Theodore Miller sat serenely on the wooden bench next to the refreshments stand. Sean had wanted to ride the Speed Demon. 70 year old Theodore had decided to give it a miss. He wouldn’t have been allowed on anyway. The attendants would point at the signs saying people with heart problems were not allowed. Who said all old people had heart problems? Secretly however, Theodore decided he wouldn’t risk it anyway, even though he would have loved to try.
He gazed up at the structure that was the Speed Demon. His eyes followed the cars long ascent, the dip and corkscrew, the sharp turns, another ascent, another dip, the double loop and finally the climax of the roller coaster. A slow climb, designed to slowly inject a sense of anticipation and fear into the riders, a brief stop at the peak, then a huge 40m, near vertical drop. Screams. Of both fear and delight. Finally, a gradual slowing down. To allow the riders to regain enough composure to steady their jelly legs no doubt. No wonder the attendants pointed at the signs with such vigour. The huge metal structure looked imposing. Theodore decided to take a short nap…
Sean Miller eagerly waited his turn in the queue. Next! Called the attendant. Sean clambered onto his seat, waiting in anticipation. Of what the ride would give him. The hydraulic protective belts came down. Sean grabbed the belt tightly. The cars jerked and began moving forward, slowly but surely.
Theodore felt the hydraulic protective belts clamp him down onto the seat. Did the attendants let me in? Didn’t I decide not to risk it? It doesn’t matter anymore. Too late for regrets…
The Long Ascent;
Sean scanned the surroundings nervously. He felt his heart thumping against his chest, not unlike the bongos he had watched the East African tribesman play while watching Discovery Channel with grandpa. Ah, there he was. On the bench beside the refreshment stands. The carousel was merrily turning not far away. Little kids surrounded a giant cartoon mouse, waving at him, trying to get his attention, and hopefully a helium filled balloon…
Theodore was surprisingly calm when the car began moving up. He knew what it felt like. He had taken roller coasters many times in his days of being a thrill seeking youth. Not unlike Sean. He smiled. This long ascent was somewhat like his childhood. A long learning process of gaining experience. The car stopped. Only for a fraction of a second.
The Dip;
Sean didn’t know what to expect. He closed his eyes and screamed with wild abandon. He felt his heart in his mouth. But the screaming helped…
Theodore knew what was coming next. He screamed. It helped keep his heart from jumping into his mouth. He wondered when the first time he felt like that was. When he failed his major examinations. He wondered what his parents would say. The feeling wasn’t too far away…
The Corkscrew;
Sean was wildly jerked left, going 5 full circles. He totally lost sight of his surroundings. That was something new. He wondered what his grandpa would say when he told him…
Grandpa didn’t need Sean to tell him. He spun 5 full circles, briefly losing his bearings. Then he was upright. There was the refreshment stand, the bench he thought he was sitting on. An old man was asleep on the bench. He was wearing a white polo t-shirt and khaki pants. What a coincidence…
The Sharp Turns;
The cars were traveling at high speeds now. There was a wild turn left, jerking Sean towards the right, then suddenly a turn in the opposite direction. Sean’s body was like a rag doll, tossed around effortlessly by the turns.
Theodore felt himself being pushed left and right. It was a bit like his first few years in the society, an inexperienced young man, ready to take on the world. But the world was ready to take on him as well. Now he knew what he had to do…
The Big Climb;
The cars slowed down. Sean was already confused from his body being tossed around, not to mention a little nauseous. Has the ride ended? He felt himself being pressed back onto his seat. Another climb…
Theodore knew the slowing down of the cars was but brief respite from what was about to come. Life never gives you many breaks. Not even when you are taking a ride…
The Climax;
The cars paused momentarily at the peak of the climb. The scenery was breathtaking. But Sean Miller wasn’t to know. His eyes were clamped tightly shut, not daring to look. He felt himself leaning forwards, then a feeling of his heart jumping up his throat again. He screamed because it helped. He hoped his heart wouldn’t drop out…
Theodore Miller felt the wind in his face. He couldn’t open his eyes as the wind was too strong. He felt himself zooming past the sights he caught at the peak of the Speed Demon. The carousel, the Ferris wheel, the refreshments stand, the spinning tea-cups. He had lost sight of all of them, even though he knew they were there. He felt oddly calm…
The Gradual Slowdown;
Sean had calmed down. He felt the cars moving slower and slower, towards the place where it had set out from. Grandpa had to hear what he had to say.
Theodore felt the cars slowing down, and saw the cars moving towards the place where it had set out from. He saw the blackness of the entrance. Like a blackhole sucking the stars in…
The End;
The hydraulic pumps let out air rapidly, freeing the seatbelts. Sean took a tentative step out of the car. That was fast. He certainly didn’t feel that way on the seat. But now that he had gotten off, he felt that he could do it one more time. Well, no time for that. He went to look for grandpa, on the bench by the refreshments area. He had so much to say. Sean Miller made his way to the bench. There he was. Sean saw grandpa with his eyes closed and a serene smile on his face.
Hey! Grandpa!
___________________________________________________________________"as a child my thoughts would run; free like flowers in their bloom,
from the deepest darkest swamps, to the white-lit coloured moon."
gradually the gradient steepens,
and i know there's no return.
in me, all my spirits broken,
yet by beauty i am smitten.
smitten by the lifeless peak,
of lavender flower reek.
looking down on all creation,
i wish my seat; the carousel station.
the stop.
and similar fashion; the gradual tension.
built upon a foundation wing,
spurts of terror spit within.
down the slippery railroad slide,
arose a lie of boundless flight.
tis' the most of life i've ever seen.
after the drop a treasured moment,
life has never been this sweet.
a honeyed gumdrop as a token,
tis' synthetic death was breached.
more potent than the birth of new life,
is the journey of the train that cries,
is the ride of the speed demon's strife.
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