When Fiction and Real Life Collide

Many of the characters in The Smile Ambassadors are based on real people.  Some the names are thinly veiled to protect the guilty…In the case of The Professor, (the owner and operator of Big Time Sideshow), the real life counter-part is The Curator, (aka Jim Zajicek, owner of Big Circus Sideshow).

Jim and I met several years back in Tucson at the Pima County Fair.  Jim’s show had a 100 foot banner line.  I had a ten foot front single-o known as America’s Smallest Travelling Museum.  We would share coffee and mini donuts, framing out ultimate shows and basically cut up the jack-pots.

Jim didn’t show up last year in Tucson.  He fell very ill and fought off colon cancer.  We all thought he had it beat.  He even booked a shortened summer run.  Earlier this year he played Tallahassee.  Things were looking up.

The cancer came back.  Jim spent a month in the hospital with all sorts of complications.  That was March and part of April.  He began wellness treatments and that seemed to be working.  There was talk of another shortened summer run.  His other half was happy because he was well enough to drive and get around town.

A few days ago, I received word through the fair grape-vine that Jim had taken a turn for the worst.  In fact he was in hospice.  An e-mail conversation with his wife turned care-giver confirmed the bad news.  Yes there was always hope…but….

Jim never got a chance to read about his character in the book.  He fell ill about the time it was published.  Since then its been a battle.  One that it appears he might very well lose.

I talked to Jim.  We skirted the obvious.  I outlined a new turtle racing show I was framing.  I painted a word picture of using Ben Hur music to introduce turtle racers as they were ceremoniously presented to the track.  There would be banners, big banners, picturing each of the racers.  Jim asked if it would be like the Monkey racers of years ago…Yup, exactly.

There will be an additional pitch to the fairs I explained.  Not only would there be the turtle racing, but a turtle museum that would be open before and after the races.  Educational!  Fairs like educational.  I would gloss over the fact that there would be a little slum shop selling everything turtle…Jim asked if it would be the blow-off…Exactly!  Blow-off.  Us showmen like blow-off.

I began telling Jim about his character in the book. He laughed when I told him that I changed Racetrack’s name to Hound Dog.    I will remind the reader that the book is based on real people and perhaps even real events.

It was around this point that Jim had to end the call as his Pastor had come by.  

I am proud to say that I knew Jim and we were friends.  

I don’t know if Jim will make it.  I, along with a great many others hope that some miracle occurs and he does recover.  But, if the Lord has a different plan for Jim, then I would say to him that “May All His Lots Be Green.”