it was just like when she was a little girl: 'round and 'round she'd go and on every rotation of the horse-drawn merry-go-'round her mom would be sitting on the green weathered park bench, happy big eyes, smile and excited wave at the ready.
it looked the same, the merry-go-'round, aside from [maybe] some glossy paint touch-ups on the horses and pavilion. it smelled the same (like a deliciously sweet pipe) and as far as she could tell, the pipe-smoking fellow from her childhood days still operated the antique machine. he didn't look as though time had gone by and he greeted the children the same way as she remembered him greeting her: carefully, and not always discreetly, inspecting each child and accepting the red construction paper tickets from their cotton candy stained fingers. time raced on as she'd rush around the brightly-coloured galloping horses looking for just the right one, the prettiest one, usually black or fawn, and preferably on the outer rim so she could touch hands with her parents. she loved the merry-go-'round; it was her favourite ride in the park and she could ride it over and over and over again, especially on nickel day.
nickel day was the greatest day of her life, next to her birthday and christmas. when her parents would announce nickel day, she'd dash to her piggybank and collect all the nickels in a small paper lunch bag and roll it up tight so none of the thick silver coins could escape. she'd wear her best dress and fly downstairs minutes before it was time to go only to have her mother turn her right around and send her back upstairs to put on an outfit that wasn't quite as fancy. she never really understood why but accepted the fact that her mother must know best--all the storybooks and her father insisted upon it so it must be true--and would head up the long flight of stairs to grab an outfit not quite as dressy but still nice and pretty. she wanted to look pretty for the horses. they were always shiny and smiling at her; the least she could do was pay it back and look nice while riding them.
the memories flooded her mind until she was pulled back into reality by her own daughter waving and crying out to her. she rushed to the little fence and stretched out her arm so she and her daughter could touch hands. it was perfect.
nickel day was the greatest day of her life, next to her birthday and christmas. when her parents would announce nickel day, she'd dash to her piggybank and collect all the nickels in a small paper lunch bag and roll it up tight so none of the thick silver coins could escape. she'd wear her best dress and fly downstairs minutes before it was time to go only to have her mother turn her right around and send her back upstairs to put on an outfit that wasn't quite as fancy. she never really understood why but accepted the fact that her mother must know best--all the storybooks and her father insisted upon it so it must be true--and would head up the long flight of stairs to grab an outfit not quite as dressy but still nice and pretty. she wanted to look pretty for the horses. they were always shiny and smiling at her; the least she could do was pay it back and look nice while riding them.
the memories flooded her mind until she was pulled back into reality by her own daughter waving and crying out to her. she rushed to the little fence and stretched out her arm so she and her daughter could touch hands. it was perfect.
