Hurricanes in the Mall

People are really, astonishingly inventive. Really. Astonishingly.

We went to the Mall today. Bill kindly bought me lunch at Vapianos, a restaurant that’s so delightful, the couple we met in China praised it. (They’d been there, and they live in California.) Then, we took the Cherubim on the train that runs around the mall (a kiddie thing) and Bill treated all four of us (him, me, Juss and the Cherubim) at the candy store. (I got chocolate-covered marzipan…my absolute favorite…and a fruit wedge jelly thingy. Juss got ‘gummy pandas’ and ‘gummy penguins’ The Cherubim picked Good and Plenties.) ANd the boys got to ride the escalator. (This mall is great. Everything the Cherubim likes, train, elevators, escalators, and a carousel.)

We walked down the mall for the last part of the treat, a coconut bubble tea. On the way back, we came upon something odd. A mom with three girls was trying to get her girls to step into the Hurricane Simulator, to find out what it did.

We stopped and stared. The cylindrical device–which would have been perfect for Superman to change in, except one side was glass–showed pictures of girls with their hair flying, as if in a high wind. A device on the side allows you to insert 2 dollars or a credit card.

For two dollars, you could simulate a hurricane at the mall.

This mom was determined to try the machine. Only her girls kept coming out. They first wanted to try it and then did not. The mom could not go in because she had a little child. 

So, she called for volunteers.

The Cherubim went forward bravely and went in. This worried me. Did he understand what would happen? None of us did!  Then, Juss (a.k.a. Tornado Two) went in, too.  All the girls were out by this time, but the mom put money in anyway.

The door closed. My boys looked out. The wind started blowing inside the cylindar. A readout recorded the speed. 15, 20, 50 78 miles per house. The wind buffeted the boys. The Cherubim laughed. Juss bent down and covered his head…he told us later, he was pretending to be in a real hurricane and remembered the advice from The Wizard of Ah’s (Veggie tales) to get to low ground.

It was weird, and funny, and delightful, and amazing. I was proud of the Cherubim.


 
The boys in the Hurricane Simulator machine.

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