Living on a Promise

1985

"I want to be bigger than Disney and build Polnareffland!"

It has been an informal tradition of the Polnareffs to visit the carnival that only arrives on Sherry's birth month. Jean-Pierre and Sherry's mother used to take them to the visiting carnival since they were very young. Sherry used to cling onto him on haunted houses, roller coasters, or just seeing creepy mascots around the area. Jean-Pierre used to poke fun at his little sister whenever she started getting closer to him.

In one of their visits to this carnival, Jean-Pierre won himself a goldfish after Sherry's failed attempts of winning one. The older brother constantly teased his younger sister by taking care of this innocuous new pet and showing this off to their friends and neighbors. Sherry had enough of all the constant teasing and bragging so one annoying day, she decided to get rid of the source of all their petty arguments.

However, this has intensified from simple pettiness to an actual sibling conflict.

"I hate you! Don't talk to me!"

Looking back, the older brother didn't really mean what he meant after all.

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Even after their mother's untimely death some years later, the siblings still keep on visiting the time-limited carnival within Sherry's birth month. As they age, Sherry gradually puts distance with her big brother, implying some sense of independence. The siblings always save the Ferris Wheel for last before leaving the carnival.

"Don't you think those people below look like stars from the sky?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look how they sparkle from our view up here... Isn't it because they're having fun?"

"Maybe we're also shining from their point of view?"

"Then we're seen like the stars!"

The siblings giggled, a wholesome sibling bonding moment that's sure to last as long as they live. As they grow older, they grow closer, especially at this time where all they have is each other. Jean-Pierre smiles at how much his sister simply enjoys celebrating her birthday like this. If only this carnival stays in this little countryside forever.

"What if... we could keep on sparkling like this?"

Sherry gave her brother a puzzled look. It took some time for Jean-Pierre to realize that he literally blurted his thoughts out loud, as usual.

"Hear me out, Sherry... What if we can keep this carnival?"

"That would be nice, but how?"

"We can put up a permanent one! Like an amusement park... or something..."

"Like Puy du Fou? Or Disneyland?"

"Nah, I want to be bigger than that!"

"If we want it to be big then let's name it big!"

"Like what....?"

The siblings went silent, trying to figure out a name for their imagined theme park overlooking the open fields, the familiar stream, and the beautiful sunset from their Ferris Wheel ride.

"Polnareffland!" brother and sister blurted out at the same time followed by a hearty, roaring laughter.

"Would... anyone... go there, though?" Sherry commented as she tried containing her boisterous laughter.

"Why not?"

"You'll be the manager and I'll be your assistant! How does that sound?" Sherry proposed.

"Wait, why do I have to manage.... pfft... Polnareffland?" Jean-Pierre protested as he snickered.

"Didn't you mention that you wanted to become a comic artist when we were kids?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with building... pffttt.... Polnareffland?"

"You know, like Walt Disney? ...pfffttt..... S-something like that..."

At this point, holding their laughter has been futile. They were guffawing so much that they could feel their ride shaking violently.

"It's a deal! As soon as you graduate, let's build Polnareffland!" Jean-Pierre grins, gesturing his signature two-thumbs up.

Jean-Pierre and Sherry went on and on about their dreams of keeping the spark for them and for their beloved, humble hometown. The dull reality may have dawned on them when their ride came to an end, yet they brought their newfound aspirations with them on their way home.

A week later, that incident happened.

Life or fate or whatever sure loves derailing people from happiness.