The evening sky was dreary and overcast. Matthew drove slowly through the empty parking lot, with the fog misting his windows almost enough to warrant using the wipers. He tried them anyway, but they stuttered and only smeared the dirt around. He parked near the main entrance and stared at the Boardwalk. The loops of the two roller coasters towered above the wall, with the flumes of the log ride stretching off in the distance. The park appeared old and decrepit in the gloom. It was scheduled for demolition the next morning, with a luxury hotel planned to replace it. Matthew was there to pay his last respects.
He walked up the slope leading to the entrance, depending on his cane more than usual. His bad leg didn’t do well in cold weather. Once inside, he found a bench where he could sit and rest. The nearby beach was nearly empty, with only a few fishermen casting from the edge of the surf. The autumn moon was full, and although hidden, it painted the clouds with a faint luminescence. He stretched out his leg and listened to the sound of the waves.
“Can I help you?” a voice asked, and Matthew started as the beam of a flashlight temporarily blinded him. He hadn’t considered that there might be a security guard.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I know I’m trespassing,” he raised one of his hands to shield his eyes from the light. “I read that the Boardwalk was going to be torn down tomorrow and just wanted to see it one last time.”
“It’s fine. Did you come here often?” The voice had a slight accent and was kind, not confrontational. Matthew felt himself relax.
“Yeah, I brought my wife here for our first date more years ago than I want to admit. This was also where we went for our honeymoon,” Matthew gave a small laugh. “Young and poor. We stayed at a hotel a few blocks away. The $85 a night seemed so extravagant. Every year, we’d come back on the anniversary of that date. If it’s not too much to ask, I’d like to see the carousel again.”
“Here, I’ll walk you to it.” He reached out a hand to help Matthew get up. The security guard was a little older than Matthew, with thinning hair and a face deeply etched with wrinkles. His eyes were as kind as his voice.
The carousel was located at the far end of the Boardwalk, and they walked in silence. As they passed the Cyclone, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Teacups—rides that Matthew fondly remembered from his youth—he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. Time had taken its toll on everything. The graffiti sprayed throughout the park contributed to an atmosphere of abandonment and neglect. He felt sadder than he had anticipated. The last time he visited, it had been a bright, warm summer day, the Boardwalk bustling with families and couples. The park had pulsed with life and happiness then.
“It’s weird seeing it so deserted,” Matthew finally said. “The last time I was here, it was a discount day and packed with people. I was shocked when I read it closed.”
“Attendance had been declining each year. The amusement park they built in-land hurt a lot when it opened. Their roller coasters are bigger and faster, and they keep building new rides based on whatever blockbuster movie is popular. Wooden roller coasters and fun houses can’t compete with that. When were you here last?”
“It’s been almost forty years.”
“Why so long?. Did you just get tired of it?”
‘No. My wife died.” Matthew said quietly.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and Matthew nodded.
When they arrived at the building that housed the carousel, the guard unlocked the security gate and turned on the lights. The carousel was just as Matthew remembered it—a whimsical collection of hand-carved fairy tale creatures. Its bestiary of griffins, unicorns, and other beings still brightly painted and seemingly untouched by time. Over 100 years ago, a recent immigrant had carved them, using old-world skills and, according to legend, a touch of old-world magic. Matthew walked over to Cassie’s favorite: a dragon.
“It’s as beautiful as I remember. Do you know what will happen to it?” Matthew asked
“It will be dismantled. They’re auctioning it off by the piece next week.”
“So, it will be turned into conversation pieces for the rich. That doesn’t seem right.”
“It’s the times we live in,” the guard said, and Matthew couldn’t argue with that.
Matthew ran his hands over the dragon, feeling the smoothness of the wood and remembering that first date. Cassie had been seventeen, a shy and quiet girl who loved to read fantasy novels. The date had been a little awkward at first, but he remembered her childlike joy when she saw the carousel. The seeds of his love had been planted at that moment.
“Thanks for this. Cassie loved this carousel so much.” Matthew said.
“What happened to your wife, my friend?”
Matthew started at the question, but the kind and compassionate way it was asked made him feel compelled to respond. “My whole life changed in an instant. There was an accident. We attended a Christmas party shortly after getting married, and I insisted I was sober enough to drive. I wasn’t and fell asleep at the wheel. The car drifted into the other lane. She died, and I ended up with this.” Matthew tapped his bad leg. The guard placed both hands on Matthew’s shoulders and squeezed them. “Can you imagine doing something so unforgivable and then having to live with it afterward?” Matthew added in a quiet voice.
“How about a final ride for Cassie?” he asked, helping Matthew onto the dragon when he nodded yes.
The carousel began to turn. Matthew closed his eyes, pretending it was that first date from so long ago. With his eyes shut, he was seventeen again, with a sweet and beautiful girl who, for a time, would fill the empty spots he never knew he had. After a while, he opened his eyes, reached out, and grabbed one of the rings as he passed by. It was one of the brass ones. When the ride ended, the guard helped him off the ride.
“Can I keep this?” Matthew asked, holding up the ring.
“The brass ring is special. It wins you something. If you keep it, how will you get your prize?” He held out his hand insistently. “Answer this: if you had only one wish that could be granted, what would you wish for?”
“A second chance,” Matthew dropped the brass ring into his hand.
“Everything that lives is connected, and sometimes even places and objects have their own kind of life.” He tucked the brass ring into his jacket pocket. “And there’s still a little magic left in these bits of wood. Cassie is waiting outside the carousel for you. It’s your first date. Go and have a long life with her, Matthew.”
There were sounds, faint at first but growing louder – the rumble of roller coasters, the laughter of children, and the babble of hundreds of happy voices. Matthew dropped the cane he no longer needed and pushed through the exit, stepping into the brilliant sunlight.