Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango? Queen
By Harry B. Sanderford
The Spanish dance it is named for is a courtship dance that starts out slowly (boy sees girl, girl runs away) and builds to a passionate whirl-wind (boy chases girl, girl looks over her shoulder to make sure boy is still gaining on her). The ride is itself a rhythmic mimic of the dance. Four enormous legs festooned with flashing lights suspend a giant pendulum that swings a whirling merry-go-round business end with increasing speed in an ever expanding arc. It is on the extreme perimeter of that spinning business end that you will find your seat and strap yourself in to ride Fandango. You laugh nervously with your neighbor hoping to appear fearless but secretly you're calculating consequential variants associated with centrifugal forces, corn dogs and candy floss consumption. The ride begins with a slow clockwise rotation and a gentle rocking motion that comforts you at first but it's gathering speed and span with every pass and before you know it you see the ground then you see the sky, you see your house, then you see your thigh, if you see your lunch you're gonna die, ayee-yi-yi-yi! At merciful last it is slowing to a stop and wonder of wonder you didn't even chunder. So bingo bango do the Wango Tango, you just tripped the light Fandango!
15 comments:
Hey Harry, thanks for educating me. I never knew what those words from Queen's marvellous song meant and it never seemed important to find out, but I'm glad I did. Fascinating. It could form the basis of a good little story.
I didn't get around to #fridayflash for the last two weeks. I read your wild cowgirl tale while I was here. Great stuff. I could imagine you enjoying writing that.
My story is up this week too. Hope you get a chance to read it.
My #fridayflash story Revolution
Oh great, now I have Bohemian Rhapsody rolling around my noodle. This was fun, Harry! I can smell the corn dogs and the popcorn and I'm pretty sure they're fresh, not a Fandango regurgitation!
Great ride Harry! Love the visuals......takes me back to summer fairs and carnivals. You nailed the sights, sounds, and smells!
KM
Nice write, Harry!
Oh Mama Mia, Mama Mia, Mama Mia!!! Any way the wind blows this is a great ride, Har.
Very Queen, Harry! Sad I've never been very good at the chase.
Love it!
love this one, harry! loved the lesson and your telling of it, especially the ride vs. the cotton candy, corn dog consumption. so accurate of the nervousness. and the ending was so fun!
Wow Harry this is so much fun! And I hate any sort of carnival-like rides, so that's saying something.
For some reason, reading this, I was reminded of puppy loves from elementary school...odd.
Scaramouche, scaramouche...
Love this. Really good description of one of those rides.
Here's a marvelous coincidence! Earlier today, I was telling a friend about a ride I once took on a torture device very similar to this one. I started screaming for it to stop before the ride was done, because I knew I was going to hurl, if it didn't stop soon. I was afraid that my expulsion would hit the person behind me. Fortunately, it stopped before that happened, but right now I'm feeling nauseous, just thinking about it!
Thanks Everyone!
Madam Z, I used to be able to ride any of those rides but the spinny ones make me want to hurl now.
Hahahahaha! Oh jeez Harry, where on earth do you get your ideas from? Great expressive writing, and the poem on the end had me in stitches.
Thanks dude.
"...but secretly you're calculating consequential variants associated with centrifugal forces, corn dogs and candy floss consumption."
Yes, I've been there, too. A great reminder of fun times long past, Harry. I like the 2nd person POV, too, a choice that allows us to remember and put ourselves in the seat. Well done.
If I went on that thing, I think that pretty accurately describes what would happen to me.
I tend to find my brain calculating cog strippage, tensile strengths of steel, and the effect of wear and tear with repetitive motion.
In short, this story is as close as I'd want to get ;) St.
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