The Upside Down Curve

Saturday mornings were always rough. The rush, the constant fear of something going wrong, the preparations, everything tend to happen in a blur leaving no place for rest. Today, was a Saturday too. As always, Mr Smith was filled with anxiety. It was almost 1:00 PM when he came home. The environment of his home didn't make him feel any better. The only thing left to eat was bread. Nobody even complained. The dining area, which was meant to be fill with good vibes was dead silent. He ate slowly as he glanced up at his daughter. He slapped her last week, that circled C turned him into a beast. He felt sad, that angelic face he slapped didn't even protest.
       Sighing, they all ate in silence. Nobody dared to speak nor anyone volunteered to. It was 8:00 and the show had begun. He could feel the audience roar. His expectations were higher, he knew, but he couldn't help it. It was the only way out. At the end of the day he still had to feed his family. The acts began, the last was his. Ready in his room, with all the makeup, he stared at his reflection and jerked off the gloominess and lighted up. He took on the stage, everyone cheered. Clearly, he was the best joker they had ever seen. He started his acts, heard people laugh as he fell, people roar as he got hurt, people cried with laughter as he cried with pain and agony. In between standing upside down, he noticed a curve in the audience. An upside down curve that made him forget about the pain. In the front row, sat his daughter, the only person unhappy. While the crowd washed away their sadness with his madness, she was the only one who cringed at his every fall.