Mr. Davis later added his two cents. ‘Kelsey is more than capable of doing the job as Mr. Kadam defines it. It’s essentially the same thing she’s been doing at the circus for the past two weeks. Plus it will be a great experience. I wish I could go myself.’
We all had a great time, and it was fun having a circus party. Sarah even brought normal cupcakes and my favorite brand of ice cream. It might not have been a typical eighteenth birthday, but I was content to just be with my foster family, my new friends at the circus, and my carton of Tillamook Mudslide.
After the festivities, Sarah and Mike pulled me aside and reminded me to touch base with them often during my trip to India. They could see on my face that I was determined to go, and they immediately felt as comfortable with Mr. Kadam as I did. I hugged them excitedly and went to share the good news.
Mr. Kadam beamed a happy smile and said, ‘Now, Miss Kelsey, it will take me approximately one week to arrange the transportation. I will also need to obtain a copy of your birth certificate from your guardians and arrange traveling papers for both the tiger and yourself. My plan is to leave tomorrow morning and return as soon as I have the necessary documents.’
Later, as he prepared to leave, Mr. Kadam walked over to shake my hand and held it for a minute, saying, ‘Thank you very much for your help. You have assuaged my fears and given hope to a disillusioned old man that has anticipated only calamity and disappointment.’ He squeezed my hand, patted it, and stepped quickly out the door.
With the day’s excitement behind us, I went to visit Ren. ‘Here. I snuck in a cupcake. Probably not on your tiger diet, but you might as well celebrate too, huh?’
He gently took the cupcake from my outstretched hand, swallowed it in one gulp, and then started licking frosting off my fingers. I giggled and went to wash my hand.
‘I wonder what Mr. Kadam was talking about. Calamity? Assuaged fears? He’s a bit dramatic. Wouldn’t you agree?’
I yawned and scratched him behind the ear, grinning as he leaned his head into my palm. ‘Well, I’m sleepy. I’m going to bed. We’ll have a fun trip together, won’t we?’
Stifling another yawn, I made sure he had enough water, then turned off the lights, shut the door, and headed to bed.
The next morning, I got up early to check on the tiger. I opened the doors and headed down to his cage, but found the door was open. He wasn’t there!
‘Ren? Where are you?’
I heard a noise behind me and turned around to find him lying on a pile of hay outside his cage.
‘Ren! How on earth did you get out? Mr. Davis is going to kill me! I’m sure I locked your cage door last night!’
The tiger got up and shook himself, getting most of the hay off his fur, and walked lazily over to me. It was then I realized I was alone in a barn with an uncaged tiger. I was scared out of my mind, but it was too late to head back out of the barn. Mr. Davis taught me never to look away from big cats, so I stuck out my chin, put my hands on my hips, and sternly ordered him back to his cage. The odd thing was that he seemed to understand what I wanted him to do. He walked past me, rubbed his side against my leg, and . . . obeyed! He padded slowly over to the ramp, flicked his tail back and forth while watching me, and was up and through the door in two great leaps.
I hurried over to close the door and, when it finally shut, let out a long breath. After getting his water and food for the day, I set off in search of Mr. Davis to break the news.
Mr. Davis took it pretty well considering that a tiger was loose. He was surprised that I was more concerned for Ren’s safety than my own. He assured me that I’d done the right thing and was even impressed by how I’d handled it calmly. I told him that I would be more careful and make sure that the cage was always latched properly. Still, I was certain that I hadn’t inadvertently left the cage unlocked.
The next week sped by in a blur. Mr. Kadam didn’t reappear until the evening of Ren’s last performance. He approached and asked if he could meet with me after dinner.
‘Sure, I’ll meet you at one of the tables over dessert,’ I replied.
The mood was one of celebration. When I saw Mr. Kadam enter the building, I gathered up my paper, pencil, and two dishes of ice cream and then sat down across from him.
He began by spreading out various forms and documents for me to sign.
‘We will be driving the tiger in a truck from here to the Portland airport. From there we will board a cargo plane, which will fly us to New York City, pass over the Atlantic Ocean, and continue on to Mumbai. When we arrive in Mumbai, I will be leaving Ren in your capable hands for a few days while I tend to some business in the city.
‘I have arranged for a truck to meet us at the Mumbai airport. You and I will supervise the workers who will be loading Ren from the airplane into the truck. A driver has been assigned to take both of you all the way to the reserve. Preparations have also been made for you to stay at the reserve for a few days. Then, you may return to Mumbai at your convenience in preparation for your trip home. I will be providing you traveling money, more than enough for any emergency.’
I took notes in a frenzy, trying to copy down all of his instructions.
‘Mr. Davis will help prepare Ren and will also load him onto the truck tomorrow morning. I suggest that you pack a bag for yourself that includes any personal items that you might wish to bring along. I will be sleeping here tonight, so you may borrow my rental car and go home to gather your things, as long as you return here by early morning. Do you have any immediate questions?’
‘Well, I have about a billion of them, but most of them can wait until tomorrow. I guess I’d better go home and get packed.’
He smiled warmly and placed his car keys in my hand. ‘Thank you once again, Miss Kelsey. I look forward to our journey together. I will see you in the morning.’
I smiled back and said goodnight. I went back to my tent to gather my things and visited briefly with Matt, Cathleen, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Maurizio. I had only spent a short amount of time at the circus, but I had already grown fond of them.
After wishing them luck and saying good-bye, I stopped by Ren’s cage to say goodnight. He was sleeping already, so I left him alone and walked out to the parking lot.
There was only one car parked – a beautiful silver convertible. I looked at the key fob and read ‘Bentley GTC Convertible.’
Holy cow. You have got to be kidding me. This car must be worth a fortune! Mr. Kadam trusts me to drive this?
I approached the car timidly and clicked the unlock button on the key chain. The car’s headlights blinked at me. I opened the door, slid into the soft, buttery leather seats, and ran my hand over the elegant, pro-nounced stitching. The dashboard looked ultramodern, with handsome instrument controls and displays in a silvery metallic color. It was the most luxurious car I’d ever seen.
I started the engine and jumped as it roared to life. Even I, someone with no real knowledge of cars, could tell that this car was fast. I sighed in pleasure as I realized that it also included heated massage seats. I arrived home in just a few short minutes, groaning in disappointment that I lived so close to the fairgrounds.
Mike insisted that a Bentley needed to be parked in the garage. He eagerly moved his old sedan out to the street and parked it next to the garbage cans. The poor reliable car was thrust out the door like an old house cat while the brand new kitten got a soft pillow on the bed.