Per Chris’ instructions, I wrote a story based on some pictures I took today at a carousel!

 

 

August 1884, Martha’s Vineyard.

 

The truth is the only reason I allowed myself to be talked into tagging along with Martha and Elizabeth was that the house was hot. Unseasonably so. I’d been sitting in my room, trying to read, but it was just sweltering, even with the windows open. The girls had been talking for days about going to see the carousel, to ride the carousel, to watch it spin round and round. They said they would come to call on their way down, and I’d fully planned on “having a headache” but with the heat, I might actually develop one. Better to at least be outside, near the ocean and the breezes.

So onto the carousel it was.

The whole way there, the two of them kept gossiping and giggling. Martha was one of my oldest friends, and Elizabeth had moved to Oak Bluffs the previous winter. They had much more in common–both worked in the same dress shop down on the main drag and therefore not only knew what all the latest styles were, but all the latest gossip on the ladies coming in to buy said styles. I can’t say I wasn’t at least a little jealous of their friendship; nothing terribly exciting happened at my job, even if it was at town hall.

“So when Mrs. Latimer came in, I told her I didn’t have her order in, but does she listen?”

Can’t tell you the answer. I’d stopped listening somewhere down the line. The road stretched out before us, dotted infrequently by electric streetlights. I remembered a time when this street would have been brighter and gold, lit by kerosene lamps. But two odd years ago the town proudly rolled out the newfangled contraptions…just not very many of them. In a particularly dark patch between lamps, the breeze picked up and I could smell the ocean.

I closed my eyes and instead of tuning the girls out, I let their laughter transition into the tinny music on the breeze. They didn’t know it yet, but this was my last summer in Oak Bluffs. Depending on how much money I could save by the end of the summer, I was either going to become a governess in Baltimore or a student at Radcliffe College, in Boston. Severely hoping it would be the latter. I only had two more weeks until I’d absolutely have to report to Baltimore.

Time was not on my side.

Slowly, the lights on our road started getting closer to one another, stringing together like a shining necklace. More people joining us on our walk towards the main street, more hubbub as we neared the red barn. The music was loud and merry, and I could smell hot buttered popcorn. Oh, to be a tourist, to come to the seaside every summer just for fun.

“Annie!” Martha near-shouted over the chaos, “Coming in or not?”

I hesitated, but then nodded. Elizabeth grabbed my hand and we entered the barn.

Involuntarily, I brought my hand to my mouth.

“Where do we buy tickets?” Martha asked.

“Over there!” Elizabeth pointed, then took out her handbag, “How many then, three?”

“No, just two. Annie won’t ride, will you Annie?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off it. “I’ll ride.”

They both looked at me, then wordlessly went over to the ticket vendor.

What seemed like an eternity later, a man helped us up onto the platform. Martha and Elizabeth chose to sit on a booth, and there was only room for two. No matter though, I didn’t want the booth. I picked myself out a horse.

 

I hopped up, side saddle of course, and soon, we were whirling around. People on the ground waved and I waved back. On and on we went. I looked back at the girls and we all laughed. I shifted on my horse, and let go of the reins a little.

When I looked forward again, I saw the boy on the horse in front of me. He looked to be about my age. Someone I hadn’t seen before….a tourist? No matter. He smiled, and tipped his hat to me, his pale blue shirtsleeves rolled up exposing tanned arms. Around and around and time seemed to stand still, as I smiled back at him.

Then suddenly, I looked away, and laughed. I closed my eyes and for that one moment, on the carousel, I didn’t have to look forward to the future. There was no front or back, only around. At least for now, it could be summer in Oak Bluffs forever.

 

The end. This was super fun, Chris!

 

And in case anyone is wondering, I did the research into the first carousel on Martha’s Vineyard. Some info here. Really interesting, the history of the carousel 🙂