Friday, February 26th, 2021

The angel looks down on the crowd in the city square. Three meters tall on stilts, she could look eye-to-eye at the pirate or either of the clowns, but they are focused on their balance and their juggling. A gold hula hoop escapes the grip of one of the acrobats and hits the angel on the leg. It doesn’t change her stance. The acrobat catches it again on the rebound. The musicians at the inner edge of the circle surround them. Two drummers, one with one drum, one with two, maintain a complex rhythm. An alto sax, sousaphone, and two trumpets play repeating riffs, occasionally breaking into contrasting bebop-like phrases. One acrobat leads the crowd in clapping on the beat. She moves among us, yelling at us to clap, then returns to the inner circle, hops up on a bench and tries to conduct an end to the performance. The drummers aren’t watching her. It takes them some time to notice. The crowd applauds. The performers shout their thanks. The music starts up again. Led by the angel, they cross the street, still playing and juggling. We follow. They make a right turn. I’m headed straight. I wait for them to pass. The last drummer curves around me and follows the rest down the street. I walk away. There’s still time to finish the rest of my Friday shopping.