I got onto I-10W and felt more energized knowing I was closing in on Uncle Palaver's location. Before I reached El Paso. I stopped again and this time had a salad with a glass of water. My stomach was beginning to rebel, demanding more and not letting my hunger pangs stop. but I just drank more water instead of ordering anything else.
When I reached El Paso. I pulled into a gas station and got directions to the theater where Uncle Palaver was performing. It turned out to be out of the city, farther west on the I-10 highway. I made a few wrong turns and didn't reach the theater until it was nearly six-thirty. The box office wasn't yet open, but there was a big poster of Uncle Palaver and Destiny.
The theater itself looked like a converted old warehouse. I had no idea where Uncle Palaver might have parked his motor home. so I thought the best thing to do was wait for the box office to open to see if I could get any information. I sat in the car and watched people begin to arrive. Finally, the box office opened. and I got out.
The woman inside was finishing organizing her change when I stepped up.
"Can you tell me where I could find Palaver?" I asked her.
"Inside at seven-thirty," she replied dryly without so much as glancing at me.
"No. I mean now." I said.
She looked up. annoyed. Her hair looked as if it had been molded out of wire and glued to her head. She had so much makeup on that anyone would have assumed she was part of the show.
"What?" she asked. squinting.
"I need to see him beforehand. I'm his niece. and I just drove in from Tennessee. actually,"
She raised her eyebrow and pilled her lower lip back and in so far it created two thin gullies along her chin.
"Drove in from Tennessee?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well. I have no idea where he is. I just sell tickets here. He'll be here at seven-thirty. Do you want a ticket, or don't you?"
Four people had come up behind me and were waiting. Other people had parked and were entering the theater.
"Yes," I said quickly, not knowing what else to do.
I paid for the ticket and entered the theater. This wasn't the way I wanted to surprise him, but perhaps it would have to do. Unfortunately, the first five rows were already filled. I found the closest seat I could and sat waiting. The theater probably didn't hold more than three hundred or so people, so it filled up quickly. I guessed that Uncle Palaver's television appearances and other publicity must be working for him.
I realized, of course. that I had never seen one of Uncle Palaver's shows. None of us had. We had only the news clippings and pictures. I was very excited and eager for him to know I was here. I sat waiting for the curtain to open. I had worn the watch he had given me some time ago at Brenda's basketball game. There was only ten minutes to the start of his and Destiny's performance. Everyone around me seemed genuinely excited. I was proud and happy for Uncle Palaver. He was a success after all.
Just before seven-thirty, the curtain began to inch open, and the lights dimmed around us. A spotlight widened on the center of the stage and then suddenly went off and then on like a blink of an eye. There before us was Destiny, seated on a chair. only...
I leaned forward. What was this? Some gimmick? A hush came over the audience.
This wasn't Destiny herself. It was a life-size doll. A moment later. Uncle Palaver stepped out dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. The audience applauded, and he smiled, bowed, and looked at the doll.
"Nice crowd. Destiny," he said.
The doll's head turned ever so slowly as if it were panning the audience. Then the doll nodded, and its mouth moved. We heard. "It's a crowd. How do you know they're nice?"
People laughed. He's a ventriloquist, too, I thought. Funny how we never knew and he never did any of that at our house.
"Well, we'll soon find out," Uncle Palaver said. "Let's get some of them up here."
He stepped off the stage and picked out a half dozen members of the audience and had them up to the stage. As he had them introduce themselves, he performed his sleight-of-hand tricks, pulling what would be embarrassing things out of their ears, and somehow, out of their jacket and pants pockets. He had an elderly man reach into his own pocket and come out with a folded-up Playboy magazine centerfold. The man's face turned red-dye-numbereight red, and his wife, who was in the audience, howled, causing the audience to roar. He swore he hadn't put that in his pocket. Uncle Palaver turned to the doll and asked its opinion, and it said he should have the gentleman look in his rear pocket now. Nervously, he did, and when he produced another folded centerfold. the audience applauded vigorously.
Every time Uncle Palaver performed a trick, he turned to the life-size doll of Destiny, and it moved its mouth and offered a comment. Where was Destiny herself? I wondered, and looked to the corners of
the stage, expecting her to step out any moment.
She didn't.
Following the tricks, he then somehow managed to hypnotize the entire group right before our eyes. He had them do very silly things which Destiny suggested. The audience loved it. After that, he woke them all, and they looked sincerely confused. He thanked them, and they returned to their seats.