The Man Who Loved Clowns

Delrita doesn’t have any siblings, but her Uncle Punky lives with her family, and she considers him almost like a younger brother. Punky is turning 35, but “he’d always have the mind of a little boy” because he has Down syndrome (6). When Delrita was younger, Punky used to entertain and play with her, but now that Delrita is a teenager, she has become one of Punky’s caretakers.

Once, when Delrita was in second grade, she brought a friend home for a playdate. When her friend met Punky, she ran away in horror. Since then, Delrita has never let another friend into her house. She knows now that she can “never have a real friend” because everyone is either afraid of Punky or makes fun of him (6).

Delrita’s family moved into Tangle Nook only a few months ago. She misses the farm where they used to live because there, she didn’t worry about her classmates meeting Punky and making fun of her family.

Delrita remembers her family’s move. Her parents, Sam and Shirley, hire a moving van, and Punky is preoccupied with his swing set as he watches the movers come in and out of the new house. Every time they bring out a piece of furniture, Punky asks if it’s his swing set, using a stick as a pretend microphone. Finally, the movers bring out his swing set, and Punky—overjoyed—sings into his fake microphone “about Jesus and Santa Claus and a sunshiny day” (8). 

At some point during the move, Delrita realizes that someone is watching them. She discovers two children hidden in the bushes near the new house. They are laughing at Punky. Furious, Delrita challenges the two kids as to why they are watching. The girl, around Delrita’s age, responds that Punky is not like most other people. Punky approaches and invites the two children to swing with him. They seem frightened, which enrages Delrita even more. 

When Delrita starts school, she finds that the girl who watched her family move works in the front office. Her name is Georgina Gregory. At school, Georgina is cold to Delrita. The other students are equally unwelcoming. Delrita finds a note from Georgina in the hallway warning the other kids to stay away from her, because “she’s got a weird relative” (10). Delrita is deeply hurt. She has conflicted emotions, as she loves her Uncle Punky but also feels ashamed of him.

Now, Delrita feels guilty for being rude to Avanelle. At the same time, she knows that eventually, the other kids at school will warn Avanelle to avoid Delrita, and she doesn’t want to set herself up to get hurt. As Delrita continues to walk home, Georgina’s little brother almost runs into her on his bike and laughs. Delrita is angry but smiles as she walks into her house because she doesn’t want to ruin Punky’s birthday.

Delrita’s mom is making fried chicken and a birthday cake, and she tells Delrita that her Uncle Bert and Aunt Queenie are coming over for dinner. Delrita complains because Aunt Queenie always criticizes the way that Delrita’s family takes care of Punky. She says that they spoil him, which Delrita knows is true, but she thinks it is worth it because Punky may not live very much longer—people with Down syndrome often live to around the age of 40.

When Uncle Bert and Aunt Queenie arrive, Aunt Queenie immediately comments on how slow Delrita is to open the door. Uncle Bert greets Punky with a hug and a kiss, but Aunt Queenie refuses to touch him until he washes his face, as he has some icing on his cheek.

The family eats dinner together, but Punky gets up from the table to take his food into the living room and watch television. Aunt Queenie tells Delrita’s mom that Punky should eat with the rest of them. Delrita’s mom replies that Punky deserves some time alone and simple pleasures. 

Aunt Queenie then argues that Punky should have been sent to school when he was younger, but Uncle Bert (Punky’s brother) reminds Queenie that he was tested for school when he was young but failed the IQ test. Queenie argues that “things have changed since Punky was a little boy,” saying that he could attend a sheltered workshop where people with disabilities work “under supervision” (22). Delrita’s mom, frustrated, tells Queenie that she is Punky’s legal guardian, and she promised their mother that she would always keep Punky safe at home.

They eat the rest of the meal in awkward silence and then open Punky’s gifts. Delrita’s parents buy him a cordless microphone because Punky loves to sing. Delrita gives him a figurine of Jellybean, a character from Punky’s favorite TV show, that she carved out of wood. Aunt Queenie is impressed by Delrita’s wood carving skills. She suggests that Delrita sell her work at Silver Dollar City, a local theme park where antiques and crafts are sold.

One morning, Delrita’s parents wake her up to ask if she minds looking after Punky for the day. They want to go to an auction and look at a desk for their antique shop. They also tell her that the following weekend, they will all take a trip to Silver Dollar City for a major estate auction. Delrita is thrilled.

After her parents are gone, Delrita and Punky go outside. Punky sings into his new microphone along with his new radio, also a birthday gift. Delrita spots Georgina Gregory’s younger brother watching them and, enraged, tells him that trespassing is illegal. 

The boy is confused and asks Delrita why Punky has whiskers. She replies that it’s because he’s an adult. The boy apologizes for spying before and asks if he can play with Punky. He introduces himself as Marcus. Delrita is suspicious—she is used to people either fearing or laughing at him—but she agrees.

Delrita goes back inside and thinks that she sometimes wishes Punky was invisible. She works on a wooden swan that she has been carving and cuts too deeply, accidentally snapping its neck. She is frustrated, more by her own shame of Punky than by the swan.

After Marcus goes home, Delrita makes lunch for Punky. She tells him to go wash up, but then she hears a familiar sound coming from the bathroom. Punky has poured all the shampoo into the toilet, which he has a habit of doing. 

They go to the supermarket to buy more shampoo, but Delrita is nervous the whole time. Punky has a habit of shoplifting when they go to the supermarket. He doesn’t steal anything this time, but he does put a quarter into a big plastic vending machine. The machine is in the shape of a chicken, and when he puts in the quarter, it lights up, flaps its wings, and makes loud squawking sounds. The chicken then dispenses a plastic egg with a whistle inside. Punky blows it, making even more noise in the supermarket, then passes it to Delrita, who finds the whole thing humiliating.

When Delrita’s parents arrive home, they suggest going to McDonald’s. Delrita is nervous the entire time, as she doesn’t want to see anyone from school. She remembers that Avanelle lives near McDonald’s, and Delrita needs to get the math book they share, so she walks over to Avanelle’s house. 

When she arrives at Avanelle’s house, one of her siblings asks Delrita if she is “the lady from the welfare office” (45). When Delrita enters the house, she is struck by how empty it is. Avenelle seems embarrassed to have Delrita there. As she is leaving, Avanelle’s younger sister tells Delrita that their father is in prison. Delrita gives the little girl, Birdie, the whistle that Punky got from the supermarket.