one with her mom, the non-existent one with her dad—all vanished. She looked around and found Jake. His face buried in his cellphone. It bothered her.
Is me showing up not worth waiting for compared with that screen?
But she shut that voice out.
It’s normal. Everyone looks at their phone. What’s he supposed to do, stare at the entrance for you? Smile. It’s Jake.
“Hey, stranger,” she said.
“Hey, gorgeous!” They hugged. That felt better. He noticed her gold necklace. “Hey, you’re wearing my necklace.”
She touched the cool metal with her fingertips. “I love wearing it. It’s beautiful, Jake. Thank you again. I don’t know what to say.”
“Anything for my girl.” He pulled back from her. “Ready?”
She nodded. They held hands and crossed over to a parking lot. She was ever conscious of his fingers around hers, hoping her hand didn’t feel clammy. Up ahead she saw an older Honda SUV. Black with rust around the wheels. They approached. She slowed down, expecting him to go to the driver’s side. But he kept walking. She was caught off guard and had to quicken her pace. Strange.
Then she saw another car. Oh yeah. Forget the Porsches. The BMWs. The Mercedes. Bayern Munich was enough Germany for her. Besides, nothing, absolutely nothing, beats a red Ford Mustang.
Convertible to boot.
“This is yours?”
He got in. She opened her door. He started the engine. She loved the sound. That Mustang low rumbling was the most characteristic engine sound she had ever heard. She had wondered if the red Mustang in the photo was his or someone else’s. Now she knew. What a rush. What a car.
She sat down in her black leather seat. Took in the new-car smell. She closed the door. No clunky sound. Just a perfect click like a sound chamber closing—a sound that separated her from the rest of the world.
“Easy Lover” by Phil Collins came on the pristine sound system. The speakers were placed perfectly for the music to envelope her. “She’s the kind of girl you dream of—dream of keeping hold of.”
Jake hit the gas. The car took off. Abby glanced up at the gorgeous streaks of red painting the sky. She wondered how it got that way. “You’re the one who wants to hold her—hold her and control her.”
He parked the Mustang, and they walked to the gates at Canada’s Wonderland. He paid for their tickets at the entrance. Cash. Two one hundred dollar bills. It caught her attention. The amount and the bill. She remembered her history class. Prime Minister Robert Borden’s image was on it. He served in office during World War I, one of the most difficult times in Canada’s history. She had learned that Canada had conscription, and it gripped her soul to know that people were forced into battle. Many of them faced horrific violence.
And death.
He reached for her hand. He didn’t have to go far. Hers was already outstretched waiting for his. He smiled and raised his eyebrows. She looked out at the amazing park and followed his lead inside.
They reached the Medieval Faire section and stood in line. Leviathan would be first, of course. A massive roller coaster reaching speeds of close to 150 km/hr. She told him she had never been on it before. A first time for everything.
“How was your day?” he asked.
Did it matter now? How did Shakespeare from her English class put it? All’s well that ends well. She was with him now. “Great,” she said. “You?”
He nodded. “Thanks for hanging out tonight.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Means a lot. You could have been doing a lot of other things. Thanks for coming here with me.”
“I’d go with you anywhere.”
Their turn came up, and he motioned her in first to the front of the coaster. Four across. She sat down on the end. Jake beside her. Two beside him. One wearing a retro Winnipeg Jets jersey, the other a Leafs jersey.
The coaster lurched forward and began its slow climb. Higher and higher. An unsuspecting person would have no reason to know what was about to happen. But anyone with experience knew full well what was coming.
It reached the top of the climb and began to level out. Then, without warning, it began to tip over the precipice. She looked over. Fear and excitement consumed her. Her car leaned over. Steeper and steeper. That’s not possible. It can’t go vertical, can it? We’ll fall off. We’ll be killed. It didn’t matter to her that rides like this had been engineered. Tested. Safety checks performed. All that science goes out the door when you’re seized with emotion.
Leviathan raced down to the bottom. Abby screamed like she was heading to the pit of hell. A high-pitched shrill of sheer terror. Jake laughed. Time of his life. Abby felt her head spinning. Like she was in the ocean and a huge wave had crashed over her, making her spin around, causing her not to know which way was up. A rush of adrenalin raced through her. The coaster rolled into a curve, and Abby felt her stomach return from her throat, back to where it belonged. The scream changed to a cheer. When the ride ended she found herself relieved the whole thing was over. And considered herself strong for surviving.
“Want to go again?” Jake asked. His chill sense of humour putting her at ease.
“That’s a lot of people,” she said, hoping to indicate she would go again if the lineup wasn’t so long.
“You want to try Night Mares?”
She knew the ride. It starts off like a Ferris wheel fallen over on its side. But then it spins faster and faster as it rises up.
Abby tried to decide and felt a tug of war within her.
Do I make him think that I’m a chicken and go for something else, or do I go on Night Mares and show him I’m not scared?
What’s to be scared of? It’s a ride.
“Let’s do it!” she said.
He put his arm around her shoulders as they headed off to the ride.
When they stepped in she grabbed his hand. That felt better. The ride started, and they began to lift up. She alternated between looking at the clouds and at the ground. It spun so fast she just let go and let the ride take control. Why fight it? It would be over soon.
Wouldn’t it?
“You okay?” he asked as the ride slowed down.
“Yeah. I think so,” she said, trying to figure out if she was scared or feeling ill.
They both laughed.
“Time for something to drink?”
“Definitely.”
Abby followed his lead. As Jake ordered drinks, Abby sat down on a bench and glanced around at people. Couples mostly. She saw a family heading back to the parking lot with a little boy in a stroller. Late for a child to be out.
