“Where to?” he asked his granddaughter Lucy as they stepped off the merry-go-round.
“Roller coaster!”
“That one?” he said, pointing to the kiddie coaster.
“No, Poppy. The big one!”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“Yes,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “I’m seven!”
“Okay.”
When his kids were growing up, he’d taken them on the big coaster many times. But he hadn’t ridden it for 25 years. It had made him sick, and he swore he’d never ride it again.
Now he and Lucy were heading for that very ride. He’d begun taking her to this amusement park once a summer. Until now, she’d been content with the kiddie rides. But she was growing up. She was adventurous and full of energy. Now, as they approached the big coaster, Lucy jumped up and down with excitement.
“Do you love this ride, Poppy?”
“I used to. I haven’t ridden it in a long time.”
“Why?”
He didn’t want to scare her.
“Because I haven’t been out of kiddie land for years!” he said.
That was true. But it was also true that he just wasn’t up to riding roller coasters anymore.
“This is going to be so fun!” Lucy said, looking up at him with a big smile.
She looks so much like her mother as a kid, he thought. That seemed so long ago, before his life became so serious, when he still took time to play.
They had reached the front of the line. Watching the coaster slowly glide toward them, he felt lightheaded. He felt like baling out.
But then it came to a stop, the aluminum gate in front of them swung open and Lucy said, “Come on, Poppy.”
She slid into their car. He sat beside her and helped her with her seatbelt before buckling his own. Then he lowered the safety bar. Too late to turn back now.
A ride attendant made her way along the cars, tugging on all the bars to make sure they were secure.
“All clear,” someone said over the loudspeaker.
His heart was pounding. He was breathing hard.
The coaster slowly took off. They went around a bend, then began climbing the big first hill. Click, click, click.
“How high will we go, Poppy?”
He looked over at his granddaughter. She looked worried. She’s too young to worry, he thought. Life will get serious soon enough.
He held out his hand. She took it and squeezed it tight.
“Everything will be okay,” he said with a smile.
As they reached the top, he let out a whoop, like he used to on roller coasters as a boy. It made Lucy laugh. They held hands and screamed in delight the rest of the way.
As they rolled into the station, Lucy said, “Let’s go again, Poppy!”
“Okay,” he said, still holding her hand.
“Roller coaster!”
“That one?” he said, pointing to the kiddie coaster.
“No, Poppy. The big one!”
“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“Yes,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “I’m seven!”
“Okay.”
When his kids were growing up, he’d taken them on the big coaster many times. But he hadn’t ridden it for 25 years. It had made him sick, and he swore he’d never ride it again.
Now he and Lucy were heading for that very ride. He’d begun taking her to this amusement park once a summer. Until now, she’d been content with the kiddie rides. But she was growing up. She was adventurous and full of energy. Now, as they approached the big coaster, Lucy jumped up and down with excitement.
“Do you love this ride, Poppy?”
“I used to. I haven’t ridden it in a long time.”
“Why?”
He didn’t want to scare her.
“Because I haven’t been out of kiddie land for years!” he said.
That was true. But it was also true that he just wasn’t up to riding roller coasters anymore.
“This is going to be so fun!” Lucy said, looking up at him with a big smile.
She looks so much like her mother as a kid, he thought. That seemed so long ago, before his life became so serious, when he still took time to play.
They had reached the front of the line. Watching the coaster slowly glide toward them, he felt lightheaded. He felt like baling out.
But then it came to a stop, the aluminum gate in front of them swung open and Lucy said, “Come on, Poppy.”
She slid into their car. He sat beside her and helped her with her seatbelt before buckling his own. Then he lowered the safety bar. Too late to turn back now.
A ride attendant made her way along the cars, tugging on all the bars to make sure they were secure.
“All clear,” someone said over the loudspeaker.
His heart was pounding. He was breathing hard.
The coaster slowly took off. They went around a bend, then began climbing the big first hill. Click, click, click.
“How high will we go, Poppy?”
He looked over at his granddaughter. She looked worried. She’s too young to worry, he thought. Life will get serious soon enough.
He held out his hand. She took it and squeezed it tight.
“Everything will be okay,” he said with a smile.
As they reached the top, he let out a whoop, like he used to on roller coasters as a boy. It made Lucy laugh. They held hands and screamed in delight the rest of the way.
As they rolled into the station, Lucy said, “Let’s go again, Poppy!”
“Okay,” he said, still holding her hand.
