Chapter 1
----
"Alright, everyone. Now let's go out there and make this the best season Downy's has ever had."
The troops looked less than rallied after my uncle's hackneyed speech, the same one he'd given for the last few years. It was starting to get stale. Especially for those of us who'd heard it a million times before. Working at Downy's Amusement Park had started out as a summer job in high school. And, here I was, twenty-five years old and still working there. It would have been sad, if the pay was better. As it was, it was downright depressing. I was about to follow everyone else out the door, when my uncle stopped me.
"Travis, hold up for a second. I need to talk to you."
My Uncle Nick was a good guy. A bit corny for my taste, but he was in my life more than my parents were, and he'd taken me in when I needed a place to go. I was managing to hang onto my own place with my buddy Clayton, but I knew if I fell, Nick would be there to catch me.
"Hey, man, I'm going to need you to drive the train for a while."
"What? Why? Can't one of the kids do it?"
"I'm a little thin at the moment, and I know I can count on you not to overshoot the stations and to look after the guests. Last time I trusted one of the part-timers, a kid got his arm caught in one of the safety gates and I nearly got sued. I need someone I can trust. And, that's you, my boy."
"Please don't make me do this, Nick. I promise I won't bitch about balancing the books anymore. Or ordering corndogs. I swear, just please don't make me put on those ridiculous overalls. I can't do it."
"Sorry, man. I have no choice. Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I meant you have no choice."
He smiled as he picked up the phone and motioned me out of the office.
"Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this to me. What if someone I know sees me?"
He set the phone down for a moment and chuckled.
"You do what you always do. Say 'Welcome to Downy's' and you smile. Got it? Now, get those pants on and go drive that train."
I sighed as I walked to the supply closet, where the train conductor's uniform hung on the back of the door.
"Oh, and, Travis, don't forget, you need to announce all the stations. So, you'll have to bust out your chipper voice."
"I don't have a chipper voice."
"Then find one. Quick."
* * * *
I rounded the corner, and the chorus of laughter started immediately. And, there was Clayton, right in front, leading the charge.
"Dude, what in the hell are you wearing that for?"
"Because my uncle hates me. I'm on train duty until further notice."
"What did you do to piss him off?"
"Nothing. He doesn't trust any of you dumbasses to do it, so I have to," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear me.
The peanut gallery behind him kept on chuckling for a while before they went back to their own conversations. Clayton gave my engineer's cap a turn and suppressed another giggle.
"Well, I have to say it suits you. You look exactly like a guy who drives a train at a cut-rate amusement park."
"Good, because that was the look I was going for."
"You better get going. The park opens in a few minutes. You wouldn't want to keep the public waiting."
"Right."
I took a few steps away before Clayton called after me, "Oh, and Travis, remember the hose works best for vomit. That sawdust stuff gets stuck in the floor of the train."
"Thanks for the tip, man."
"You're welcome, buddy."
I sighed when I sat in the conductor's seat of the rickety train that trundled the guests around the park. It was painted a million colors and was badly in need of repair, but it was extremely popular. It was free to ride, and it saved you the trouble of walking your kids all the way across the park to that attraction they kept talking about. We workers hated the train, but Nick loved it more than almost anything else.
I sat at the first stop, waiting as everyone piled on board, until the kid controlling the numbers gave me the thumbs up that we were at capacity. I glanced up to the PA system and sighed
----
"Alright, everyone. Now let's go out there and make this the best season Downy's has ever had."
The troops looked less than rallied after my uncle's hackneyed speech, the same one he'd given for the last few years. It was starting to get stale. Especially for those of us who'd heard it a million times before. Working at Downy's Amusement Park had started out as a summer job in high school. And, here I was, twenty-five years old and still working there. It would have been sad, if the pay was better. As it was, it was downright depressing. I was about to follow everyone else out the door, when my uncle stopped me.
"Travis, hold up for a second. I need to talk to you."
My Uncle Nick was a good guy. A bit corny for my taste, but he was in my life more than my parents were, and he'd taken me in when I needed a place to go. I was managing to hang onto my own place with my buddy Clayton, but I knew if I fell, Nick would be there to catch me.
"Hey, man, I'm going to need you to drive the train for a while."
"What? Why? Can't one of the kids do it?"
"I'm a little thin at the moment, and I know I can count on you not to overshoot the stations and to look after the guests. Last time I trusted one of the part-timers, a kid got his arm caught in one of the safety gates and I nearly got sued. I need someone I can trust. And, that's you, my boy."
"Please don't make me do this, Nick. I promise I won't bitch about balancing the books anymore. Or ordering corndogs. I swear, just please don't make me put on those ridiculous overalls. I can't do it."
"Sorry, man. I have no choice. Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I meant you have no choice."
He smiled as he picked up the phone and motioned me out of the office.
"Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this to me. What if someone I know sees me?"
He set the phone down for a moment and chuckled.
"You do what you always do. Say 'Welcome to Downy's' and you smile. Got it? Now, get those pants on and go drive that train."
I sighed as I walked to the supply closet, where the train conductor's uniform hung on the back of the door.
"Oh, and, Travis, don't forget, you need to announce all the stations. So, you'll have to bust out your chipper voice."
"I don't have a chipper voice."
"Then find one. Quick."
* * * *
I rounded the corner, and the chorus of laughter started immediately. And, there was Clayton, right in front, leading the charge.
"Dude, what in the hell are you wearing that for?"
"Because my uncle hates me. I'm on train duty until further notice."
"What did you do to piss him off?"
"Nothing. He doesn't trust any of you dumbasses to do it, so I have to," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear me.
The peanut gallery behind him kept on chuckling for a while before they went back to their own conversations. Clayton gave my engineer's cap a turn and suppressed another giggle.
"Well, I have to say it suits you. You look exactly like a guy who drives a train at a cut-rate amusement park."
"Good, because that was the look I was going for."
"You better get going. The park opens in a few minutes. You wouldn't want to keep the public waiting."
"Right."
I took a few steps away before Clayton called after me, "Oh, and Travis, remember the hose works best for vomit. That sawdust stuff gets stuck in the floor of the train."
"Thanks for the tip, man."
"You're welcome, buddy."
I sighed when I sat in the conductor's seat of the rickety train that trundled the guests around the park. It was painted a million colors and was badly in need of repair, but it was extremely popular. It was free to ride, and it saved you the trouble of walking your kids all the way across the park to that attraction they kept talking about. We workers hated the train, but Nick loved it more than almost anything else.
I sat at the first stop, waiting as everyone piled on board, until the kid controlling the numbers gave me the thumbs up that we were at capacity. I glanced up to the PA system and sighed
Similar Books
