Take a Chance on Me

by Carol Wyer

  ‘It only lasts just over a minute,’ she told Charlie on the way to the amusement park. ‘Bet you’ll want to do it again.’

  Charlie wasn’t so sure. Plunging down a sharp drop on a roller coaster was about as miserable a challenge as she could anticipate.

  A group of eighteen to twenty-year-olds were behind her. A tall blonde-haired girl dressed in jeans and a smart hooded cream jacket was part of the group. She looked a little like Amy. She had similar cobalt blue eyes and that same spirit of adventure and confidence. The girl caught her glance and smiled back. Yes, she definitely reminded Charlie of an older version of Amy.

  Charlie often imagined what Amy would have been like had she reached eighteen. Her darling daughter would have been beautiful that’s for sure. Amy would probably have been the sort of girl who would travel the world, taking in sights in exotic locations, making friends wherever she went and trying her hand at any challenge. Although Charlie would have been proud of her no matter how she turned out. If only she had been allowed to watch Amy grow into a young woman.

  Thoughts of Amy being there prevented her from bolting. Amy would be egging her mum on and giggling. Charlie would do it for her. It would be difficult to run anyway, sandwiched as she now was in a crowd of excitable people.

  Gavin had always teased her, saying she was a scaredy-cat. When Amy was ten, they travelled to Paris. It was Gavin who went on the more adventurous rides at Euro Disney with her, laughing crazily as they raced off on Big Thunder Mountain, waving at Charlie as they flew high on the Dumbo ride and screaming together in glee on the Tower of Terror. Charlie had preferred the more sedate rides like It’s a Small World, where they rode on boats through a magical animated world filled with music and colour.

  Amy was more like her father, in terms of her character. She was always up for fun or adventure. As a young child she was fearless, begging Gavin to throw her in the air when she was a toddler, then asking for Charlie to push her higher on the swings in the park. Amy would have enjoyed this trip to Alton Towers.

  The group of visitors crossed a metal bridge onto an elevated station building where they were put into rows to board the ride cars. Charlie thought she’d escaped but suddenly she found herself being pushed towards the front row of the ride to make up seat numbers.

  A man in a brown leather jacket and jeans slipped into his seat beside her. A young boy took the position next to him. He looked up at the man and grinned cheekily.

  ‘You okay, Dad? You look a bit white.’

  His father, who looked decidedly pale, patted him on the head. ‘I’m fine. Of course, I’m worried you’ll scream and I’ll have to hold your hand.’

  The boy laughed and waved his mobile phone at him. ‘I’m going to take a selfie. You wanna be in it?’

  ‘I’ll pass this time,’ replied the man. ‘I’m sure your mates at school won’t want to see a photo of your old man on a roller coaster. I can’t believe you talked me into coming here.’

  ‘You said we could do anything I wanted. This is it!’

  ‘I hoped you wanted to go to McDonalds or the zoo.’

  ‘Zoo? I’m thirteen not five!’

  The man turned and glanced at Charlie who was fumbling with her seat belt which wouldn’t buckle up thanks to her shaking hands. He leant across and snapped it into place.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ whispered the stranger. ‘Don’t tell Toby, but I’m nervous too. I’m only doing this because he begged me to. It’s a belated birthday treat.’

  Charlie sat dumbstruck. It was the Piggy man. Again. Did he recognise her? She held her breath for a minute. But the man had turned away to talk to his son. Thank heavens. Charlie was just about to release a sigh of relief, when the man turned back.

  ‘You’re not following me by any chance are you?’ he asked quietly so his son could not hear.

  ‘No, I’m not. I could ask you the same question,’ spluttered Charlie.

  ‘Must be karma then,’ he answered. ‘Nice to see you again,’ he added with a wide smile.

  ‘Happy belated birthday,’ she called out to Toby.

  ‘Thanks. It was last week but I was at school and couldn’t get a pass out cos it was a weekday.’ He took a photo of the crowd below.

  ‘I see you’ve dressed more appropriately today,’ the man whispered. ‘Last time I saw you you were wearing next-to-nothing and trying to hide behind a veil.’

  ‘Be glad I’m dressed normally today. I hate to think what happens to harem pants on roller coasters.’

  He guffawed.

  Behind them, a group of teenagers joked as they settled into the seats and waited for the ride to start.

  ‘Don’t you puke on me, Gaz.’

  ‘As if. But if you want to keep your eyes shut, feel free.’

  They were preparing to depart. The sinister voice on a video screen announced some doom-laden message intended to terrify the passengers. Charlie was too nervous to listen to it. Large yellow cage-like belts were automatically lowered, holding the passengers down in their seats and Charlie just had time to check her seat belt again before the creaking and groaning of steal chains signalled they were being lifted upwards.

  ‘Isn’t this brill?’ said the young man sat behind. ‘I read about a girl whose seatbelt broke on this ride. Imagine that. That would be well cool. Extra scary!’

  ‘Shut up, Gaz, or I’ll twat you,’ one of the girls said.

  ‘Just sayin’. My bad. Anyone here seen the film Final Destination 3? I just had a premonition that the car would break off and fall over the― ow!’

  ‘I told you to shut up,’ said the girl.

  Charlie clutched at her seatbelt to ascertain it was still attached. The cars had almost reached the top and were levelling out. From here she could see the towers of Alton Towers Hall. Not too bad, so far, she thought. Then she remembered the challenge.

  ‘Um, excuse me,’ she mumbled to the man, ‘I have to do something silly now. It’s for a challenge. I’m not mad or anything.’ He looked back at her and waggled his eyebrows in feigned surprise. She didn’t care. She was getting used to being caught in stupid situations by him.

  ‘Nothing you do would surprise me,’ he said and gave a wink.

  She unbuttoned the top pocket on her jacket and pulled out a plastic blue kazoo.

  ‘Any requests?’ she asked.

  ‘“Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” or what about “If I Could Talk to the Animals”?’ he replied with a chuckle. ‘Sorry. I can’t help myself. I’ll cut the pig-related references.’ She smiled back at him, shook her head in mock irritation and began playing. She held the kazoo tightly. She did not want to choke on it.

  Toby looked over at the sound. ‘Hey, I know that song. It’s by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It was in the Beavis and Butthead movie.’

  She nodded and continued playing ‘Love Rollercoaster’. The boy hummed in time to her playing.

  The ride car stopped at the end of the track. Charlie saw nothing but open space under her and ahead of her. They were suspended in air. The car hung for a few seconds. She was going to fall from the sky. Her eyes widened. She concentrated on the kazoo to prevent the panic from rising any further. The car suddenly descended and she gripped the kazoo tightly to prevent herself from swallowing it. She heard the man beside her whistling the tune. Behind her, the teenagers joined in, singing the lyrics, and as the car plunged into the dark hole of Oblivion, Charlie could hear her kazoo parping out the tune and a chorus of voices accompanying it. She didn’t have time to scream.

  ‘Wow! Awesome,’ said one of the girls as the cars returned to the platform and the passengers disembarked. ‘We’ll have to try that again, next ride.’

  ‘Cool!’ said Toby. ‘Can you play any other songs by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers?’

  ‘No, sorry. That's the only one that works well on a kazoo. I mostly do themes to old television shows or Star Wars. But it's a kazoo you can hear in the chorus of “Love Rollercoaster”. And they feature on quite a fe
w other songs too: Jimi Hendrix's “Crosstown Traffic”, at the end of Dionne Warwick's “This Girl's in Love With You” and Pink Floyd's “Jug and Blues”. Guess you haven’t heard of them though,’ she added. Toby shook his head.

  ‘No, but I have, and I used to be a huge Pink Floyd fan,’ said his father, smiling. ‘And “Jug and Blues” was the last track to feature Syd Barrett as a member of the band,’ he added wistfully. ‘Well, well. So you are into music? Me too. I've got a stack of old vinyls I refuse to throw away by bands from that era. Much to Toby’s dismay,’ he added, grinning. ‘He believes I’m a stuffy old dinosaur. I have all Pink Floyd’s stuff. In fact, as I recall, Pink Floyd did a song about pigs and, of course, were famous for using inflatable flying pigs,’ he grinned at Charlie. She refused to rise to the bait.

  The man helped her out of her seat while his son meandered ahead, chatting to the teenagers from their ride. She noticed he was nice-looking. He sported a slight designer stubble that reminded her a little of Gavin. She had liked it when Gavin allowed his perfectly shaven face to grow a little stubble. It made him look sexier. She enjoyed the feel of it as it gently rubbed her face when they kissed.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said.

  ‘For what?’ she asked, holding onto the rail. Her legs were being uncooperative.

  ‘For making me feel younger again. It was Toby’s idea to come out today and I had my reservations but I felt twenty years younger on that ride. It was mostly down to you. It was enjoyable whistling along with your kazoo. Liberating, even. It also took my mind off that horrendous drop. It’s a fun instrument. Maybe I should buy a kazoo.’

  ‘Here, take mine. It’s magical. When you blow it, you are transformed into a ten-year-old,’ she said, handing over the toy instrument with a shaking hand.’

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Just a little weak-kneed. The ride wasn’t my idea, as you might have guessed. I’m not fond of roller coasters. My friend put me up to it. It’s a long story, but I am trying out new adventures and challenges on her behalf.’

  He held out his arm to her. ‘One good turn deserves another.’

  She took it, grateful to have his support as they returned to the entrance to the ride. They chatted about music and bands they had both seen in concert over the years. She no longer needed his arm but kept hold of it, comfortable to be with him and enjoying the animated conversation as they discovered a mutual taste in music. She released him with some reluctance.

  ‘Thanks. I feel much better now. One roller coaster ride is enough for me, though. I’ll try the teacups next.’

  ‘Been a pleasure. I’m Jake, by the way, Jake Meredith,’ he added.

  ‘Charlie Blundell.’ She felt a slight flutter in her stomach. There was definitely an attraction there. She wondered if he felt the same.

  ‘We keep meeting under odd circumstances, don't we?’ he began, looking deep into her eyes. ‘So far, I've discovered you've got a spirit of adventure when it comes to food and a head for disgusting drinks. You’re also a farmyard animal impersonator, a master kazoo player and an exotic dancer. What else do you get involved in?’

  ‘Nothing else extraordinary. You've seen my mad side. The rest of my life is pretty dull.’

  ‘Somehow I don’t believe that,’ he said. He looked at her, head cocked onto one side as if he wanted to say something else. She had the crazy notion he was going to ask her out.

  At that moment, Toby appeared and pulled at Jake's sleeve. ‘Dad, Abigail’s here. She made it, after all,’ he said, pointing out an elegant young woman dressed in tight grey jeans and a stylish red jacket. Her hair hung like a glossy brown curtain.

  ‘Abigail!’ called the boy and raced off towards her. She enveloped him in her arms then looked over at the man and blew a kiss at him. He waved at her.

  ‘Well, this is where I have to leave you. Are you all right now?’

  ‘Yes, fine thanks. I hope you and Toby enjoy the rest of the day,’ she replied, somewhat deflated. She recognised the woman. She was the woman who had been in the café with him – the woman with red-soled shoes. He was spoken for. Of course he was. Good-looking single men didn’t generally materialise like that, only in romance stories.

  ‘Hum into your kazoo if you need a laugh,’ she added. He smiled, slipped the kazoo into his jacket pocket, and then left her. She headed off to find Mercedes, willing herself to not turn back and look at him one more time. Her legs were still rubbery when she returned to where she had left Mercedes.

  ‘Well done! You’re officially no longer a scaredy-cat. So, did you enjoy it?’

  ‘In a way, yes, I did. I almost didn’t though. The kazoo helped.’

  ‘I thought it would take your mind off the drop, although I think you had other distractions,’ she said in a knowing tone.

  ‘Funny lady! He just stopped me from falling over when we got off the ride.’

  ‘He’d be welcome to pick me up any time I fell over. Now, do you fancy a go on Wobble World with the tiny tots or would you like to go on this again?’

  Twenty-Seven

  Charlie was tired when she returned home. It had been a good day. She and Mercedes had explored the rest of the park and enjoyed the other more genteel attractions together. They’d visited the Haunted Hollow and had a raucous time at the Ice Age 4D experience. Alton Towers was vast and it had taken a while to navigate around the park and take it all in. She didn’t see Jake, Toby or the stunning woman again.

  She felt she had done something important. Although that seemed silly, part of her rejoiced that she had experienced the roller coaster. She couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling, but it was akin to feeling braver. She had made a positive step. Riding on the roller coaster playing a kazoo, at her age, had released some inner tension. It had brought out a more youthful side. Amy would have laughed herself senseless if she could have seen her mother at the park. And, of course, Jake had been there. She had enjoyed his attention. She wondered idly if Jake had thrown the plastic kazoo away or kept it. She rather hoped he still had it, then brushed all thoughts of him away. He had an attractive woman in tow and the chances of seeing him again were minimal, whereas the text she had received from Rob from Thailand left nothing to the imagination:

  ‘Hey Charlie. Loved talking to you at the New Year’s party. I’ll be back in the UK in a few weeks. Fancy picking up where we left off?’

  He wasn’t one to mince words and, as far as she could remember, he had been good company. There would be nothing serious in any relationship with him and it had been a very long time since she had been with a man. The belly dancing lessons, along with her refreshed attitude, had awoken the woman in her. She hesitated, and then, fuelled by the achievement of the day, replied to the text:

  ‘Hi Rob. Text me when you get back and we’ll meet up. X’

  Before she could change her mind she hit the send button. What the heck, she thought, it was about time she started enjoying herself again.

  There was nothing she wanted to watch on television, so she settled down in front of her computer to plan her show for the next day. The film Patch Adams had given her the idea to try and bring humour into the patient’s lives and her show centred on the principal that light-hearted fun would be a welcome relief for the patients in the hospital. She also believed laughter helped promote healing. On that basis, she spent hours collecting jokes from various online sites and forums. It was her mission to make every show as enjoyable as possible. Part of her wondered if Amy had been able to listen to a cheerful voice and lively music, whether it might have helped her come out of the coma.

  She clicked onto the hospital website to get her emails and was surprised to see a link to a video on YouTube called ‘Charlie’s Challenge’. She clicked on it and watched a video obviously taken by someone watching the Oblivion ride from the ground. It showed the cars groaning up the track from below, revealing the steel girders and structure of the ride. The picture switched to show the car sitting at the top of the ride lo
oking as if it would fall off the structure at any given moment. Next, it showed the people on the ride. Some in the back car had their arms up as if doing a Mexican wave. The camera panned across some of the faces of the teenagers at the back of the car who gave a thumbs up, then along the front row where she recognised Jake whistling and herself white-faced but playing the kazoo with enthusiasm. The camera then followed the rapid descent of the car as it fell into the black hole to a loud chorus of singing. The video finished with the car emerging from the tunnel where it twisted and turned on the track accompanied by more whistling and whoops of joy, as well as the unmistakable sound of a kazoo.

  Charlie sat in astonishment. Who had taken the video? More importantly, why had it already attracted six hundred views?

  Twenty-Eight

  The following day, Charlie was greeted effusively by the small team at City Hospital Radio as she walked into the staff meeting.

  ‘See you’ve created a video star,’ Sam remarked to Mercedes. ‘You might have started something with this Challenge Charlie.’

  ‘It was supposed to help her gain some confidence and try to inject some excitement into her life. Looks like I might have to alter the goalposts a little now,’ replied Mercedes.

  ‘Oh no, I know that look. You are clearly up to mischief. How does that husband of yours cope with you? I bet you wind him up all the time.’

  ‘No, he always makes me behave. It’s his detective skills, you see. I’m powerless once he interrogates me,’ laughed Mercedes.

  ‘Ah, the lady of the moment. Can I have your autograph please, Charlie? Will you remember us little people when you are a mega-important film star or TV presenter?’ asked Vernon Toy, another of the presenters, as he came into the room and spied Charlie.