The main reason we (daughter,
son-in-law grandson) went to the USA during the summer vacation this year
apparently was so that my grandson could widen his horizons by seeing Universal
Studios while he was still eligible to travel on a “half ticket” with (most
important) adult luggage allowances.
(Later on we discovered that
half ticket was actually 75% fare. Since ate more than most adults and drank
more soft drinks than all of us put together I think the ticket may have been
worth the price!
There was a giant
rollercoster which reached up into the heavens at the entrance itself. There
was no “wait time and not much of a line either. “That,” said my son “is
because we got up very early. “
I didn’t think so. It was a
orange monstrosity that I had to ct crane my neck to the point of pain to see.
“I don’t want to get on,” I
said.
“You must,” said my son and
daughter, “showing fear is a bad example for grandchildren.”
“I am an old woman,” I
announced,” it says here” I vaguely pointed to a notice that listed warnings,
”that you should not go on if you are
old.”
“I will keep ma company” said
my daughter. My son-in law disappeared towards the ice cream stand.
My son and grandson got on
the ride. It had several twists and turns. They even hung upside down at one
point. My son was shaking when he landed. His arm was red and sore. “This is where
Adiv clutched it all the way screaming “tell them to stop! I want to get off!”
“Where you scared?” I asked.
“Oh no “ he said “they just
kept irritating me by playing music in my
ear. I wanted them to stop!”
We had coached Adiv well.
“In all these shows they will
ask for volunteers. There is no point in just raising your hand, they will
ignore you. You have to run up there. “
For the first show he
politely raised his hand. To his utter disappointment he was ignored. He learnt
fast. For the next show, “Fear factor”
before the lady could say “volunteer----“ he was down there at her
elbow.
He enjoyed himself
thoroughly. The adult contestants had to eat raw octopus mashed with seaweed.
He was gratified and clapping his hands with glee when they “puked and puked.”
From there we went to the
horror show. En route he got his face painted like a green skeleton.
“We need a volunteer, an
adult women.”
“Take my mama,” he shouted.
The compere said, “we might
have to slice her arm off!”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said
“cut it off.”
Even the compere was a bit
taken aback. “the masked man is volunteering his mother but we have to take
someone else,.”
They took a lady who knew
very little English. She screeched in a
very satisfactory way when they started chopping her arm off and the blood
squirted. Her son cried and sat on his father’s lap and then wept and wailed. A very satisfying
performance all around.
“Chop the other arm,” shouted
my grandson.
“Hey masked bandit “ said the
compere, ”WHERE are you from, you
bloodthirsty villain?”
“India,” shouted my
grandson,” now chop my mother’s hand.”
(The compere was very polite.
After the show was over, with many impromptu inputs from the grandson, he posed
for photographs with him with sawed off arms and heads.)
Dr. Gita Mathai
The
writer is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore.
If you
have any questions on health issues please write to
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