Coaster Crazy

        I looked in the mirror for the last time to make sure I didn’t look stupid.  I realized that my blue hat didn’t match my orange shirt and brown pants.
         “Are you ready yet?”  Dianna asked, “If we don’t leave now we’re gonna hit traffic!”
         “Okay!  I’m coming!”  I didn’t have enough time to change my hat so I left it.  I always wore a hat to cover my bald spot.  We got into the car and I was driving.  My wife had her favorite green dress and gloves on.  I told her it was to fancy for where we are going, but she insisted on wearing it.
         “I’m so excited to go to Flip Flop Amusement park!”  She giggled.
         “Yeah… me too.”  I mumbled.  Sometimes, Diana acts just like a little kid.  Besides the fact that she dresses like a 50 year old.
         When we drove up to the amusement park, the first thing I saw was a huge blue and red roller coaster.  I parked our car in the crowded lot and walked towards the entrance.  There were colorful bushes cut to spell Flip Flop, lots of flowers and even some butterflies.  The pathway sparkled from the warm bright sun as we walked on it.  The park was also really clean.
         “I have to use the bathroom,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”  I walked in to the bathroom and looked at myself in the water-sprayed mirror.  My hat really didn’t match, but I wasn’t going to take it off.
         Diana and I went on a lot of rides.  Then at 2:30, we got a little hungry.  I went to stand on line for a pretzel.  The snack stand was pretty clean.  Except for the two flies buzzing around an abandoned soda.
         “Two pretzels please.” I asked.
         “5 dollars.” The lady mumbled.
         “What?”
         “5 dollars!” she yelled.
         “Okay… I’m sorry,” I said, “Sheesh…”  I got the pretzels and met Diana on a bench.
         She asked, “Peter, do you want to go on that roller coaster over there?”  She pointed to the rollercoaster I saw on the way in.  It looked scarier up close.  It had a lot of loops, hills and turns. 
         “Ummm…” I said.  I was thinking about the time when we were just friends.  When a carnival came to Harlem a few years ago…
         We were in our twenty’s then.  We were on line for a big roller coaster.  It was a really long line.  I was going to leave but Diana refused to let me go.  We finally got to the front of the line where the controller sat on a squeaky little stool.  He had messy red hair and green eyes.  He didn’t look too happy.  I noticed that his name tag said Joe.  We sat down in the 2-seated car.  Diana first than me.  Joe made sure the bar was locked and we were off.
         “I hope this is fun!” Diana exclaimed.
         “Yeah, me too.” I replied.  As we climbed up the first hill, I looked down at the rest of the park.  I saw a mom yell at her run-away-son, some girls run to the Teacups, the rest of the line waiting to get on the ride, and Joe yawn.  I saw that the roller coaster was wooden.  It looked pretty old, but stable at the same time.  Going down the hill, we both screamed.  I had a weird feeling in my stomach and a rush of energy come over me.  We were heading up to the loop, when I heard a noise.  I knew it couldn’t have been good.  Roller coasters don’t usually make that kind of noise.  Then, the ride stopped.  And sure enough, we were stuck upside down.
         “This reminds me of a horror movie!” Diana sobbed.
         “Don’t worry.  They’ll get us down.” I said unsure of myself.  I took off my hat, taking the risk of Diana seeing my bald spot, than to loose it forever.  My cell phone fell out of my pocket.  I guessed it hit Joe on the head because a few seconds later, he shouted up to us.
         “Stay calm!  I will go get help!!”
         We were up there for a long time.  I could feel the blood rush to my head.
         Finally, some firemen came to get us down.
         “Are you guys okay?” One of them asked us.
         I nodded my head shakily.  When we were back on the ground, we could hardly walk.  Almost everyone at the carnival was looking at us.  Then...... 
         “Peter!  Earth to Peter!  Hello?!”
         “Wha- what?  Oh!  What’s wrong?” I said.
         “Nothing,” Diana answered. “Are we going on the roller coaster or not?”  Apparently she forgot about what happened at the carnival.
         So I said, “You know what?  Let’s go home.”  We left Flip Flop Amusement park and I told Diana why I didn’t want to go on the roller coaster.  Suddenly she remembered and we laughed the whole way home.