The Roller Coaster

By Rochelle Mitchell

"We should turn back," complained Sam, turning on his windshield wipes for the third or fourth time.

"Nonsense," said Ruby. "The weather report says that it should clear up later today, besides we won't have to fight the crowds. You know how much Josh hates waiting in line."

The rain pounded the car as the wipes pushed the persistent drops away. Sam frowned as he struggled to see the road. "I don't know why I let you talk me into this."

"My parents always took me to the park on days like this. We went on the indoors rides until the sky cleared. Then we had the park to ourselves." Reluctantly, he drove on. When they got there, the rain had stopped. Sam rented a double stroller and the children climbed inside. They went on a some rides as a family, the ferris wheel, the swissbob and the carrousel with the handpainted horses. Now it was time for Ruby to take Josh on the old wooden coaster. The same wooden roaster that she had rode as a child. Expect, perhaps, for a fresh coat of paint, the wooden coaster and the old carrousel remained the same as when Ruby was a child. Only the rides around them had changed.

As Sam pushed the double stroller past the roller coaster's exit, the rain returned. Soon it was a downpour. Ruby yelled, "I'll take Josh on the roller coaster. You and Wendy get cover. We'll meet in front of the coaster when the rain stops."

"Sure, sure," replied Sam as he rushed Wendy into an arcade. Ruby and Josh took their place in the queue for the roller coaster. A whitewash sign with black letter hanging from a two chains over their heads read, "Thirty minute wait from this point." Ruby pulled Josh ahead. He was too interested in catching raindrops with his tongue to notice the line. Soon they were out of the rain and ascending the long staircase to the train platform. Ruby noticed the paint along the stairs were peeling. She turned to see Josh chewing on something.

"Spit," she yelled, holding out her hands to catch whatever he spit out. They had been through this routine countless times. She had told numerous professionals about his pica. She had talked to behavior managers and nutritionists. No one had any answers.

He spitted the partly chewed paintchips into his mother's hands. Ruby threw the chips onto a floor already covered with chewed bubble gum wads. When she got home, she would have to make an appointment to have his lead tested. She would hope an amusement park wouldn't use lead-base paint, but she also had to consider the fact that this roller coaster was old when she was a child.

They continued up the stairs. Ruby held tightly to Josh's hand as the brightly painted coaster came into view. The line broke into separate queues for each ride seat. Ruby got into the a line with only two people ahead, a father with a daughter about Josh's age. The coaster came thundering into covered platform. The riders exited the coaster and the father and daughter took their seats. The safety bar came down and the coaster rumbled off.

The security gates closed. Ruby gripped Josh's hand as he edged toward the yellow warning strip. People piled in behind them squeezing them closer to the railings. Josh jumped up and down in excitement.

Ruby tightened her grip. "We're next."

Then as she watched worriedly, several park employees gathered by the control booth as the rain continue to pound on the roof. One finally said, "We have to empty the cars." Empty the cars? Ruby didn't hear any thunder. They weren't going to close the ride after she and Josh waited a half-an-hour in line. She watched the roller coaster pull into the platform. The drenched riders exited. "Let it pass," yelled the ride operator.

The coaster left the platform empty. Josh bit the guard railings, and his mother yelled spit, again. He had bitten paint off the railing. Ruby held Josh close to her and placed her arms around his waist.

"Josh, we'll be going on the ride soon. We have to wait our turn." Ruby could feel the eyes of the couple behind her upon her when she reached for Josh a second time as his teeth went for the guard railing.

She patted his head. "No biting. You have to be patient." The staring continued. She grabbed her son and she returned the stare. "Josh has autism."

"What's autism?" asked the young woman.

Ruby was not going to give her "Rainman" explanation. "It's like mental retardation, expect autistic children have delays in social functions instead of across the board delays." Oh my God, she thought, I said like an encyclopedia.

"Oh," said the young woman.

Obviously, Ruby had choked that bright new conversation dead. She returned to looking at the workman. The other coaster returned to the platform and the riders got out. A workman pulled the empty coaster forward.

"We have to switch the cars, " explained the older man in a manager's uniform. "It will only be a few more minutes."

Ruby wondered what Sam and Wendy were doing in the rain all this time. She hoped he had the good sense to take Wendy on some kiddie rides. She placed her arms loosely around Josh. He had calmed down a little. The manager pulled a level to switch the track. It took all three men to pull the new coaster to the loading platform and switch back the track. Finally, the manager gave his OK to restart the ride.

Joshua climbed aboard the coaster with his mother's assistance. Then Ruby climbed in beside him and pulled down the safety harnass. The ride operator checked the cars and off they went. Ruby clutched the bar as they ascended the first hill. The sound of the gears gripping the car frightened Ruby a little as she brushed the water off her face.

She turned to see Josh beam in complete joy. The rain had glued his dirty blonde bangs to his forehead, but he didn't seem to notice. He gripped the safety bar and smiled brightly while they zoomed down the first hill. His smile became even brighter as the car bounced over the smaller hills and sped around the track's narrow curves.

Although Ruby felt as if her stomach would fall out, she appreciated seeing her son so happy. The ride, finally, slammed to a stop. Ruby exited the car first then helped Josh from his seat. As they walked to the exit stairs, Josh tried to tug his mother back to the ride.

"Next time, your dad is taking you." Ruby still felt a little queasy. Ruby and Josh were soaked to the bone when they ran down the exit stairs. Actually, Josh ran while Ruby, keeping a tight grip on his hand, struggled to keep up. They found the double stroller with Wendy's diaper-bag by the kiddie rides and waited in the drizzle for Sam and Wendy. After the sky cleared, Sam took Josh on the roller coaster for a second ride. The sun shone on them for all of the rest of the visit. Josh and Wendy insisted on going on all rides until the park closed. Even Josh, with his bundle of energy wasn't ready for the day to finish, and Ruby...well she was glad to see him enjoy himself so thoroughly.

rochelle@mitchellware.com

URL http://www. mitchellware.com/mitchell/home/rochelle