One of the attendants makes his rounds, ensuring we’re all strapped in safely.
“It’s not going to unlock, right?” I ask.
“Nope,” he says reassuringly.
“You swear?”
He chuckles. “I swear.”
“Have fun!” the operator yells from his station.
I brace myself as the train jerks into motion. My brain goes through all the worst possible outcomes of the tracks being weathered from wear and tear, a nail loosening, one of the wooden planks breaking, and me falling to my death.
Jamie raises his arms above his head, whooping.“Let’s go!”
“Put them down,” I growl, trembling from head to toe and clinging to the handles with an iron grip.
“Hell no!” he shouts.
The March wind rushes past us, and I’m glad I secured my hijab tightly around me.
The train inches upward at snail speed, which I’m sure is just to prolong the torture. Someone laughs in front of us, and I don’t understand how they’re not freaking out when the higher we go, the more certain it is we’ll die.
“How you holding up?” Jamie asks, and I shake my head.
I can’t speak, just grabbing on for dear life, and I close my eyes for good measure.
“Seriously?” He laughs. “Open your eyes. You need to see the horizon! That’s why we came here.”
I shake my head again.
“The ocean is beautiful. You’re missing out. Could be some inspiration for your murals.”
I crack one eye open. The ocean zooms in and out of focus, the blue glittering under the sun’s rays. My limbs relax a fraction, and I open my other eye to take it all in. I can feel the quiet of the ocean from where I’m sitting on the roller coaster. The blue reminds me of how Mama described the Mediterranean.
A crystal blue. Like a diamond. A blue so lush, you think the color would stain your hands if you touched it. A blue you know you could breathe under, she said.
Maybe parts of the Mediterranean are here. They are linked like mother and daughter, holding hands through a strait.
“Wow,” I breathe, and a tentative smile pulls at my lips.
I want to stand in the waters.
“Jamie, I—” I begin, and the roller coaster drops.
I get off on shaky legs with Jamie hovering beside me, trying to help without touching me. His hands flail, and he chants apologies I barely hear. My heart is finally going back to its normal beating, and the blood is warming up my numb fingers.
The attendant hands me my bag, and I wobble down the stairs.
“You okay?” Jamie asks, worry creasing his brow.
Some of the people who were with us snicker when they pass by.
“I never knew you had such lungs on you,” Jamie continues, sounding impressed despite the worry. “I mean, that scream must have broken the sound barrier.”
I gulp in a mouthful of air and glare at him.
“You’re fine.” He grins. “So? Wasn’t it fun? I really wanted you to see the horizon from the top.”
