We carried her away in the end, took her to the corner shop and got her a tin of beer, do you remember?

She was really alright after that. She stopped exaggerating. Went back to saying it was a highlight, you know?  A memorable summer’s event, she said. With me, she tried to laugh it off or something. A nice time, that’s all. But strange, she said. Why did they come at all? And I suppose she’s right. It was good that they left before they realised where they were. They packed up and left without even acknowledging the mist.

We could see the marks in the grass where they had been, and the tiniest square of fence fallen over. But it soon went away.

And the grass grew back.