She Looks Just Like You

A house covered in long green sheets with glass windows. Just in front of that house, I balance on a tightrope. Balancing is a skill and I need to be a master, not because it's my passion but for my living.

I and my brother, today went near that same house just for the same schedule. It's not like people love watching us, they seldom make fun of our situation and some tell us to do something helpful to earn money while some think we are part of some gang who often try to manipulate people.

But this is what our life is. I don't remember my parents neither do my brother. We were just been abandon on road. Someone taught us to balance the rope and since then, we do it every day to buy something to eat. It's not our luck to eat every day but we gather the money of 2-3 days and then one-time cheap things can be bought. 

Today, my brother tied bundle of two sticks criss-cross to each other, and parallel to it another pair was crossed which we got from seaside waste. A thin thread of different useless clothes has been created. It was still a little while left for the show, we both sat near the sticks.

"Gia, what do you think, today how much are we gonna earn? "

I thought for a while, we earn a maximum of 50 rupees and at least 10. We had 20 rupees from yesterday's earnings, if we manage to earn 40 rupees, then, we can eat tonight.

"First Jeah, to earn, we need to start the show. Otherwise, it will be 0 rupees. Let's start. Come on. "

"Ok, let's go."

I went up to start the show, just at that same moment, a man walked towards and stood in front of us. He wore a suit of blue color but his eyes which had a tint of blue in those made him an exceptionally handsome man I had ever seen. I started balancing, though, I had been practicing for a few years, it wasn't natural to show it yet. I focused and started walking, and started singing a few songs which I remembered from a few people who lived around us which helped us to attract people. I completed the first round while Jeah was collecting money from people most of them put coins inside the bowl. But, the man was standing still. He had no emotions, also, he just stood as if we were invisible to him. I got down to help Jeah collect the things and carry on to the next show where Jeah performs. I went to ask for some coins with the man. I asked,

"Could you give us some money? "

He didn't answer anything. At first, I was paralyzed with his eyes, it seemed so cold. He looked at me and then, he spoke making me free from his cold stare,

"No"

I had faced rejection by nearly 90% every time but not like this. Either some were sorry for us or some behaved rudely and some..., Well ignorance can be saved. But, he wasn't sorry nor rude. And, after a long wait, I went to proceed towards the next group which just arrived and was watching jeah's performance, he was better than me he can walk on it effectively compare to me who has to control and focus with a stick. He can make a stick move as he wants. Just then, the suited man took my hand and pulled me, 

"By an hour, I want this place cleared. Move your circus somewhere else. I don't want to see your face again. "

I was shocked. How cold some people can behave. Though I knew I would face this someday but not like this. He walked away just then his purse fall down from his pocket. I called him,

"Hello, sir....." But, my voice was clouded with his cold behavior while he was faster than I had imagined. He vanished. 

I opened the purse, most parts of it were empty. I took it and went to tell Jeah to move out of this place. 

"Yeah, we need to move out. We got a warning, again. "

He was cool about it. We had done this a lot more times. 

"Let's go. "

We took our things and went to set everything near the beach. But, the man's behavior was all on my mind. I had fallen from the tightrope many times that I lost my count. 

Jeah came to see me. 

"Heya is everything alright. Today you seem disturbed. "

I can never lie to him. I told him about the man.

"You are overthinking it. Remember, ignorance. "

 He was right. I removed the purse of that man. Jeah took it from my hand. He began to open all the parts. He found a photo of 10 years old. His expression changed. Perplexed and fear are then teary. He spoke,

"This baby looks just like you when you were this old. I saw you in this. I remember it, clearly........."