THE ZIPPER
So I was just doing my laundry when I came across a familiar shirt the ugliest orange color ever. Over the shirt pocket it says THE ZIPPER and below is the name of some carnival company or whatever they are called. I shot back in time.
It went a bit like a Quintin Terrentino movie, first I'm standing in an NA meeting receiving my two year medallion (I was 30 years old), my mom was presenting me with it in front of fellow NA members I had become close to over the years. But I had left a few stories out. I was honestly nervous about what my mom would say. She blew me away when she brought up the time I attempted to run away with the carnival at 15 years old because I was in LOVE with Carlson who ran the Zipper!
So now we back up a bit more. I'm 15 years old living with my mom, step dad and sister in Brockton. It was summer for sure because the Brockton Fair was on and poppin! This was a big deal, especially for those of us in Jr. High, there were four in Brockton at the time, grade 7 and 8 with 600 kids in each school. So this was the time everyone came out of their neighborhoods to socialize with everyone instead of just your side of town. If you know anything about Brockton or the Brockton fair you know there is a lot of serious violence every year, usually multiple incidents. That is because the fair is also when some come out just to find people or gang members they are looking to have revenge against. Anyway, got a little off track.
The year I turned 15 was the first time my parents let me go to the fair without a chaperone. I think we tried to go every night. I was there a lot. I loved scary rides, especially the ones that made me dizzy. The Zipper had it all, spins you around, upsidedown way high in the air. I freakin loved it! It was one of those rides where I could rock the cage to increase the odds of multiple spins in a row. The guy that ran the ride was prob 40 something (creeper!) his name was Carleson and he loved watching me ride the Zipper so much I could go without tickets and he would purposely speed the ride at certain times so I could keep flipping. I do remember that my record was 28 flips in a row. So yes he was a creep and I was a reckless girl on the beginning of an insanely reckless mission.
My mom and I did not get along at all at that time. I informed her the day before the carnival left, that I would be leaving with the carnival and heading to Florida with Carleson who I loved and could not let go without me. (oh boy) She told me that would NOT happen and I ran out the door. Ultimately she tackled me in the street about 7 blocks from our house. I don't remember how but I ended up finding my way back to the fair. When she got there Carleson had me up in the Zipper. My mom would not let him stop the ride until police arrived. We waited 10 minutes ... bwahahaha I was fine but I was not the only one on that ride...lol. Anyway that was the end of it up until my mother embarrassed me in front of my recovery friends by telling them the story! ugh, but another good one. hahaha
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