Three Plus

I've already written about the two injuries/illnesses resulting in missed shows. I've also mentioned that there's a saying I picked up in my last circus that there's never two without three. It's a silly superstition, of course. But it's also a superstition that, time and time again, comes to pass. And it did so ages ago. I haven't written about it though because it has been such an on going drama that I've mostly just been waiting for the saga of injury number three to reach it's stunning conclusion.

While C missed two shows due to his ankle and our bandleader missed a weekend's worth of performances, the trio has missed more performances than I can count. It doesn't help that there are three of them. It seems that someone always has some kind of injury that necessitates at least an adapted version of the act. But one of the three is particularly... problematic*.

He has a tendency to wander by, exclaim that he will not be doing the act that day, and then leave without further explanation. Sometimes it's because he feels sick. Sometimes it's because he hurts a little bit. Sometimes we don't even know. One time he didn't perform his act, with much eye-rolling from the rest of us, because he stubbed his toe during the group acro number. It hurt too much to jump, you see...

For the most part, he gets told by the higher ups to take an anti-inflammatory or some cold medicine and just suck it up. I mean, we're acrobats in the circus. We all hurt some (most) of the time. But we've also all signed a contract, and taking care of ourselves so that we can work is our responsibility and very much a part of the job. Needless to say, when he declared that his ankle hurt and couldn't do his act but was seen playing soccer for two hours a day earlier, he was handed a roll of tape, some ibuprofen, and was told to do his job.

This went on for what felt like ages. I don't know how many MRIs he's gone for at this point, but each time he's told that yes, there's a thing, but it's not a big deal and he can keep working. And so he comes backstage, hems and haws about whether or not he's going to do his act, or maybe one of the other group acts, and the rest of us sigh, roll our eyes, and let his two partners deal with him.

But now, the entire situation seems to have come to a head. He came off stage in tears the other day and after yet another round of medical visits and a week of missed performances, he's been told that he can't work on his ankle for at least three weeks. And while I hate to say it, after so much crying wolf, one can't help but wonder if that isn't what he wanted all along...

But this is the circus and the show must go on. An act is missing and that simply will not do. And so, the quest to find a temporary replacement has begun...



* Oh, the venting... the venting I could do! But it seems unfair to devote an entire post to how one person doesn't even come close to pulling his weight. It's still pretty early in the season though...