minutes of clinking, clanging, and a lot of cursing, Scary Terry walks back over to us, dragging Simple Gray Horse along with him. The golden pole scrapes the tile, sending a piercing sound through the air. Micah stands up to receive the verdict.
“It needs some work,” Scary Terry says. “You’re going to be out of service today.”
“Well, looks like you’re going to be in service then,” Micah shoots back. “I’ll let someone know you’re working on it.”
Micah walks off and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. Scary Terry stands next to the table, rocking back and forth on the heels of his tennis shoes. He holds Simple Gray Horse upright next to him. He pulls his cell phone from the inside pocket of his blazer, dials a number, and reschedules a time to meet. Then he explains what size bags he has and how much he charges per size. He isn’t discreet. In fact, I think he’s proud of his side business.
Micah walks back to the table as Scary Terry ends his phone call.
“Alright, I’m out,” Micah tells him. “If you get it fixed, leave the sign up. I’m not coming back.”
“Alright then,” Scary Terry says.
He props his elbow on Simple Gray Horse’s saddle and leans on it, but his suave attempt fails when the horse wobbles under him. He quickly drops his arm over the side of the horse and hugs it against him before it can crash to the floor.
“I got this,” he says.
“You break my horse, and you die, got it?” Micah asks.
Scary Terry smiles his gap-toothed grin once more. I stand to leave with Micah, who circles around the carousel. I cross behind the black railing and follow him. He has decided on our plans for the day, and that always makes me nervous. The last two horses haven’t been so bad, but my gut tells me that this is eventually going to crash and burn, just like my dad.
Today’s horse is draped with a lavender blanket under its saddle, which is trimmed in blue and dark purple. An eagle rests on the back of the saddle, and royal emblems hang from the neck piece with leaves serving as tassels. A large purple stone is encrusted in the bridle. It’s definitely fit for royalty.
“Any fun thoughts on this one?” Micah asks.
I try to think of something that I know will humor him, but I can’t really twist this one up as much as some of the others. I just shrug.
“We’re flying to England to meet the Queen?” I ask.
“You’re getting better,” he says. “But we’re not going to England. And we’re not meeting the Queen but you’re close.”
I look back as Micah and I head toward the exit. Terry is still by the carousel, still holding Simple Gray Horse under his arm, still smiling. No wonder Micah calls him Scary Terry.
“Is he a carousel repair guy slash drug dealer on the side?” I ask as I slide into Micah’s passenger seat.
“Vice versa,” he answers. He cranks up his truck and pulls out of the mall’s parking lot. “He’s a drug dealer slash repairman on the side. He fixes a lot of little things at the mall, sometimes does electrical maintenance. He’s a self-taught repairman, but he’s a notorious dealer.”
“He’s weird enough,” I say.
“Yeah, he’s only here because his friend Tuck is in town for the Pecan Grove Festival,” Micah says. “Terry tags along so he can make some money on the side. We only hired him for repairs as a favor to Tuck because he actually is a decent guy.”
At least I won’t have to worry about running into Terry again today. We’ll be…Well. I have no idea where we’ll be.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
We’ve been driving down a dirt road behind the reservation for a few minutes now, and I can’t see anything. Micah looks over and just smiles. I hate when he does that. It makes me more uneasy than it should.
“Micah, seriously, give me something.” I hate begging as much as I hate his stupid smile.
“You’re going to meet some of my kind of royalty,” he says. “And that’s all I’m
“It needs some work,” Scary Terry says. “You’re going to be out of service today.”
“Well, looks like you’re going to be in service then,” Micah shoots back. “I’ll let someone know you’re working on it.”
Micah walks off and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. Scary Terry stands next to the table, rocking back and forth on the heels of his tennis shoes. He holds Simple Gray Horse upright next to him. He pulls his cell phone from the inside pocket of his blazer, dials a number, and reschedules a time to meet. Then he explains what size bags he has and how much he charges per size. He isn’t discreet. In fact, I think he’s proud of his side business.
Micah walks back to the table as Scary Terry ends his phone call.
“Alright, I’m out,” Micah tells him. “If you get it fixed, leave the sign up. I’m not coming back.”
“Alright then,” Scary Terry says.
He props his elbow on Simple Gray Horse’s saddle and leans on it, but his suave attempt fails when the horse wobbles under him. He quickly drops his arm over the side of the horse and hugs it against him before it can crash to the floor.
“I got this,” he says.
“You break my horse, and you die, got it?” Micah asks.
Scary Terry smiles his gap-toothed grin once more. I stand to leave with Micah, who circles around the carousel. I cross behind the black railing and follow him. He has decided on our plans for the day, and that always makes me nervous. The last two horses haven’t been so bad, but my gut tells me that this is eventually going to crash and burn, just like my dad.
Today’s horse is draped with a lavender blanket under its saddle, which is trimmed in blue and dark purple. An eagle rests on the back of the saddle, and royal emblems hang from the neck piece with leaves serving as tassels. A large purple stone is encrusted in the bridle. It’s definitely fit for royalty.
“Any fun thoughts on this one?” Micah asks.
I try to think of something that I know will humor him, but I can’t really twist this one up as much as some of the others. I just shrug.
“We’re flying to England to meet the Queen?” I ask.
“You’re getting better,” he says. “But we’re not going to England. And we’re not meeting the Queen but you’re close.”
I look back as Micah and I head toward the exit. Terry is still by the carousel, still holding Simple Gray Horse under his arm, still smiling. No wonder Micah calls him Scary Terry.
“Is he a carousel repair guy slash drug dealer on the side?” I ask as I slide into Micah’s passenger seat.
“Vice versa,” he answers. He cranks up his truck and pulls out of the mall’s parking lot. “He’s a drug dealer slash repairman on the side. He fixes a lot of little things at the mall, sometimes does electrical maintenance. He’s a self-taught repairman, but he’s a notorious dealer.”
“He’s weird enough,” I say.
“Yeah, he’s only here because his friend Tuck is in town for the Pecan Grove Festival,” Micah says. “Terry tags along so he can make some money on the side. We only hired him for repairs as a favor to Tuck because he actually is a decent guy.”
At least I won’t have to worry about running into Terry again today. We’ll be…Well. I have no idea where we’ll be.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
We’ve been driving down a dirt road behind the reservation for a few minutes now, and I can’t see anything. Micah looks over and just smiles. I hate when he does that. It makes me more uneasy than it should.
“Micah, seriously, give me something.” I hate begging as much as I hate his stupid smile.
“You’re going to meet some of my kind of royalty,” he says. “And that’s all I’m
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