world of fun

Three weekends ago, Gela went on her first malling expedition with friends from school, so I dragged Nika and myself along with her.

There were more than a dozen girls in the group, of varying ages. It was the birthday of one of the younger girls, and they have created this new party of sorts by just hanging around the mall for hours and doing the cool mall things. Gela and Nika were ecstatic with this new development.

We started by waiting. There must be a proponent somewhere who will pass a motion that all girls around the world be enjoined to be patient with each other especially when one is ahead and the other is late in arriving at a designated meeting place. I want to discuss that one first though.

So we had pizza and pasta. It seemed like my daughters were skimming over that lunch, as everyone's heart were pounding for the main agenda of this adventure inside an air-conditioned mall.

Everyone was really holding her breath for this - the World of Fun. The end wing on the second floor of the mall filled with whizzing sounds and frenzied children. We needed to buy tokens. And armed with the tokens - we hit the games! The girls suddenly had this dazed passionate looks on their faces and and almost trembled while running to the game booths.

Then I started using my tokens and my own fun began. It was a feast that I cannot tell which to play and where to begin. And judging from my few tokens at hand, I knew I must choose the games where I would not end up like a fool.

But blimey! Gela clamped out two stuffed things I cannot name from Toy Story. We cannot understand the mechanics of King's Castle. An old man was hogging the SlamaWinner. And there was Jungle Jive and Dreamy Falls and Pirate's Gold and Sharp Shooter. I even saw an acquaintance sitting down over at a betting table. She said she was waiting for her son.

The objective of the place was for players to collect tickets from all the game booths. And later exchange those tickets for toys and cool stuff and what not's in the Prizes counter. But my aim was to have fun. And to be in a place where it's acceptable to scream.

I followed Nika to the Mini Basketball booth. There was a swirling goal and you have to shoot balls. You get a ticket for each ball going down the ring. But I also gave a whoop each time I would make a hoop! This made Nika irritated. And to my dismay, she spanked me in the hand for a few times and quite frankly told me to go away farther from her. The mom is embarrassing the child.

That was not nice I guess and it clouded the whole experience for me. So I gave my last tokens to her and I chose to sit down and read a book. In the middle of the world of fun.

But a plan is brewing. I'm gonna go back here. Bring a lot of tokens and play alone. And I will scream all I want. And collect those silly tickets. And claim a sillier prize at the end of the day.

I think that would be my revenge.

But I don't think that would be fun at all.