the only ride you really wanted to ride and how upset you are, and he says you can sit on whichever horse you want to.”
“Really?” Jamie smiled for the first time that day.
Stevie nodded.
“Neat!” Jamie walked around the merry-go-round and studied each horse carefully. Finally he pointed to a coal black stallion wearing a red-and-gold saddle and rearing on its hind legs. “That one,” he said.
“Exactly the one I would have chosen,” said Stevie. They walked over to the horse and she lifted Jamie onto its back. “Pretty neat, huh?” She smiled.
“Yeah,” Jamie said. He put his feet in the little stirrups and stroked the horse’s wooden head. Then he closed his eyes and held the reins tight, pretending that the horse was galloping away with him. In just a moment, though, he opened his eyes again and looked at Stevie. “Can’t the man make it work just for a little while?” he asked.
“I don’t think so, Jamie,” Stevie replied.
“Not even for just one turn?”
Stevie shook her head. “I think crankshafts take a long time to fix.”
“Then I want to get off!”
“Okay.” Stevie helped Jamie climb off the tall black horse. His legs wobbled a little as he walked to the edge of the platform, but he jumped off and landed squarely on the ground near Carole and Lisa. It was then, as Stevie was waving her thanks to Mr. Carter, that Jamie leaned over and made a retching sound. Just as Lisa turned to ask him what was wrong, every bit of food that he had eaten that day came up and landed in a multicolored puddle at his feet.
“Stevie!” Lisa cried. “Carole! Get me some water and a paper towel!” The two girls scurried off while Lisa picked Jamie up and carried him over to a shady tree. He looked pale and afraid.
“Oooh, my stomach hurts,” he groaned, holding his middle.
“I know. I think you’ve had too many rides and way too much to eat,” said Lisa gently.
Carole dashed up. “Here are some wet napkins,” she said. “I couldn’t find any paper towels.”
“And here’s some water and a soda,” Stevie said, running up with Phil. “My mom always gives me a soda when I throw up.”
Jamie rinsed his mouth out with the water while Lisa wiped the damp napkins over his face. Fortunately, his shirt was still clean. “Gosh, Jamie,” she said after she had sponged his face off and wiped his forehead. “You feel awfully hot.”
“I feel sick,” moaned Jamie.
Carole bent down and felt his cheek. “He does feel hot, Lisa. Way too hot for just a warm day in early summer. I think he’s got a fever.”
“Really?” Stevie reached down and felt Jamie’s other cheek. “Wow. I think Carole’s right. Jamie doesn’t have merry-go-round-itis. He’s really sick!”
“What should we do now?” asked Phil.
“What time is it?” asked Lisa.
Stevie looked at her watch. “Three till three.”
“Thank goodness,” Lisa said with relief. “If we leave right now, my mother should be waiting by the time we get Jamie to the parking lot.”
“Are you sure she’ll be on time?” Phil asked.
“Oh, yes,” replied Lisa. “My mother’s never been late a day in her life.”
T HEY HURRIED OUT to the parking lot. Phil carried Jamie piggyback while Stevie brought along the pink space helmet and the teddy bear. Lisa’s mother was waiting for them exactly where she said she’d be.
“Hi,” Mrs. Atwood called as they walked up to the car. “Did everyone have a good time?”
“Everyone but Jamie,” said Lisa.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Atwood frowned.
“I think he’s sick, Mom,” Lisa replied worriedly. “I mean really sick. He’s hot and he threw up.”
Jamie climbed off Phil’s back and crawled into the car. Mrs. Atwood turned around and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. “He’s definitely coming down with something,”she said. “He’s hot and his face looks flushed.” She gave Jamie a sympathetic smile. “Honey, does your tummy hurt?”
Jamie nodded
“Really?” Jamie smiled for the first time that day.
Stevie nodded.
“Neat!” Jamie walked around the merry-go-round and studied each horse carefully. Finally he pointed to a coal black stallion wearing a red-and-gold saddle and rearing on its hind legs. “That one,” he said.
“Exactly the one I would have chosen,” said Stevie. They walked over to the horse and she lifted Jamie onto its back. “Pretty neat, huh?” She smiled.
“Yeah,” Jamie said. He put his feet in the little stirrups and stroked the horse’s wooden head. Then he closed his eyes and held the reins tight, pretending that the horse was galloping away with him. In just a moment, though, he opened his eyes again and looked at Stevie. “Can’t the man make it work just for a little while?” he asked.
“I don’t think so, Jamie,” Stevie replied.
“Not even for just one turn?”
Stevie shook her head. “I think crankshafts take a long time to fix.”
“Then I want to get off!”
“Okay.” Stevie helped Jamie climb off the tall black horse. His legs wobbled a little as he walked to the edge of the platform, but he jumped off and landed squarely on the ground near Carole and Lisa. It was then, as Stevie was waving her thanks to Mr. Carter, that Jamie leaned over and made a retching sound. Just as Lisa turned to ask him what was wrong, every bit of food that he had eaten that day came up and landed in a multicolored puddle at his feet.
“Stevie!” Lisa cried. “Carole! Get me some water and a paper towel!” The two girls scurried off while Lisa picked Jamie up and carried him over to a shady tree. He looked pale and afraid.
“Oooh, my stomach hurts,” he groaned, holding his middle.
“I know. I think you’ve had too many rides and way too much to eat,” said Lisa gently.
Carole dashed up. “Here are some wet napkins,” she said. “I couldn’t find any paper towels.”
“And here’s some water and a soda,” Stevie said, running up with Phil. “My mom always gives me a soda when I throw up.”
Jamie rinsed his mouth out with the water while Lisa wiped the damp napkins over his face. Fortunately, his shirt was still clean. “Gosh, Jamie,” she said after she had sponged his face off and wiped his forehead. “You feel awfully hot.”
“I feel sick,” moaned Jamie.
Carole bent down and felt his cheek. “He does feel hot, Lisa. Way too hot for just a warm day in early summer. I think he’s got a fever.”
“Really?” Stevie reached down and felt Jamie’s other cheek. “Wow. I think Carole’s right. Jamie doesn’t have merry-go-round-itis. He’s really sick!”
“What should we do now?” asked Phil.
“What time is it?” asked Lisa.
Stevie looked at her watch. “Three till three.”
“Thank goodness,” Lisa said with relief. “If we leave right now, my mother should be waiting by the time we get Jamie to the parking lot.”
“Are you sure she’ll be on time?” Phil asked.
“Oh, yes,” replied Lisa. “My mother’s never been late a day in her life.”
T HEY HURRIED OUT to the parking lot. Phil carried Jamie piggyback while Stevie brought along the pink space helmet and the teddy bear. Lisa’s mother was waiting for them exactly where she said she’d be.
“Hi,” Mrs. Atwood called as they walked up to the car. “Did everyone have a good time?”
“Everyone but Jamie,” said Lisa.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Atwood frowned.
“I think he’s sick, Mom,” Lisa replied worriedly. “I mean really sick. He’s hot and he threw up.”
Jamie climbed off Phil’s back and crawled into the car. Mrs. Atwood turned around and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. “He’s definitely coming down with something,”she said. “He’s hot and his face looks flushed.” She gave Jamie a sympathetic smile. “Honey, does your tummy hurt?”
Jamie nodded
Similar Books
