We here at the Maggid freely admit that this is not our first amusement park story (see Lech Lecha: Taking the Plunge). What can we say? We love amusement parks (doesn't everyone from New Jersey?). Bamidbar: 27: 17
If you have a weak stomach, do not read the next paragraph. Don't say I didn't warn you.
The Hydra Roller Coaster is the pride of Dorney Park. Opened at the amusement facility in 2005, the thirteen million dollar ride is a state of the art thrill machine. I t weighs 1,368,000 pounds and uses 3,198 feet of track. But those aren't the important statistics. In two minutes and thirty-five seconds, this vertigo inducing wonder has a jojo roll (where you're flipped upside down a few seconds into the ride), a sixty-eight degree, one hundred and five foot sideways drop into a rock canyon, at fifty-three miles an hour, an induced dive loop, a zero gravity roll, two flat spin inversions, a cobra roll, and a tight spiral loop. Did I mention that all this occurs in two minutes and thirty-five seconds? O.K., you can come back now.
The girls of Bunk G-2 at Camp Moledet had been looking forward to their trip to Dorney Park for weeks. This was definitely the highlight of their entire summer. They liked riding the old fashioned carousel, they enjoyed the high rising ferris wheel. They loved the Thunder Canyon River Rapids. The Whip was great fun. But the roller coasters were what they lived for. The Wild Mouse was a classic old coaster and was definitely still good for some thrills. The Laser was an excellent coaster, with two consecutive 360 degree vertical loops. It was a fine ride. But Hydra: The Revenge was what they really wanted. It was the supreme ride in the park, or to use the term a nine-year-old girl might employ, it was a vomit comet.*
It was a perfect day for a visit to Dorney Park. It was hot enough for the water rides to be enjoyable, but not so hot that you wilted in the sun. The girls of Bunk G-2 had gone on all the usual rides that morning, but they saved the Hydra for just before lunch (that way you wouldn't do a zero gravity roll on a full stomach; never a good idea). Everything was going according to plan until they got to the gate for the Hydra. At the entrance was the dreaded height requirement sign—at least it is dreaded when you're nine.
You must be THIS tall to go on this ride unaccompanied, it read at fifty-four inches. You must be THIS tall to go on this ride accompanied by an adult, the sign read at forty-eight inches. Abby, Kayla, Ruthie and Ayana made the fifty-four inches with a little to spare. Shevy, Rachel, Orli, Tamar, and Caroline just made it. But Rebecca, Hannah, Mirriam, Michal, and Sarah were a few inches below the unaccompanied requirement. This was not a positive development.
"Either we all go, or none of us go," Rachel announced.
"One for all and all for one," Ruthie added.
Everyone in the group nodded in agreement.
"But that means we'll need an adult," Kayla said.
Everyone in G-2 turned and looked at their counselors.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Aliza said. "There is no way I'm going on that contraption. Forget about it."
"I'm going to take a pass," Elisheva said. I'm just not roller coaster material."
The girls turned and looked at Allie with doleful faces. She was their last chance. Allie was not exactly their first choice to go on a vomit comet. She never participated in sports when they played in camp, and on the yellow school bus on the way to the amusement park, she sat in the front seat, looking kind of green and breathing into a small, paper bag.
Allie looked at her campers and smiled wanly.
"You really want this, huh guys?"
They all nodded in affirmation.
"O.K., I'll do it," Allie said.
"No way," Abby said.
"Way," Allie said. "In fact, I want to go in the front of the coaster."
" No way," Orly said. "Way," Allie repeated.
Everyone knew the front of the coaster was the scariest.
"Allie, you are amazing," Mirriam said, jumping up and down excitedly. "But if you don't mind me asking, what made you say yes?"
"Yeah," Tamar chimed in, "you just don't seem like the roller coaster type."
"I'm not," Allie confessed. As a matter of fact, I kind of get sick on regular car rides."
"We noticed," Caroline said.
"But then I was reading this week's parsha, Pinchas
"Normally I would hope that the leader is out in front of the people setting a moral example, but in this case, if what's required of me as your counselor is to get into a roller coaster and risk tossing my lunch, then so be it."
Every girl in G-2 clutched Allie in a group hug.
"Allie, you rule," Rebecca said.
"Thanks, everybody. Now let's do it."
The girls entered the Hydra and sat in their places. The large automatic safety harness pushed down on their shoulders, pinning them in their seats. Allie closed her eyes as the ride started, already a bit pale.
We'll never forget this," Abby said to Allie.
"Neither will I, Abby, neither will-"
Everyone screamed as the jojo roll started.
* The term is borrowed from NASA via The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
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