Wash behind your Ears!

I never claim to be the best writer, but if you are are a good writer you know you start somewhere and in this case it comes from short stories.

Jeffery was stuck in an average job doing the day to day grind.  Each night he would come home and do a routine that most would find strange.  Jeffery was fascinated with magic and so after every shower he would wrap a towel around his waist and one around his head.  He would then reach down beside the sink and pull up a bag of magic tricks.  For hours he would stand there air drying and performing his tricks to his reflection.

 

Each payday Jeffery would head to the local magic store and examine new tricks or watch beginners as they were trained how to perform and would also practice their tricks on visitors in the store.  One day as Jeffery sat and watched a performance he was approached by the store owner. 

 

“Why don’t you give us a performance?”  The owner asked.

 

“Oh, no way I don’t think I am that good.”  Jeffery proclaimed.

 

“Well, to be honest neither are these kids but this is how they get better.  Who knows maybe you are a lot better than you think.” 

 

“I’ll tell you what, my next day off is this weekend.  If you have a spot for me I will give it a shot.”  Jeffery said with confidence.

 

The store owner walked over to a glass case counter which showed off some of the most picked tricks and those enticing little tidbits that most people feel they have to get their hands on.  He then pulled up a book from a hidden shelf in the glass case giving it the illusion that he pulled this book out of nowhere.

 

“Let me see.” The owner paused. “Yes, Saturday at 5pm I have a spot open and there will be just a few people here for that day.  So you don’t have to worry about a crowd or that stage fright that most beginners get.”

 

“Thank you, my name is Jeffery.”  He said as he offered his hand to be shaken.

 

“The great Bobo or just Bob.”  Bob replied shaking Jeffery’s hand.  “We need to give you a stage name.  Give me a moment and I will get one for you.”

 

A Hispanic teenager walked up to the counter and gave Jeffery a dirty look.  “Move it bolio!”  He blurted out rudely as he placed his item on the counter and then his money.  After completing his transaction he looked back at Jeffery and said

 

“Thanks bolio!”  He laughed and walked out the door.

 

“Sorry about that.  The young man always does that.  I don’t know why.  Hey!  There you go, you can be the Great Bolio!”  Bob chuckled and continued.  “The word is Spanish and it actually describes bread they make, but it is also slang for a white person.  You don’t have to really explain that to anyone but it is a name that no one else has.”

 

Jeffery paused and stared off into space as he thought about it.  He could picture his name in the big lights saying, “THE GREAT BOLIO TONIGHT!”  With each flash of light in his thought the smile on his face broke larger and larger making it just about impossible to not like the name.  Who would have thought someone being rude would actually turn into a name that he would eventually be known as and maybe even famous.  “I will do it!”  He answered.

 

“Great, I will have things set up for you.  Bring yourself about 10 to 12 tricks and we will go over them first.  You and I will talk about routines and then how you set them up to lead to the mystifying finale!  Trust me and I will help you get a new goal in your magic act.” 

 

“Awesome I can’t wait.”  Jeffery excitedly squeaked as he hurried out the door.

 

That evening Jeffery…No the Great Bolio jumped into the show to get cleaned up and then stood in front of the mirror to practice his selection for Saturday.  One of his tricks consisted of him doing a slight of hand trick where he would take an heirloom that his grandmother gave him and would stick it behind his ear giving it the illusion that it disappeared into midair.  Every time he would do that he couldn’t help but act amazed because through his reflection he had perfected the trick all too well.  Hours upon hours he stood before the mirror each night practicing and practicing.  He wanted it to be just right as he would stand before the few people and perform his act.

 

Saturday took forever to arrive, to Jeffery it was like when you are extremely hungry and walk into a restaurant to eat it seems like it takes hours for them to first take your order then to deliver it.  By time the food gets to you, you believe you are not hungry any more.  As you dig into your dish you find after a few bites you are full.  Jeffery was afraid that he would give the same effect as he would perform after a few tricks people would be bored, they would suffer from that full effect too soon.

 

When Saturday did arrive Jeffery put together his bag of tricks, one required him to have a top hat so he dressed sharply and put on his top hat to complete the look.  He pulled open the door to the magic shop, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stepped through the door.

 

“Pay attention where you are walking, Bolio!”  The teen blurted out.

 

Jeffery opened his eyes to see the teen trying to exit the shop with a rather large package.  Without saying a word Jeffery stepped aside holding the door open for the teen as he walked out, then he turned and scanned the shop for Bob.

 

“Ah the Great Bolio has arrived!”  Bob announced.

 

Jeffery blushed but smiled as the excitement of his first performance built up inside.  He rushed over to Bob to shake his hand.  “Thank you again for this opportunity.”

 

“What happens is up to you.  When someone opens a door it is your choice to enter or not, what you do on the inside of the door is up to you.”

 

Together Bob and Jeffery walked to a backroom to work on the order of his performance.  Bob told him the order and then asked Jeffery to do a run through of the tricks.  When Bob got to the finale Bob about lost control, with enthusiasm he rushed up to Jeffery and patted his back. 

 

“I have seen many talented people come through here and none have ever managed their performances as great as you did.  If I didn’t know any better I would say you were a pro.”

 

“Every night I practice in front of a mirror and to be honest Bob, I have never performed in front of anyone.”

 

“Don’t you worry about a thing, if you do what you just did for me and with the same confidence you will definitely go far.”  Bob said with a sly smirk.

 

Looking at his watch Bob realized the time and hurried out to the floor to get Jeffery set up and ready.  Jeffery put everything in its place as Bob leaned in to ask a question.  “One thing I need to know, where did you learn that last trick with the heirloom?”

 

“To be honest, I just made it up and it has worked perfectly everytime.”  Jeffery answered.

 

“That is what tells me you are going to be great, a good magician makes up his own tricks and even gives the audience a challenge.  You stick with what you know and you will be awesome.”

 

Chairs squeaked behind them as people walked in and sat down.  In the crowd two men in suits sat and pulled out a pad of paper along with a pen.  They made it look as if they were sitting down to be taught but their facial expressions were deep and intense.

 

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Great Bolio!  You are going to do good, take a deep breath because heeeeere weeeee goooooo!”  Bob stretched out the end!  “Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, making his grand debut, the fantastic, the amazing, the mysterious, THE GREAT BOLIO!”

 

Jeffery did his performance giving the audience a few tricks that dropped their jaws.  Some of his performance included pulling a rabbit from his hat, he then poured water into the hat and placed it on his head without spilling a drop, but the grand finale was the one that keep people asking for more as his grandmother’s heirloom disappeared into mid-air so they thought as it stuck perfectly behind his ear.  They all stood to their feel clapping and cheering his performance. The few in the front seats patted him on the back and shook his hand.

 

As the people cleared the room the two suited gentlemen walked up to Jeffery.  One without saying a word moved his hands through the air, with a flick of his wrist a popping noise echoed as a business card mysteriously appeared in his hand.  Still keeping quiet he handed Jeffery the card.

 

The second gentleman pulled out his wallet and tapped a business card sticking out of his wallet.  The card burst into flames as he pulled it out and gave it a quick wave to extinguish the flame.   He handed his card to Jeffery, as he took the card he could feel the heat still on it but noticed that not a single part of the card was burnt.

 

“My name is Johnathan but many know me as the Amazing Johnny.  The name isn’t as original as yours but I am known.  How would you like to make a career of doing magic for audiences?”

 

With shock on his face Jeffery was at a loss for words as he looked to the silent gentleman.  He was shaking his head in a yes motion to assure Jeffery that they were for real.

 

“Forgive my partner here. He likes to be the Teller to my Penn performance.   Together we pull off some daredevil acts but we also perform alone from time to time.  That is when he talks.” 

 

That was the night that the Great Bolio’s life changed for a whole year straight he performed night after night.  His contract gave him a year and then he could take a vacation and work on more tricks.  For every performance Jeffery would shower so he could perfect his finale each and every time.  In the final stretch of his year the last five days he was doing performance after performance not allowing him to get that shower.  After wrapping up his last night he was already packed and ready to fly home, shower, and get some much needed rest.

 

Arriving at the airport he exited the airport and found a driver waiting for him.  The driver quickly rushed to him and took Jeffery’s luggage.  Stuffing the luggage in the trunk, the driver hurried to open the door of the car as if Jeffery was royalty.  Without saying a word Jeffery’s exhaustion allowed for it to happen as he happily entered the car and its soft luxury seats.  The kind that would suck the wake out of you at any given time and allow you to sleep for days without even knowing you are in a car.

 

As they pulled away from the airport Jeffery couldn’t help but think of showering the moment he walked in the door of his home.  His enthusiasm to get home was broken as the driver cleared his throat.

 

“Sir I am sorry but your agent wanted you to make one more performance for charity.”

 

“One more?  Where is it at?”

 

“It will be for the middle school sir.  They are very excited to have you there as they talk about careers today and some children have wanted to be magicians as well.  So knowing where you started and where you are today they were hoping that you would do your show and then talk about your new life.”

 

After arriving at the school Jeffery gathered his tricks together and entered the double doors of the school.  Making his way into the gym he could hear over the intercom his introduction and the children shouting and cheering to see him.

The Great Bolio did his routine as he watched the expressions of the children’s faces.  The shock and awe lit up their faces with each and every trick and Jeffery couldn’t help but chuckle from time to time as they seemed lost in his act.  It reminded him of being a little boy and watching the TV as some magician would perform, he too was lost in the screen in amazement as the performer would stun the watchers with his amazing feats.

 

When Jeffery reached his finale something unexpected happened.  The fact that he hadn’t showered made the unthinkable and the scariest moment for every magician come true.  When he slid the heirloom behind his ear the oily, dirtiness caused it to slip out and fall to the ground.  The trick failed.

 

The kids laughed and pointed as the saw this happen.  Jeffery didn’t know what to do and how to recover from this but like a light being turned on the answer hit him.

 

“See children, does your mother ever tell you to wash behind your ears?  This is why, you can’t be a great magician if you are dirty.”  He said as the laughs quieted down and the children began to reach for their ears.  Jeffery finished talking to the children and went home.

 

Later that week while watching the news he heard a story that caught him by surprise. “This just in the local middle school has been deemed the cleanest school.  During a recent inspection they discovered the children were well bathed and even tell the inspectors they have washed behind their ears.”