Vera Searles
- Watch Out For The Gypsies, Willie-
Willie watched his mother counting out the money into Karyn’s hand. “This is for Willie’s carousel rides, and this is your hot dog money. This is extra to spend however you want.”
Karyn rolled up the bills into little bunches and tucked them into her fanny pack. “Okay, Willie, let’s go.”
“Karyn, you be home by four o’clock sharp,” Mama said, “and don’t you leave Willie alone for one second.” She bent down over him and smoothed his hair. “Willie, don’t you have a tissue?” She made him blow, and tucked another tissue into his pocket. As she kissed him she said, “You mind Karyn, you hear me? And watch out for the Gypsies, Willie.”
She said that every time he went to the carnival. He didn’t know exactly what it meant. He hated going with Karyn, because he was five now and it was only two blocks away. He should be allowed to go with all the other boys on their street. But he knew that Mama would never let him, because he was what they called a special child. Mama thought he was still a baby, wiping his nose and all. And now his sister had him by the hand, and she was twelve. She had the money for the rides. He was her prisoner.“What do the Gypsies do to you?” Willie asked as they walked toward the calliope music.
“They put the evil eye on you.” Karyn said it coldly, the way she always talked to him when they were alone.
“What’s the evil eye?”
“It’s bad stuff. It slimes people and turns them into blobs. And retarded little boys into wicked monsters!” She laughed cruelly and skipped along, making Willie run to keep up.He wondered whereabouts on you they put the evil eye, and what it was made out of, was it like a button or a gluey thing that stuck to you, because… he wanted one.
While they walked through the aisles between the booths Willie kept looking at people, to see if they had an evil eye on them somewhere. He decided it must be printed on you, like the little dab of red ink they put on the back of his hand, and Karyn’s, to show they had paid their entrance fee. Karyn was heading for the Ferris wheel.Willie looked up at the swinging seats far above. It terrified him. “You can have my ride,” he said. “You can go up two times and I’ll wait for you.”
“No I can’t,” she said angrily. “Mama would kill me. I’m not allowed to let you out of my sight for one minute. Come on, let’s get in line for the tickets.”
“No!” Willie shouted. “I don’t want to go up! I’m afraid!”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby. I want to go up, so you have to go, too.”
“No!” Willie screamed, making some people turn around to look.
Karyn seemed frightened at that, and loosened her grip on his hand slightly. He broke free, and ran. “Willie!” she yelled, “Willie, you come back here!”
But by now he had dodged in and out of people’s legs, scampered under a railing, past some booths, and was right near the carousel. The music was playing, and all the horses were going up and down with kids riding them. But Willie had no money or ticket to get on. He looked around for Karyn but she wasn’t there. Maybe he could sneak on.He hurried around to the rear, keeping his eyes on the ticket-taker to see if maybe he could slip past him and jump on. Willie circled all the way to the back of the merry-go-round, and saw a funny wooden wagon parked there. He stopped and stared.
The wagon was painted with all kinds of colors and wonderful pictures of dragons and moons and stuff. It fascinated Willie. Then a man with thick black hair came out of the wagon and looked over at him.
All of Willie’s bones turned to mush and his heart hammered wildly. He wanted to run but he couldn’t move. The man came closer. He said something to Willie in a strange language that Willie didn’t understand. “Are you a… a Gypsy?” Willie whispered, his knees shaking.
The man’s face broke into a big grin. He nodded and patted Willie on the head.Why did Mama always tell him to watch out for the Gypsies? This man was very nice, and smiled at him. Willie hoped the Gypsy wouldn’t notice that when Willie talked, his words didn’t come out perfect like other people’s. “Will you put an evil eye on me?” he asked politely. “I’d like one, please.”
The man stepped closer yet, hunkered down so that he was right next to Willie. He smelled of sweat and something spicy. Eyes that were blacker than midnight stared into Willie’s face. As he took Willie’s hand, the man chanted some foreign sounds, and with a whoosh Willie was suddenly floating. High above the carnival and the Ferris wheel, high above the town and into the clouds he went flying, gliding with happiness he had never known. Flying was fun! He’d never be afraid of going up on the Ferris wheel ever again. He’d never be afraid of anything again!
“Willie!”
As he turned, Willie saw Karyn running toward him. How had he returned to earth? How did he get back to the carnival? He was standing alone behind the carousel. The Gypsy man and the wagon were gone.
“Willie!” Karyn said as she came up to him,“Just you wait till I tell Mama what you did, running away from me like that. And what’s that gross-looking bug on your hand? Yuck, it’s ugly.”
Willie looked down. On the back of his hand was an eye. It wasn’t painted on, and it wasn’t glued on. It was a real eye, with a black pupil that moved slightly, almost like it was grinning at him.
Karyn grabbed his other hand. “We’re going home right now. I’m going to tell Mama how bad you are, and you’ll be grounded all week.”
Willie looked down at the evil eye and turned his hand so it could see Karyn. She instantly turned to black sludge, a putrid mess that balled itself into a spongy blob. Willie pushed at it with his foot, and it rolled beneath the carousel.Smiling, Willie headed home to show Mama his evil eye.