Waiting for the Drop is a non-fiction essay originally published in the second issue of East by Northeast literary magazine.
The essay chronicles a visit to Elitch Gardens Amusement Park in Denver, Colorado the day before the author’s mother died of breast cancer. While walking through the park, David reflects on the rides, the memories of his mom, and coming to terms with his sexuality.
East by Northeast Magazine is no longer in publication. Please contact the author to read Waiting for the Drop.
Excerpt:
My cousin Chad desperately wanted to ride it, but I refused. He pulled on my shirt and I stood in place, unmoving. The ride had too many variables for me. What if we got to the top and the ride shut down or the power went out? We’d be stuck up there for hours without being able to contact anybody, sitting in the sun, waiting for the drop. What if my mom never died and just lay in her hospital bed, synapses firing like sparks that would never light into a blazing fire again? Her mind flaring like cooling embers on a burnt ground. We’d be left hanging, dangling, waiting for the drop.
— Waiting for the Drop