“Dad, when you jumped from airplanes, was it scary? Were you afraid?”
Abe stood up from the bench, putting his arm on his son’s shoulder. “C’mon, Mutty, let’s walk a little.” They set off at a leisurely pace. This early in the season, with schools not yet closed for summer vacation, there weren’t many people on the boardwalk. Most of the rides and stands were empty, though in the distance they could make out the cheery music of Astroland’s merry-go-round, reminding Mutty of that Sunday in Central Park when he and Artie had met Marjorie.
Well, joining the army is one sure way of getting off life’s carousel….
Suddenly Abe came to an abrupt stop. Coney Island’s iconic Parachute Jump rose before them. It had a slightly seedy, almost deserted look, with the red and yellow paint on its girders chipping at the edges. Only one or two young adventurers were slowly drifting down to earth.
Mutty broke the silence. He looked at his father, who was staring intently at the tower. Almost without thinking, a question came out of his mouth. “Dad, when you jumped from airplanes, was it scary? Were you afraid?”
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