The Merry-go-round.

By Jorge Moreno

One day, after leaving class, Marcos discovers that they have put a merry-go-round next to his school. They have never caught his attention before and they seemed quite boring, however, he can not stop thinking about riding it.
His father doesn't want to let him, for no apparent reason, but Marcos tries his best to convince him.
When he finally succeeds and gets on, he can't even imagine the adventure that awaits him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Aug 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781071562765

Book preview

CONTENTS.

An infallible strategy

Dad's victory?

What happened, Valeria?

What should we do?

A duel and a banquet

What does the dragon want?

Again?

We have no time left!

Are the three of us back?

To Adrián, Daniel and Noa

An infallible strategy

Today I have finally convinced my parents, and I am going to go on it.

Since Tuesday, I have really been behaving myself. I have even picked up my plate and Lucas's every night after dinner. I have tidied and sorted the toys in my room so much that I don't think I could even find them anymore. I have wolfed my dinner and gone to bed early every night this week, and even today, which is Saturday, I did not get up at eight in the morning but pretended to be asleep until I heard Mom in the bathroom. And I sucked up, even more, this morning when I let Lucas play with all my toys.

So, when Dad told me that I deserved a reward, I didn't hesitate:

I want to ride the merry-go-round.

Not a chance, not the merry-go-round, Dad told me. Ask for anything else. Let's go to the zoo, or even if you want a video game, I'll buy it for you, but the merry-go-round is a no go.

The offer was tempting, but I have wanted to ride on it since Monday when I saw it after school that day. They set it up in the morning, while we were in class, and when I went outside, it was already spinning with a little music playing in the background. I stood in front of it, staring as if I was hypnotized. I have never been interested in any merry-go-round before, I have always preferred other amusement park rides that are faster and more fun and exciting. I don't know why I could not stop looking at it. I wanted to ride it. I needed to get on it.

Come on, Marcos, let's go home, Dad said, pulling me out of my hypnotic state.

I want to ride on it, Dad, I said.

No way, not the merry-go-round.

The next day I tried again, but again my father objected. I knew that insisting over and over again would not achieve anything. When Dad says no, he means no, so I had to find a way to convince him to let me ride it. That´s how I came up with my strategy to behave so well that he had no choice but to say yes, and I put it into action that same day. I have been the best son that any parents could imagine for five days in a row, so much so that Mom has forced me to use the thermometer more than once because she said that it was not possible, that I had to be sick yet, nevertheless, Dad still won't let me ride.

But, Dad, I earned it, you said so yourself.

No, Marcos, you're not going to go on the merry-go-round.

Mom, tell him to let me, pleease, I will do anything you tell me, I pleaded with my mother, making a sweet face. If she couldn't convince him, no one could.

Mom looked at Dad with a surprised face, as if she didn't understand what was happening, and they both went to the kitchen while my father shook his head.

They always go to the kitchen when they don't want us to find out something, but although at first, they speak quietly, then usually get louder, and if we are silent and near the door, we can hear everything they say.

Héctor, why don't you want him to go on it, it's just a merry-go-round, I heard Mom say.

No, Sonia, no, I'm not going to let him ride it, it's dangerous.

A merry-go-round is dangerous? But you want him to ride with you on the Mine Train in the Amusement Park?!

It's not the same, Sonia; it's not the same.

Of course, it's not the same. But what is your problem with the merry-go-round? Did you have a childhood trauma or something?

He's not going on it, and that's final. End of. Dad always says, end of when he doesn't want to talk about something, but Mom always pretends not to hear him and continues with the subject regardless.

Well, let's see what we can do, because with how well he has behaved, he has to have some kind of reward.

Well, anything else but the merry-go-round absolutely not. End of.

But this is what he wants, and he has been so good this week I thought that the aliens had abducted him, and he was not our son. It's going to be hard for him to learn that behaving well pays off if we promise him a reward and don't give it to him.

At that moment, Lucas sneezed causing Mom to close the kitchen door, and I couldn't hear them anymore.

The next few minutes seemed eternal. I could not bear the suspense of not knowing what