“I’d like to go on a rollercoaster,” Lindiwe said.

“But we did that all day yesterday.”

“I can do it forever with you or what you’re too scared to do it again.” Then she slanted her eyes and said, “I’ll race you there.”

Mark felt his face get warmer, and grinned helplessly. Before he could even utter a word, she ran towards the rollercoaster. He giggled as he ran after her. They stood at the back of the long curving queue.

Mark looked around the carnival, and saw a large audience being entertained by a few talking parrots. Other children were playing pin the tail on a donkey. Others were getting their faces painted, while others were pulled again and again to the stalls by the aromas of the delicious food being served. There were long queues of people on all the games being offered. Mark noticed that all of Sunrise Avenue was at this carnival.

Mary-Anne and Siphiwe came towards Mark and Lindiwe. Their clothes had become dirtied. There was some hay on Siphiwe’s hair. They were breathing heavily and smiling broadly. It seemed they were having so much fun together.

“Hey, why are you standing in this darn queue anyway?” Mary-Anne asked.

“Because they’re trying to get to the front!” Siphiwe burst out in laughter.

“No need.” Mary-Anne said. “Come with me.” She grabbed Mark and Lindiwe’s wrists and jetted to the front of the queue as soon as the ride was over. She retrieved her crumpled coupons from her pockets and handed it to the unsuspecting operator.

“Excuse me, you’ll have to join the queue.”

“Excuse me!”

The operator looked again at the children and recognised Brother Boswell’s daughter.

“Oh! Mary-Anne, you may go through”, he said with a smile and handed the coupons back to her.

But she told him to keep them. The children went in and enjoyed the ride. They screamed and hollered and laughed, and threw their hands in the air until their eyes watered. They wished the ride would never end. When the ride was over they were heaving, wide-eyed, their jaws on the ground.

“That was awesome!”

“You know, those things travel at lightning speed.” Mary-Anne said, “At about 100 kilometres per hour. That’s like from here to the next town in a few seconds.”

“Wow.” Lindiwe replied, “I read that somewhere as well.”

“Ya!” Mary-Anne and Lindiwe’s shadows seemed to be connected.

“Let’s go again!” Siphiwe yelled in excitement.

“I think, I am –” Mary-Anne said, as she stopped.

Mary-Anne suddenly collapsed on Mark’s arms. He led her to the ground gently. They all peered over her seemingly unconscious body. Lindiwe fanned her arms. Mark ordered them to give Mary-Anne some space, as his mother was a nurse. He told Lindiwe to press her palms on her chest and perform CPR.