No Promises in the Wind Study Guide
Chapter 5 Summary

Lonnie became their friend as the days went by. He talked about how if Pete Harris can’t give Josh a job; they’d search through New Orleans for anyone who can give him one. He needed the confidence boost that Lonnie is providing for him. They were allowed to be boys again, as Lonnie took charge of the road. Every time Lonnie paid for their meals, Josh took note of how much had been spent. He’s aiming to pay everything back when he gets a job. He would feel better that way. However, Lonnie told him to take care of Joey first before Josh paid him.

The first day when they encountered warm weather, they ate their meal on the grass under a clump of trees. While Joey and Lonnie were singing together, Josh fell asleep. He awoke to the two speaking about him. He heard about how fondly Joey spoke about their father. Josh was certain about one thing: He would never extend a helping hand to his father once he gets a job. It wasn’t long until they’ve reached Louisiana. One evening, they finally found the carnival that Bessie talked about. After roaming around the carnival, they found Pete Harris. Lonnie spoke with him and Pete confirmed that Bessie is indeed his cousin. Pet admitted that his carnival might not last long, with people refusing to let go of their money like they used to. Lonnie sympathized and told Pete that it wouldn’t hurt if he heard Josh play. He played enthusiastically, thinking hard that Pete should give him a chance with the way he plays. To his amazement, Pete gave him a job. He’ll get five dollars a week, with meals and a place to sleep in for the two of them. Pete showed them where they’ll be sleeping. Before leaving, Lonnie left his full name and address to Josh. He promised to be back in a couple of weeks or to at least look the boys up if he got laid off. Josh and Joey felt sad about saying goodbye to Lonnie. He was really good to the boys and now they’re back to fending off for themselves. After Lonnie left, the boys weren’t that interested in seeing the rest of the carnival. They decided to rest on the hard cots that Pete provided for them.

The next morning, they woke up to two noisy dwarfs. They were about to eat breakfast. One of them kept asking questions about their life and why they were there. The second dwarf, Edward C. Kensington, reprimanded Blegan, the noisy dwarf, from lecturing the boys. Blegan was a pest, while Edward was very kind to the boys. They ate at the breakfast tent; with Edward assuring them that not everyone in the carnival is bad. Edward familiarized them with some of the people working in the carnival. He told them about Emily and how she’s being criticized for eating at the carnival. She was also a performer, but she didn’t live with the carnival. She gets paid extra to feed herself and her children, but still gets invited by Pete to eat with them. Edward continued to tell the stories of each and every performer there. Emily arrived and shook hands with the boys. Emily was the most beautiful woman that Josh ever laid his eyes on. She told them about how Pete was very kind. After eating, Emily worked on giving Josh a haircut. Pete asked her to do it before Josh started working for them. Pete gave Josh an outfit that can catch people’s attention. It was his job to play popular songs on the piano and encourage people to go inside and watch the dancers. It was painful for him to do so, but he had to do it.

Notes: Lonnie also made a great impact on the boys because of his kindness. Josh didn’t want to stay at the carnival, but he knew that he had to do it if he wanted to repay his debt towards Lonnie.

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Celis, Christine. "TheBestNotes on No Promises in the Wind". TheBestNotes.com.

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