Life on the midway

I am back in Tulsa working another parking lot fair but I don't care. I have only one goal at this point, to get to Garland Texas. That is where Ruby and I are working the same spot next. Fourth of July week Garland is going to be a huge party.

It is stormy this night and we couldn't open because of all the lightning. I am enjoying watching the storm from the balcony of the motel while the rest of the guys are in the rooms wishing they had the money for more drugs. So I just sat on the balcony drinking my beer and watching the storms pass. I am just sitting and contemplating the future and getting pretty drunk and then I get back to the present and realize that tomorrow is the day we go to Garland, and I start getting nervous as we closer to the time of teardown and jumping down to Garland.

The spot we set up on in Garland was pretty big but it wasn't your typical fairgrounds. It was City property in the middle of a very busy part of town. We were working setting up the show in 100 degrees plus weather and getting a bit dehydrated when I see Ruby coming toward me. She just strolls up smiles and hands a Gatorade. That was the best and most unexpected thing a woman had ever done for me. But she didn't say anything and walked away to go do her own work. I resumed my job amongst the shit my crew was giving me about Ruby. We set up the wheel in 7 to 9 hours depending on terrain, sometimes it took a lot of blocks to level the ride before setting it up. It was so hot we had to take a lot of breaks so we didn't end up in the emergency room for heatstroke.

I hired two young men to help with all the people expected that week and thought I was good and prepared. I had been ride supervisor since the beginning of the season and was doing a pretty good job but I wasn't prepared for the fourth of July week in Garland. It started a great week and gradually dropped to only ok. The two youngsters I hired were a source of real irritation because of the way the hierarchy of the carnival is perceived. How busy it got was crazy. I had two lines coming up to ride my ride and they were long. I think the ride is running smoothly when I spy Jimmy and Johnny walking toward the ride, I am on the backside unloading and Jimmy waves me down. I go down and Johnny, who I do not work for, says what the fuck are you doing?!! I look him right in the eye and said I am running a fucking ride and that is when Jimmy intervened. He shot his brother a look that shut him up and then said to me, how come your lines are so long? I answered because it's really busy. Not the best thing to say, he changed demeanour and asked how many spins are you giving? 5 not counting load and unload. You give only four spins he said, one to load tow full spins and one to unload. I said yes sir. Went and took the controls told Jerry, my number two, to load which is directing traffic and I commenced to the short rides. Jerry looked at me funny when after the wheel was loaded that we were unloading already? I explained the situation to him and Vince my full time operating crew. That did get the lines shortened quickly. The rest of that night went ok and I learned a couple of things that night. I had a lot more to learn and Jimmy Reed valued me as his ride supervisor.

The next day I did the pre_ open inspection of the ride, got everybody working and the ride open. I left Jerry in charge, went to our popper(food trailer) grabbed a couple of Gatoradesand headed toward the duck game. I see Ruby before she does me and I sneak up behind her and all she saw was a Gatorade appear from behind her, she turned saw me smiled big grabbed the drink and swallowed almost the whole bottle in one pull. Thank you so much I needed that she said. And then flashed me a smile that shined. I was able to get away from my ride a lot more than she could from the game. Every day I was getting drinks for the two of us and flirting. I was on the in the early evening wearing mirrored sunglasses and Ruby walks up and starts primping her hair and says now I know where to go and fix my jiggy do and laughed with genuine happiness. The rest of the time in Garland was like that with her.

Garland was coming to an end and Ruby and I was just heating up. We were working the next spot together at some little county fair and then a parking lot on our way to Missouri. We did separate one time before we made it to Missouri, Ruby went to some other show in Kansas and I went to El Dorado Missouri. I am there working setting up when the only person I knew with a phone gave me the message that Ruby was on her way here. I was excited and nervous. The town of El Dorado was small quaint Norman Rockwell painting type of town, the people were very hospitable and generous to us. A local couple watching us set up opened up their home to a bunch of us Carneys and didn't ask for anything in return. Even took us to a local swimming hole at the river around there. I was putting the finishing touches on the ride set_up when Ruby showed up. I saw her walk up across the street. James, I am here !!! I see ya, let me finish and I'll be right there. I finished up and told Jerry to lock up the ride and went to see Ruby. That night was the beginning of a long relationship. We walked and talked and ate and then she asked if she could stay with me and of course, I said yes. I would have said yes regardless if it was ok or not. We got to the house I was staying at we visited a bit and then asked where to make our bed and went to lay down. Working the carnival life there is not much privacy, you take it when you can or you don't care and do it anyhow. Well, I was the I don't care class and was getting me some loving and I didn't care who was around. The next morning we all got up and went to the river where the locals went swimming. It was really pretty country. Ruby and I went exploring the countryside for a cool place to continue our excitement each other and as we search for that perfect spot we walked into some kind of plant started to burn. I mean it was downright uncomfortable, it got so bad we were on a sprint back to the river to wash off our legs and hope that is all it takes to stop the burning sensation. Fortunately, it was. After we washed whatever it was off and it worked we looked at each other and started laughing, we aren't doing it here today web both said. We were in El Dorado for a week and it was one of the best weeks of my life. The next spot was a big one, Sedalia Missouri, the Missouri State Fair. Mile_ long midway. Two weeks of fun, heat, and madness is the Missouri state fair. last year I camped under my ride but this year several of us Carney's that got along good rented a camp spot in the designated campgrounds and that turned out well. Ruby and I found out about unlimited hot water in the showers. And we had all the amenities like electricity and running water. We all pitched in and bought food, beer, and weed. Again two weeks of feeling on top of the world. Getting close to the end of this spot Ruby starts getting conflicted, she wants to quit the game she is working and come with me because otherwise, we go different ways again. We talked about whether she would quit the game or not. Now was one of those times that being the bosses pet was nice. I talked to Jimmy about it for a couple of reasons, first was a lot of times people would try to quit and switch jobs only to find they were now unemployable at that show. And to see if she could work in the ticket booth. As it turns out that being the owner and contract holder He didn't care about the politics of things He said if she wanted to stay with me she had a job. And Jimmy hated hiring girlfriends, said it was always the beginning of the end for the guys that he did that for. But Jimmy and I had already talked about my thoughts on working for him, he knew when the fun was gone so was I. So he was ok with hiring Ruby. But in the end, Ruby had something to prove and decided to go with her present crew and I was good with that she wanted to be independent. So two days before tear down we went out and had a proper date that ended with Ruby drunker than Cooter Brown and his brothers. We had a good time and she did make sure we both had cell phones so we could talk. The morning we are jumping we give our hugs and kisses, she gives me some extra cash because in those big spots she made a lot more than I did, and we went to separate shows. It was only two weeks then they met back up with us again.

Next for us was Fort Hood Texas. We get to the place we set up. Another parking lot, but as it turns out sometimes parking lots do very well. While in Fort hood we were enjoying some well earned time off. Each of me and my crew was told that as soon as we did all of the inspections and the ride was ready to open one of us could take the day off. We were really happy. We had been working 7 days a week for 2 months. Four days into the show Ruby called and said she wanted to come down that things were really bad. I told her I would take care of it. I called greyhound and wired her a ticket and 50 Dollars so she could eat. I didn't tell her that I borrowed the money. Remember I was the Wheelman and that really meant something there and I was well respected by my peers for my work ethic and the fact I had done a lot of favours for people so it was pretty easy to get whatever I needed. I called Ruby back in two hours with the information. Ruby was shocked and amazed. Shocked I did it. Amazed at how fast. After that, she never bothered about proving anything again.

Ruby come out of the bus station, gave me a big kiss and got in the van. Once we were back on the lot I told her about what Jimmy said. She had one day to settle in then she was a ticket girl. All ticket sales were done by women. My position was growing, my title remained the same, pay stayed the same, benefits from Jimmy. I admit I got a lot of benefits from Jimmy if I didn't want to stay at the same motel as all the rest of the crew. I gathered 4 or 5 friends and Jimmy would get us a room in a separate, nicer motel. I had access to one of the big rigs with a double sleeper and tv with ac hanging out the window. My place to go while open until it was time to give breaks to the guys. One of my perks.

There was only one big show left for the season in Baton Rouge La. I liked this place most of all the places we went in a season. It was exactly what you picture about the deep south. Spanish moss hanging from the trees, rolling Green grass lot. Hot sultry weather, a small river flowing at bottom of the lot where we were allowed to put up a tent city. a lot of us camped as much as possible. Saw my first real Gator there. It was laying in the sun on the deck of the Hurricane ride. He was gone by opening time. Was pretty cool seeing him. at this time of the, all the shows become the same and we just want to get to winter quarters. And we were basically going there after this spot.

We arrive back in Houston Texas, pull into a parking lot and Jimmy informs that he is going to set up here for winter and run the show to cover our expenses. Well, that didn't matter to me I was taking Ruby home to meet the family. I got a 500.00 dollar bonus and we had been sending money home every week. Jimmy gave me my bonus and asked how are you getting back? I looked him straight in the eye smiled and said I'm calling you. Okay, is all he said. I took Ruby home for Christmas and we had a great time. Asked her to marry me, she said yes, a week later we were Mr and Mrs Sims. And that would put an end to my life on the midway. We started a new chapter.

Thank you for reading about my time as a carney.