Ferris Wheel Breakdown

• Saffia Phipps Booth, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2007

There once was a boy called Tai. He loved amusement parks and was 13 years old. He had short brown hair with streaks of blonde and he usually spiked it up. Tai’s favourite ride was the Ferris wheel because he had lots of problems in his life. For instance, his mum was an alcoholic and hurt him a lot both mentally and physically.

Tai liked the Ferris wheel because it gave him time to think about all his problems. One day when Tai was at the top of the Ferris wheel it got stuck and would not move. Suddenly the Ferris wheel fell over. To be honest Tai was sort of happy when it fell over. Tai had passed out and had broken a few bones. When Tai woke up in the hospital a few weeks later he was extremely scared. In the waiting room Tai’s mother was lying on the seats drunk as usual.

Tal’s friends were waiting for him in the waiting room wanting to find out whether their friend was dead or alive, or in a coma. When Tai came out in a wheelchair, his friends were very happy to see that he was alive, although they were sort of sad to see how many bones Tai had broken.

When Tai was better his mother committed a crime. She lit a fire. When the Police came around to see her they saw that she was drunk, so they checked the house for a child. When the Police found Tai in his room they decided to have a chat to Tai. When the police found out what Tai’s Mother had been doing to him they locked her up for five years.

Since then, Tai has been living with his
Grandmother. Tai’s grandmother is a very nice lady. Tai loves his new school and has heaps of great friends. Tai still visits his old friends on holidays. Whenever Tai thinks of his mother he thinks she got what she deserved.