Educational Experience

Chapter Fifteen

15.

First off, they fired Friendly. Like, on the spot, right then and there—there’s more to it than I’m telling right now, of course. But that’s not the most important part of how that long, long, loooooong day ended.

I have to tell you about that ending. That’s the money moment.

When we got back to The Fun House, Big Man hoisted Aisha up into his arms and carried her off. She’s the most sound sleeper I’ve ever met, so she was out for the night. But the rest of us were all wound up from all the craziness.

And as we got out of the car, Wyatt saw the ferris wheel. Again. They were running everything for the last time, getting ready for the big morning rush. And she looked at it the way a kid stares at those gum ball and toy machines they put right inside the entrance to the big box stores. You know, like they’re going to die if they don’t get that quarter from you.

So I said, “You really wanna ride that thing, don’t you?”

And before she could even answer me, Mike and Cat and Joie went running over that way. We were doing that weird thing babies do if you don’t let them have that nap or put them to bed on time. The way they go running around the house like they’re nuts or something—dogs do it, too. Racing around, jumping on things ‘til they just drop somewhere.

The girls and Joie detoured to the big kid rides. The guy running the one they chose got such a kick out of them it made me laugh. How often did a carny see women like that? Trannies and dykes, yeah, but not the same as those ones. He looked like he’d won the lottery when they ran his way.

I escorted Miss Wyatt over to the wheel. And the wiry, pockmarked old guy there nodded to me and said, “You’re a hard workin’ man!”

“Backatacha!” I said.

“Yeah, but I’d rather have your job,” he told me. “I may stop you a few times, so don’t freak out or anything.”

“No prob. Unless it’s broken or something.”

“Nah, I just wanna do some little adjustments. Maintenance type things.”

He held the safety bar thing up so Wyatt and I could get in. And then he took us up real slow while he stared at something or other—I quit watching. Because Wyatt looked like a little kid, too. A happy little kid, taking in the view of the whole city when we got to the top—still a little tipsy, but mostly just happy. Soul satisfied, you know what I mean?

We stopped right at the top almost, like he’d said we might. And her eyes were twinkling more than all the carnival and city lights put together. I could see them, by then. Whatever she’d smoked or swallowed was wearing off.

“You’re a trip, you know that?” I said.

And she looked over and smiled. And said, “I missed this. While I was gone.”

“Carnival rides?”

“Everything!”

She looked toward the sound of the girls and Joie going bat shit on the roller coaster. I just shook my head and chuckled at them. I wish everybody in the world could live like we do now. I really do. I know it’s not possible and maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea, but I still wish it sometimes.

Wyatt gave me the nicest smile, too.

And she said, “You’re so far away from…civilization. Life’s very basic. Laid back. Which I liked, but…I had almost forgotten how to socialize. I mean…with white people. Or any people, other than Indians.”