The Roller Coaster Ride

Question

The Roller Coaster Ride

1 Henry had begged, pleaded, and promised to do all the household chores for a month if his parents would free him from captivity long enough to go to the state fair with his squad. He had commenced his campaign weeks earlier, knowing it would take time and persuasive arguments to convince his parents to relent. A humid summer of slaving in his family’s restaurant stretched out before him. His destiny had been sealed the minute his parents marched him down the block and revealed their secret; they had purchased an abandoned space that had once housed a restaurant. He’d been toiling in that now sparkling storefront since he was old enough to hand out plastic-coated menus. His parents practically lived there; they couldn’t loosen their grip even though they had hired a manager after many stressful days.

2 His sister, Sylvie, the favored child born eight years after Henry, had been more fortunate. By that time, his parents had determined that they could split their time between the restaurant and watching their daughter, so Sylvie got more attention and was not expected to work. Henry picked up the slack after school and they rotated through on weekends so that at least two of them were minding the dinner rush. He wasn’t usually bothered; Sylvie was his sister and her adoring brown eyes were really cute. Every now and then, though, he had a lingering feeling of jealousy when his friends were at parties or school football games, and he was at home with Sylvie pretending to have a grand time.

3 All Henry desired was just one day without a kid sister and a busy dining establishment on his agenda. At last, after ceremoniously exhibiting his final grades (five A’s, three B’s), they yielded, but on one condition. He would have to take Sylvie with him.

4 “Come on,” Henry urged, “please, Mom, Dad?” But they wouldn’t budge. Henry had to take Sylvie along or watch her at home.

5 After steeling himself for the teasing he would get, he had sheepishly informed his friends that he was now a “package deal.” Sylvie was acceptable in short doses; she idolized Henry and his friends and didn’t mind fetching food for them, but to be imprisoned on a whole day of anticipated freedom? His friends balked at first, but knew Henry’s responsibilities meant that he would be absent most weekends, so they tortured him good-naturedly and then let up. On Saturday, there Henry sat with his buddies—and Sylvie—in Marco’s borrowed SUV. Sylvie bubbled with enthusiasm, while Henry tried not to let resentment fester.

6 “Clamp your hand into mine and do not let go unless I say so,” Henry warned as they piled out of the SUV.

7 “I know, I know,” she insisted, squeezing his hand tightly and jumping with anticipation.

8 Their parents had impressed upon them the disaster that awaited if they got separated, since everyone knew evil lurked around every corner. Henry must remain vigilant, his father intoned, with an expression as stern as a judge handing down a life sentence. Of course, Henry thought that was exactly what he would get if anything happened to Sylvie.

9 As they passed the ticket gate, Sylvie’s mouth dropped and her eyes widened. When she beamed at him, he flushed with shame over begging to leave her behind.

10 Sylvie inhaled a corn dog and slurped down a humongous lemonade. She followed obediently without a complaint. Henry’s friends wandered off when Sylvie fancied a ride on the merry-go-round, but loyalty prevailed, and they quickly returned. Henry kept glancing at the roller coaster, looming like a dare over the complex with its two loop-de-loops and a magnificent, terrifying drop.

11 “Come on, Henry,” Kalvin nudged, “we all noticed you staring, practically salivating. You can’t come here and not brave the Lion Tamer.”

12 Henry shrugged. “I’ll walk over with you, but….” He tilted his head toward Sylvie, who suddenly seemed like a heavy weight that Henry would always bear.

13 Approaching the coaster, Henry whistled and sighed. His heart said, “Go for it,” but his head thought, “Are you stupid?” But he never disobeyed, and he deserved it, just this once, he thought to himself. Marco, Kalvin, and Eric first scrutinized him, then turned to look at the height of the Lion Tamer. Then, they started walking toward the line.

14 “Sylvie, grab onto this fence and don’t let go until I’m off the ride,” he pronounced, placing her hand on the protective metal railing and sprinting toward the guys. Eric clapped and whooped, “There’s my man!”

15 The stomach-churning, freeing adventure of the ride hit Henry with a shove of air pressure. He forgot everything and let the thrill of the ride wash over him.

16 Meanwhile, Sylvie had intended to wait, but Henry was taking so long, she got bored. She clutched the railing but twisted her body to gaze at the wonders surrounding her. She spotted a corkscrew slide and impulsively took off running toward it.

17 Panting and laughing, the quartet of guys trotted back to where they had left her. Henry’s stomach lurched farther than it had on the 300-foot roller coaster drop. He clutched his phone to call 911 and scanned for security, but resisted completing either action, fearing the wrath of his parents. Marco said, “We’ll split up and search. Stay put in case she comes back.” The three called her name and their heads swiveled as they scrambled in different directions. Cold sweat poured down Henry’s back and his breathing shallowed. The seconds ticked by so slowly that everything looked like it was moving slowly through mud.

18 Just as he prepared to surrender to the inevitable and make the emergency call, Sylvie bounded up, shouting, “That slide is so much fun! I went down it twice.” Then, true to form, she looked up at Henry’s stricken face. “Oops,” she said, “sorry.”

Answer 1

19 Relief surged through Henry like a wave crashing against the shore, flooding out all the panic that had gripped him moments before. He knelt down, scooping Sylvie up into a tight embrace. Burying his face into her soft hair, he cracked a smile despite the mixture of anger and worry that still lingered. “You scared me half to death!” he exclaimed, his voice slightly muffled. “You were supposed to wait!”

20 Sylvie wriggled free, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “But it was so cool! You should’ve come with me!” she insisted, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her enthusiasm was infectious, but Henry couldn’t help but feel a remnant of that suffocating weight he carried—the responsibility for her safety hovering just overhead like a storm cloud.

21 “I can’t just leave you, Sylvie,” he replied, exasperated. It felt like trying to reason with a puppy. “You’re not old enough to just run off like that. What if I lost you?” He glanced at his friends, who were still fanning out, calling her name; he didn’t want them to witness his growing anxiety.

22 She tilted her head, those bright brown eyes wide with innocence. “But I came back, didn’t I?” She pouted slightly, as if daring him to continue scolding her.

23 Henry sighed heavily, raking his hand through his hair. “Yeah, but you could have gotten lost, or worse, hurt. It’s a fair, Sylvie!” his frustration was starting to dissolve under her earnest gaze.

24 “Okay, okay,” he finally relented, “but promise me you’ll stay by my side. No more wandering off, got it?”

25 Sylvie grinned and nodded emphatically, her enthusiasm somehow undeterred by their earlier disagreement. “I promise, Henry! Let’s go ride something together!”

26 They returned to where Henry’s friends were waiting. Marco raised an eyebrow but ultimately let it go, clearly more interested in getting back to the rides than dissecting Henry's mini-crisis.

27 “So, what’s next? Did you survive your little adventure without her?” Marco teased, nudging Henry.

28 “Barely,” Henry replied, rolling his eyes dramatically. “But it looks like I’ve got the little tornado back under control.” He motioned for Sylvie to come next to him, and she took his hand without hesitation.

29 As they moved towards a nearby attraction, Henry felt a renewed sense of determination. It had been a rough ride so far, but in the chaos and the fear lurked enjoyment too. He was ready to try the next ride with Sylvie by his side—after all, they were a package deal and maybe this day would be remembered fondly after all.

30 Something the Lion Tamer had taught him—a thrill can turn into terror in an instant, but if you hang on tight, you might just find joy in the madness. And holding onto Sylvie felt safer than clenching the edge of a roller coaster; no matter how far they rode, they would stick together, for better or worse.

31 “How about the Ferris wheel next?” he suggested, glancing at Sylvie with a mix of cautious excitement.

32 “Can we? Can we?” she squealed, practically bouncing again.

33 “Yeah, but remember,” he reminded her as they stepped in line, “you stick with me this time, okay?”

34 “Okay!” she promised, a bright smile spreading across her face as they moved toward the ride, hand in hand. The sunbeams glinted off the colors of the fair, and for the first time that day, Henry felt a little lighter, ready for whatever came next on their roller coaster ride of a shared adventure.