Summer Fair

An annual summer festivity on the beach.

 

 

SUMMER FAIR

 

The sun was blazing down and the waves were lapping the shore. There were few members of the public at such an early hour. It was seven thirty on a hot August morning, the first arrivals always placed their parasols and sun beds as near as possible to the sea. The sun beds and parasols that belonged to hotels had the best sites and included towels with their hotel’s logo written along the top of them. At that hour it was still lovely and quiet which was an encouragement for early risers to nip down for a quick swim and a rest on the sun beds before the hordes of tourists descended and created mayhem out of a really desirous place. On the morning in question the noise that disrupted the relaxing atmosphere was not that of screaming mothers, fathers, and children but that of a very different nature. The annual fair had made its annual appearance on the beach, near enough for anyone staying at the resort to manage the walk to the attractions.

Macy and Sydne were two girls who were not in a group of tourists but actually lived in the seaside town of Silver Sands. They had been looking forward to the Funfair since the summer before when, as they were older teenagers, they had been allowed to stay out longer at night by their parents. The large brightly coloured caravans passed close to them as they were walking on the sand. The long line of different kinds of vehicles moved slowly to the site it would occupy for the next four days, thus creating a mini-city with its own atmosphere. The installation of the Funfair took all day and was not at all interesting to Macy and Sydne. As the morning progressed, with the passing hours the beach gradually filled up. Instead of swimming and then lying back on the sun beds, the general public took a good look at the Funfair. It made for a lot of chatting among the beach combers.

Silver Sands was celebrating its Summer Carnival. The highlight of summer which included the many other small resorts along that part of the coast. Every day there was one event or another which drew in the majority of the visitors. The seafood restaurants made a fortune, and there was never a day when there was an empty table in any establishment. Everyone loved the carnival and came to enjoy all the noise, colour, food, the beach and, of course, the Princess of the Sea Pageant. A stage had been set up on the beach for girls who wanted to be the Sea Princess to parade and be elected by the public for that summer. After dinner each evening, the would-be princesses were presented on the stage by the local television presenter by the name of Clay. This character was of a dubious nature, and many a mother accompanied her daughter to the presentation of the girls.

The best time on the beach was at night when the sky was velvety dark and the waves caressed the sand. The Funfair jarred in all its gaudiness against the natural beauty of the beach. Seen from a reasonable distance the bright lights and the music were not unfriendly, but the darkness was a terrific contrast and in some way was more sinister in its tranquillity.

Inside the Funfair all was underway for the opening that very evening. There hadn’t been a moment to lose. The owners of the attractions were welcoming their first visitors, and the smell of hot dogs, hamburgers, fried onions, candy floss, mixed nauseatingly with the smell of the sea. Nobody was bothered by that, and soon screams of delight were coming from the different rides. The barkers of the different rides tended to flirt with any female who was old enough to want to climb aboard their attraction.

Billy, was one of the greatest flirts, in spite of being married to Rosetta who was the fortune teller. She was always warning him to behave himself about who he chatted up. “One day,” she had said to him on many occasions, “You’re going to come up against a jealous husband or boyfriend, and then you’ll get your comeuppance. Mark my words.”

“Don’t get so upset about things. We’re in one place for such a short time. We’re in and out in a flash, so I don’t think I have to worry about the men in the girls’ lives.”

Billy was happy with his role as barker on the gigantic roller coaster. It was famous for its size and the dangerous element. The male and female passengers loved the sensation of sheer fear that being on such a narrow track with a ravenous drop below gave them. The vast majority travelled with their arms in the air as if that made it easier or more exciting. Some of the passengers staggered off the ride with white faces, others wanted to repeat. There were some who threw up. Then, there were those chosen by Billy for a quick touch on their arms.

Rosetta sat inside a booth behind a purple velvet curtain edged in gold paint with moons and stars. The table was circular and the cloth over it was smothered in symbols of the zodiac. On an adjacent table there were small models of fairies and mythical animals. A stand held stones that purported to have magical or mystical powers. The lady of the booth, Rosetta, sat on a comfortable chair, as she was no longer a young woman and her previous chair had given her backache. Rosetta was wearing a dress of blue, purple and red, her head was covered by a multi-coloured head scarf. Dark curls peeped out from under the scarf and gave her the look she imagined to be unusual and strange. And so she sat day in and day out year after year telling the public what they wanted to hear. Rosetta’s fortune telling booth was right near the giant roller coaster so her clients were often the shaken up passengers that had just climbed down after the rough ride.

When parents knew the Funfair was on the beach, they made for it with their progeny in tow, knowing that for one night of the long weekend they would have no trouble in getting them to bed after being worn out from the rides. Little figures, and bigger ones too, were to be seen with their jaws munching on all the different offerings that the Fair had for them. Nobody seemed to object to the greasiness of the food nor the high sugar content of the drinks. It all formed part of an evening at the Funfair and was accepted as such.

Meanwhile, those whose idea of a fun time at the beach didn’t include the Funfair, carried bottles of alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks to the beach. Some lit bonfires to keep off the chill of the night and sat and drank. Those who were a little more daring took off their clothes and went for a quick dip in the inky sea. The more serious drinkers fell asleep on the beach and woke up the following morning when the rising sun was beginning to lighten up the sky.

 Macy and Sydne had a friend called Elizabeth, who had been entered for the Sea Princess Competition. They had left their homes after dinner and had gone to pick Elizabeth up, to accompany her to the first elimination. There wasn’t much doing after the eliminations had taken place. Elizabeth was still nominated, so the three decided that the Funfair deserved a visit.

“What do you fancy doing?” Macy asked her two friends.

Sydne and Elizabeth raised their shoulders, and said, “We don’t mind. Anything to take our minds off the Sea Princess contest,” replied Sydne.

“I rather like the roller coaster and then we can decide what to do next,” Elizabeth added.

“OK, that’s fine by me,” Macy said, and the three girls made their way to the main attractions.

Billy saw the girls coming towards him and made a play for the three. “Well, hello lovely ladies, come and ride on the biggest and the best roller coaster in the world,” Billy greeted them.

“Well, we’ve come for a ride, so we’ll climb aboard and take your word that it’s the biggest and the best,” Macy retorted.

Sydne and Elizabeth limited themselves to getting into their seats and fixing the safety bars over their shoulders.

All the places were occupied in a short time, and Billy turned the ride on. The first upward movement was slow and agonizing, and it made everyone aboard feel as if they were going to be catapulted backwards. Then it got to the peak, gathered speed, and hurtled down towards and an even more defying upward thrust. Throughout the ride there were screams and shouts. On the last downward slope the vehicle gathered speed and then suddenly slowed down as it entered its base. Billy was there at his post with a huge smile on his face and an anxious queue waiting to get on board. His eyes lingered on the three girls as they got down from the ride and waved goodbye.

“Shall we have a drink or an ice cream?” Elizabeth suggested.

“Not yet, let’s see what Rosetta has in store for us,” Sydne said.

Rosetta opened the curtain to let the three inside. “Do you want your fortunes told?” she asked.

Elizabeth asked, “I’d like to know whether it’s in my interests to continue in the Sea Princess contest?”

“Sit down and let me read the cards for you,” Rosetta said getting out her paraphernalia.

“How much is it?” asked Elizabeth.

“That all depends on what kind of reading you want.”

“The easiest and the quickest, please,” Elizabeth answered.

“Then it’s the same as the roller coaster and the majority of the attractions.”

Elizabeth sat down where Rosetta indicated and took in the set up. Macy and Sydne sat on the chairs set apart especially for those who were not having their fortunes told. In the centre of the table there was a large crystal ball that had a milky look to it. Rosetta put it on the adjacent table, and began shuffling the cards. She asked Elizabeth to pick out five, and Rosetta placed them face down on the table. One by one she picked them up and read their symbolism. “You are going to win the contest, but be very careful there’s a hint of something untoward here.”

Elizabeth stared at the fortune teller and asked, “Am I going to be killed?”

“Oh, no, but you are in for a bit of a shock. What about your friends, do they want their fortunes told?”

Macy and Sydne said unanimously, “No, thanks, Rosetta. Another time, perhaps,” and standing up left.

The girls walked round for a while, went on a few more attractions including the Haunted House ride, where they suffered being dragged through artificial cobwebs and illuminated monsters leering out at them.

“Time for me to go home, I feel tired. Perhaps it’s Rosetta’s reading has got through to me. See you tomorrow. It should be the final part of the contest. Bye,” and Elizabeth went off to meet her brother who would take her home.

Macy and Sydne lived near each other and were quite happy to stroll casually along to their homes. From the street where they lived they could see the outline of the Funfair in the distance, but could hear nothing of the noise. The beach was within walking distance and the sound of the sea was the normal background noise for them.

The next two days were more of the same, with Elizabeth being shown as the most popular candidate for Sea Princess. Her winning was for sure as she was not only the prettiest but the most popular.

Every day brought an incident of one type or another. A drunk was found unconscious on the beach suffering from heat stroke on the hot sand, and taken to hospital, where he spent the rest of his holiday. There was an interminable queue of those who had over-eaten and abused the sea food, and were suffering from digestive problems. Outbreaks of stomach bugs were not unusual, in fact it was the norm every August. The Funfair was doing great business, those who had gone on the first two days had left it alone and then returned for their last rides on the last day. Nobody was missing out in any way whatsoever. Everything, even the hospitals, was throbbing with life.

Elizabeth’s winning of the Sea Princess contest had fulfilled Rosetta’s prediction. The result was announced in the evening of the third day. The three runners up were given the titles of handmaidens. The man behind the contest was a local high flying businessman who crowned the handmaidens. The winner of the previous year’s title of Sea Princess crowned Elizabeth. Cheers and applause came from the audience.

On the last day of the holiday, was the celebration of the Sea Princess. As the sun began to set, the cavalcade set out. Elizabeth and the three handmaidens were sitting on a float on thrones. Elizabeth was dressed all in white with silver glitter all over the dress. A tiara was in her blonde hair and her make up was heavy to hide any blemishes. Long white satin gloves covered her hands, across her chest she wore a sash with the words ‘Sea Princess’. The float was done out in white and gold satin. A long parade of  people carrying torches and wearing white clothes too, walked behind the float. They were going at a slow pace along the road that ran parallel to the beach. Once the parade had passed by, the public followed behind to see the grand finale, until it would appear  that every citizen of Silver Sands wanted to take part in the festivities. A band was playing a traditional tune that was played for the Sea Princess every year.

Arriving at the miniscule port of Silver Sands near the lighthouse, the procession stopped, and the people who had accompanied them joined those who had already taken their positions to watch from on high.

Suddenly, all the small boats waiting out at sea lit up. A larger boat, even more spectacular, came up to the landing stage, to pick up the Sea Princess and her handmaidens. At a given signal the four young ladies were escorted down to the larger boat and taken aboard. Then the band began playing a more invigorating tune. The large boat slid out gently into more open waters. Fireworks began lighting up the sky and the sea. The moment had come for the four beauties to remove their dresses, revealing a white swimsuit. They dived into the sea, which was then smothered in flowers thrown by the crews in the small boats. The girls could be seen slightly submerged below the flowers. They surfaced out of the water and out of breath, swam round the large boat again so that everyone could see them, and then they were hoisted up onto the deck.

The lights went off, and the Sea Princess festivity was over till the next year.

The morning after saw the packing up of the Funfair on the beach, and a line of cars with holiday makers leaving Silver Sands. The men and women who had been hospitalised were given the all clear and allowed to leave. The beach cleaning machines went into action and by midday everything was back to normal. The Funfair vehicles wound their way up to the highway and set out for their next stop, which they would arrive at in the late evening. The restaurants took stock of how much money they had made, and how much food had been consumed. The owners knew that the four days of plenty were over till next year. Elizabeth and her three handmaidens were all in bed suffering from colds and the shock of having dived into the dark sea, even covering their heads.

Macy and Sydne were sitting on swings in Macy’s back garden, “Now that the high spot of the summer is over, what shall we do for the rest of the holiday?”