It is a lovely fall day. We are staying in a Bed and Breakfast in the country and have had a lovely weekend so far. Our hostess tells us that there is a county fair today and we might enjoy going there. So, midmorning, we start out walking. It is only down the road and the day is so lovely. I am wearing a full skirt and cotton shirt, my sweater tied around my waist. We walk down the path, holding hands and just quietly enjoying each other. We arrive at the fairgrounds around 11 and I take you immediately to the food booths.
This is the most fun about carnivals! We buy an elephant ear and eat it together, our fingers and our mouths all sticky from the honey. We share a Coke and walk around watching the people. We smile at each other, enjoying a whole day away from beepers and phones, away from all those people who claim our time. It is just us. We look through the exhibits, the canned food and the crafts, exclaiming our amazement over the variety and the beauty. Before we leave this building, I excuse myself to wash up. I come out of the bathroom and hand you something. Ah, my blue silk panties. You smile and slip them into your pocket and we continue our walk. We nibble lots of good food, corn on the cob, sausage on a stick, caramel apples, custard. We hit every food booth and share many of the delicacies being offered there.
Finally, I am tired and so full. We sit on the bench for awhile, just watching all the people around us. We busily make up stories about them for each other, laughing at our cleverness and the sheer joy of being together. We sit on the bench and watch everyone walking by. Then you want to try your skill at the games. We walk over to the midway and you purchase whatever is used at that booth to show your expertise. At the second booth, you start winning and we walk away with a huge stuffed animal. It is my very first gift from you. You are so proud, so skilled and wonderful. Then we see a little girl, a redheaded child, my weakness. She is walking around with her parents, empty-handed. I look at you, right into your beautiful eyes, and you nod, smiling. I offer her my huge blue dog. Her eyes light up and she looks to her parents. They say it is ok, she can have the dog if she wants. She takes him. He is nearly bigger than she is, which adds to the charm of the present.
As we walk, we enter the 'ride' area; swirling, noisy, gaudy rides. I have to tell you my fear of them, of being off the ground and being swung through the air. The only ride I can tolerate is the Ferris Wheel and even that is a love-hate relationship. It terrifies me but less than the others. You smile and tell me it is ok, I am with you, I am so safe, nothing will hurt me. I know that is true.
It is late afternoon and I am tired. I want to be in our big canopy bed with you, your arms around me, listening to your heart and making it beat faster. But you are having fun and not ready to leave. We continue walking and we arrive at the Ferris Wheel. The greasy-haired attendant is calling us over. You go over and chat with him, coming back to me with tickets in your hand, smiling. Smiling at what I deem to be certain death. He stops the ride and we walk over and enter the little car. The attendant smirks at us and fastens the safety bar. My fingers grip the metal as we start to move, slowly at first, stopping frequently to load.
