you.”
Anna Mae abruptly sat down on the stool. Her words were sharp, almost demanding. “Did she say that? Did my mother say that?”
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Anna Mae saw the fear on his face and regretted what must have seemed like an attack. “It’s okay, Joey. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”
“You—you didn’t b-bite it off,” he laughed. “It’s still here.”
She wanted to go on questioning him forever. On the other hand, she knew she had been lucky to learn as much as she did. She also knew how much Joey valued her friendship. She would never deliberately do anything to hurt him.
She placed her hands on his big shoulders and looked into his dark eyes. “You’re my good friend, Joey. I am so grateful that you told me these things. And I promise,” she crossed her heart. “I promise I will never, ever, tell anyone.”
“Joey?” Vinko was standing in the doorway again.
Joey’s eyes questioned Anna Mae. She nodded and they both stood up. Anna Mae wanted to give Joey a big hug, but she just smiled and said, “Thank you, Joey.”
She was half way up the Vickroy street hill before she realized she had, once again, forgotten her umbrella.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Two years later
June 23, 1968
The huge amusement park sprawled colorfully amidst its gray and dismal surroundings. Since 1898, Kennywood Park had been an island of escape for steelworkers and their families; a place to abandon troubles in the back draft of a plunging roller coaster, or to relinquish all sense of balance in the huge, undulating Noah’s Ark. It was the last weekend in June, the school picnic. Inside the park entrance, Anna Mae, with nine-year-old David in tow, waited for Debbie Henderson and Laura Smith.
Anna Mae gazed up at The Old Mill. The modern day reproduction of an outdated essential blended into boulders as old as the park itself. She looked to one side at a huge, simulated grinding wheel. It rotated under a flow of falling water, creating a current that escorted little boats through a winding channel.
Anna Mae was so impressed by the Mill that she failed to watch where she was going. As the couples were passing through the ticket line, she slammed right into Angelo. Laughing, he threw his arms around her. She suddenly realized that soon she would be sitting next to him on a slow ride through a dark tunnel. Her heart fluttered.
Clutching the string of her balloon, she tucked the Teddy Bear under her arm. Angelo helped her into the front seat of the wobbly boat that rocked even harder when Debbie and Jake climbed into the seat behind them. Laura and Tom would be in the next boat. Theirs would be held back for a few moments to insure the first couples an isolated journey.
Pulled by an underwater cable, the boat moved away from the boarding dock and glided slowly into the shadows. As they rounded the first bend, daylight surrendered to the dark. Anna Mae leaned closer to Angelo. He put his arm around her. On the Ferris Wheel, he had had his arm around her. But in this dark tunnel it was different: more intimate.
The little boat turned another bend and Anna Mae marveled at the beauty of a dim blue display of fairies sprinkling shimmering dust onto sleeping flowers. The blue lights evolved into sunshiny yellow, the blossoms opened and Angelo drew her closer. They floated back into the dark then out again to other amusing displays until they reached one long and very dark passageway, so dark she couldn’t see Angelo’s face. She felt his breath on her cheek and said softly, “You smell like hot dogs.”
“Why are you whispering?” he murmured into her ear.
“Why are you whispering?” she countered.
“I asked you first.”
“It’s spooky in here!”
His arm tightened around her. She squeezed the bear against her chest. At home, even when she woke in the middle of the night, it wasn’t this dark. There were always streetlights throwing shadows across her room. But this—this was an
Anna Mae abruptly sat down on the stool. Her words were sharp, almost demanding. “Did she say that? Did my mother say that?”
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Anna Mae saw the fear on his face and regretted what must have seemed like an attack. “It’s okay, Joey. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”
“You—you didn’t b-bite it off,” he laughed. “It’s still here.”
She wanted to go on questioning him forever. On the other hand, she knew she had been lucky to learn as much as she did. She also knew how much Joey valued her friendship. She would never deliberately do anything to hurt him.
She placed her hands on his big shoulders and looked into his dark eyes. “You’re my good friend, Joey. I am so grateful that you told me these things. And I promise,” she crossed her heart. “I promise I will never, ever, tell anyone.”
“Joey?” Vinko was standing in the doorway again.
Joey’s eyes questioned Anna Mae. She nodded and they both stood up. Anna Mae wanted to give Joey a big hug, but she just smiled and said, “Thank you, Joey.”
She was half way up the Vickroy street hill before she realized she had, once again, forgotten her umbrella.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Two years later
June 23, 1968
The huge amusement park sprawled colorfully amidst its gray and dismal surroundings. Since 1898, Kennywood Park had been an island of escape for steelworkers and their families; a place to abandon troubles in the back draft of a plunging roller coaster, or to relinquish all sense of balance in the huge, undulating Noah’s Ark. It was the last weekend in June, the school picnic. Inside the park entrance, Anna Mae, with nine-year-old David in tow, waited for Debbie Henderson and Laura Smith.
Anna Mae gazed up at The Old Mill. The modern day reproduction of an outdated essential blended into boulders as old as the park itself. She looked to one side at a huge, simulated grinding wheel. It rotated under a flow of falling water, creating a current that escorted little boats through a winding channel.
Anna Mae was so impressed by the Mill that she failed to watch where she was going. As the couples were passing through the ticket line, she slammed right into Angelo. Laughing, he threw his arms around her. She suddenly realized that soon she would be sitting next to him on a slow ride through a dark tunnel. Her heart fluttered.
Clutching the string of her balloon, she tucked the Teddy Bear under her arm. Angelo helped her into the front seat of the wobbly boat that rocked even harder when Debbie and Jake climbed into the seat behind them. Laura and Tom would be in the next boat. Theirs would be held back for a few moments to insure the first couples an isolated journey.
Pulled by an underwater cable, the boat moved away from the boarding dock and glided slowly into the shadows. As they rounded the first bend, daylight surrendered to the dark. Anna Mae leaned closer to Angelo. He put his arm around her. On the Ferris Wheel, he had had his arm around her. But in this dark tunnel it was different: more intimate.
The little boat turned another bend and Anna Mae marveled at the beauty of a dim blue display of fairies sprinkling shimmering dust onto sleeping flowers. The blue lights evolved into sunshiny yellow, the blossoms opened and Angelo drew her closer. They floated back into the dark then out again to other amusing displays until they reached one long and very dark passageway, so dark she couldn’t see Angelo’s face. She felt his breath on her cheek and said softly, “You smell like hot dogs.”
“Why are you whispering?” he murmured into her ear.
“Why are you whispering?” she countered.
“I asked you first.”
“It’s spooky in here!”
His arm tightened around her. She squeezed the bear against her chest. At home, even when she woke in the middle of the night, it wasn’t this dark. There were always streetlights throwing shadows across her room. But this—this was an
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