Page 32 of Bride Games
32
Emma
E mma and Lucy could hardly contain their excitement. Eli’s big surprise was that he wanted to take them to a large theme park, Silver Dollar City, in Branson. Emma had only been once when she was a teen and had never taken Lucy since the admission cost alone was a splurge, plus she knew there would be multiple food and souvenirs for the day-long adventure. But Eli, as always, seemed to know exactly what young children and single moms would enjoy.
After they ate breakfast, Emma instructed Lucy to go to the bathroom so they wouldn’t have to stop on the nearly forty-five-minute drive. She peeked out the window and yelled, “Hurry up, Luce. Eli’s here.”
Lucy raced into the room. “I’m ready, Mommy.”
“Did you wash your hands?”
Wiping them on her shorts and tee to demonstrate they were still damp, Lucy bobbed her head. “Okay, good. I’ll grab a few snacks.” Emma reached for three granola bars, two bags of almonds, two bottles of water, and apple juice for Lucy. When the doorbell rang, Lucy raced across the living room.
“Come in, Mr. Hansen.”
The handsome teacher bent down to her eye level. “I keep telling you it’s okay to call me Eli since I’m no longer your teacher.” Grinning, he added, “But call me whatever you want, Lucy.”
“Okay, Mr. Hansen.”
He chuckled and winked at Emma. “Who’s excited about going to Silver Dollar City?”
“What’s Dollar City?” Lucy asked as she reached for Eli’s hand.
Emma held the front door open and steered Lucy outside. “We have a long drive, Lucy. Let’s get in the car and you can ask all the questions you want.” A smile spread across her face. “Well, maybe not all of the questions. Just a couple.”
“Good idea.” Eli opened their car doors before sliding behind the wheel. “Everyone buckled up?” After he heard a collective ‘yes’ he rounded the first corner before Lucy continued with her questioning.
“What’s Money City, Mr. Hansen?”
“It’s called Silver Dollar City, but”—he paused—"that’s an apt description, Lucy.”
“What’s apt?”
Emma turned toward her daughter. “Let Eli concentrate, Luce.”
“I love kids. I love their curiosity.” Within minutes, Eli pulled onto 65 South toward Branson. “To answer your question, Silver Dollar City is an old-fashioned theme park. It’s like stepping back in time. Women wear long dresses, aprons, and bonnets and the men wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and suspenders. Some of them make soap, horseshoes, and even fudge. I love that place, have since I was a kid.”
Lucy simply replied, “Oh. Are we almost there?”
“Not even close, Luce. Guess what? They have rides at Silver Dollar City. Lots of rides, I think. I haven’t been there in years.”
Lucy clapped. “Rides? Like a fewwis wheel?”
“Yep. They even have a kid area especially for your age.” Eli glanced at the clock on the dash. “We should be there in less than 30 minutes.”
Lucy squealed. “I can’t wait. What else does Dollar City have?”
Eli grinned, clearly happy with his family outing choice. “Let’s see. They have old-time crafts like soap making and people who blow glass into pretty vases and bowls. They also have blacksmiths who forge horse shoes in a fire. It’s an 1880s theme park.”
“1880s, Mr. Hansen? Was that a long time ago?”
Both Eli and Emma giggled. Emma turned to wink at her daughter. “It was even before I was born.”
Wriggling in the backseat, Lucy said, “That is a long time ago.” She sat silent for all of thirty seconds before asking, “Did you say they make shoes for horses, Mr. Hansen?”
Emma and Eli broke into laughter.
“Why are you laughing? He did say they make shoes for horses, Mommy.”
Eli slowed the car and turned his head to the side so he could see Lucy. “You’re a very bright girl. You’re right. I did mention horseshoes, so you interpreted it exactly as a six-year-old should. Do you want to hear more?”
“Uh huh.”
“Here’s the bottom line, back in the 1880s people got to places like a general store or other houses using horses. This was before cars were invented.”
“They didn’t have cars?” Lucy’s high-pitched voice captured the magic of a child’s wonder.
“Correct,” Eli answered before continuing his basic history lesson. “Men called blacksmiths used steel to forge and form the curved metal in a fire to make horseshoes. They worked with people called farriers who specialized in horse hoof care. Farriers helped to place the shoes on the horses’ hooves.”
“I don’t understand, Mr. Hansen.”
Emma watched the interaction with a small smile. “I’ve never heard of a farrier. I’m learning something today too.”
“Lucy, I think I got too deep in the weeds. Basically, the rounded metal shoes were placed on the bottom of the horses’ feet to protect them because they had to walk long distances.”
“So, the horses weren’t barefoot?” Lucy asked.
“Exactly,” Eli chuckled. “That’s what I should have said to begin with.”
Emma leaned against the seat, happy to hand over the reins for once to a capable adult. She was exhausted from always being the mom and the dad. She turned toward her daughter in the backseat. “It’s going to be an amazing day. We’ll be there soon.”