Freaks

When I was about eight I was allowed to see some of the sideshows at the State Fair.  Even at that age, I knew that some of the freaks at the fair were fake or augmented in some way. Some, like Voltara, were just hoary illusions from the 1920s. One show I do vividly remember featured conjoined twins. They were boys, a few years younger than me, and unlike some of the acts, these 'freaks' were real.

They had their own show, with a separate admission. They were exhibited in a room about 12 feet square, furnished with a TV set and toys. There they sat, attractive children, normal in appearance except that they had four arms and two heads. It disturbed me greatly. I was at the age when I had just begun to figure out that all creation was not perfect. My little brain thought long and hard about them.

It may have even given me a touch of empathy.

I have wondered, from time to time, what became of them.

The other day I found out.