baxter the clown

an excerpt from the short story, Saving Turtles

“None of it matters because it’s life. Be a clown. Be a husband. Be a wife. Be a drunk. None of it matters because we’re supposed to keep crossing roads. We’re supposed to keep moving on. The center of life is about location and timing. Like my job. On one side of the road there’s Big Bay de Noc. On the other side, behind the casino, you have a thick wooded swamp. Throughout the spring and summer, hundreds of turtles try crossing the road. It’s my job to save them. To patrol the road and driveways to make sure turtles aren’t getting killed. People unhappy from seeing dead turtles don’t generally put a lot of money in the slots.”

“But why the suit?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to be Superman. And that was the only other choice. I don’t like capes. Besides, I can’t imagine the man of steel walking roadside, searching for turtles. Too much bending. Sometimes you gotta get right down there on your hands and knees. Can you see Superman doing that? A clown? That’s a different story. Clowns can do anything. You see a clown crouched on the side of the road picking up turtles, it’s easier to believe.”

~ CSP

The full text of Saving Turtles can be found in the book, Infidelity