Windows

We always went there first. With everything open and waiting for us, tradition trumped. We’d run and run to get there, racing across the concrete, and rarely did we have to wait in line. Hearts pounding, we’d laugh. For joy. Familiar whoosh and metal bangs as the giant tube’s doors opened, the narrow aisle pushing us closer than comfortable to the floor to ceiling windows. Stuffy, stale air they tried to keep cool, swarmed over us, even that early in the day.

Interminable waiting. Palms wet, rubbing them on our polyester shorts, smiles a little tense. Pretending calm, I leaned back and put my tennis-shoed feet on the guide bar in front of us. Mom and I always joked that God made us short—the better to keep close to the ground. Still, we yearned to go high, to go up. High above the world, the Great Lake, into the sky.

A bump, a closing whoosh and then the announcements. The murmurings from the other people settled, and we listened to the recordings. Mom and I could nearly recite them, at least the beginning. We listened to the history, the statistics as that giant tube turned slowly, spiraling into the humid sun-soaked air. Soaring high over another new roller coaster calling our names. “Can’t wait to ride that!” Forget that Mom shouldn’t ride because of her many back problems; life was too brief to let it stop her.

Bouncing in the seat, looking through the tall windows, inches from nothing, we pointed, planned. Wished already for a longer day. We could see nothing but amusement and delight in the glare off the waves. We couldn’t see the anger, the hasty words, feel the burning tears. The helplessness, the ache that never goes away. The organ's funereal tones hadn't yet drowned any clear thoughts, and my throat didn’t ache from saying, “Thank you. Yes, it was quick. Thank you for coming.” The future beyond our day at the park lay hushed and murky through the windows.

The descent sped by, then the bump. One final whoosh. Our journey to the sky ended, but the laughter, the smell of the coal from the train, the tang from warm blacktop erupted as we fled the giant tube as fast as we'd entered.

One more day together.

“Have a great day here at Ceeddaaarr Point!”