Sunday, December 5, 2010

The day I thought my father died

My parents and I, and many other relatives went to Korea last week for a family vacation. It was freezing cold, but the sights were amazing.

So we arrived at Everland, Korea's theme park and death land. My dad insisted on taking the roller coasted which was branded the world's steepest and longest death ride.

My dad said he wanted to sit on it as it was his life long dream to do it.

WTF. My 61 yr old dad wasn't even screened at the counter for old age. Stupid staff of Everland.

So, being the filial daughter I am, despite my fear of heights, I decided to accompany him on this death ride. Its better that my dad die next to me than some poor stranger having to realise, at the end of the ride, there was a dead stubborn man next to her/him.

My dad was so stubborn there was no way I could have dissuaded him from taking the death ride.

Normally, one has to only worry about his own safety while on the ride, whereas I, the idiot who loves her parents too much, had to worry about HIS safety and MINE. Argh.

So as the rollercoaster went up it was totally fine and dandy. But when it reached its peak, mind you it was pitch black during winter at 630pm, I realised that the rollercoaster would be taking a 90degree death plunge. That was how steep it was. So when the rollercoaster went down, I felt my heart in my mouth and the gravity of it all had pushed all air out of my lungs. There was no screaming as it was almost impossible. My dad kept exceptionally quiet and I was thinking, FUCK ME DEAD. He's dead.

That was how steep the ride was. The impact must have given him a heart attack. After a few seconds, his head fell on my shoulder.

That reaffirmed my fear of his death. That was the next thing a dead man would do. Fall dead on your shoulder. I've never felt more empty. I've literally killed my dad by allowing him to get on this ride. I've killed him. I've killed him and I could get away scot free. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he was dead.

At a less death terrifying aptitude on the ride, I took the opportunity to scream, "pa, pa! Are you ok?" and to my relieve he screamed out, too, "ok! ok! ok!"

FUCK MY LIFE and thank God almighty he didn't die. The ride wasn't over yet. I reckon it to be about 2 mins long. So after every plunge I screamed out to him to see if he was alive, and thank God, he was.

I must say, at that very moment, that 2 whole minutes, even though I was fighting so hard to keep myself from being flung out of the ride, I was only thinking about my Dad's well being and if he was ok. I couldn't care less if I died, but my dad, I couldn't let him die just like that. I hated myself from being unable to dissuade him from getting on the ride. But as they say, stubborn as a bull/obstinate as an ox. It was unfortunate that he was born in the year of the ox.

And as true as the zodiac of the Ox, my dad was a fit as an Ox. I would think that any other 61 year old WOULD have died of a heart attack on that ride.

As soon as the ride ended, my dad even put up both his hands to give me a high 5. The bloody cheek he has. I'm just glad he didn't die. As I got off, my legs turned to jelly. I kept my eyes closed the whole ride as I knew I couldn't take it. I couldn't take the adrenaline rush and I couldn't take the height. I would have literally burst a brain vessel and died. But knowing that my dad was alive, and have accomplished one of his life dreams was more than enough for me.

When we met up with my mother, I burst into tears as I couldn't hold back the fear of losing a parent. I kept crying and crying as I was so afraid that dad would die and I would inevitably be responsible for his death. My mum got hopping mad at him for being irresponsible, which he was. But what is there to do. He is my father, and it's too old to change him now! I still love him nevertheless.

And here's a token of the ride showing a picture of yours truly peeing in her pants.



Please forgive the double chin. My eyes were shut all the time and there was no time or strength for me to ensure that I was ready for any surprise camera. Sigh.

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