[ WP ] A ride operator watches a child grow up through the years . Seeing them once a year come to the fair to get on the ride .

I see thousands of faces every day, all smiling all having the greatest day of their lives. Everyone here is either on vacation, celebrating an event, so on so forth. Not me, working as a ride operator for as long as I have never gets terribly exciting. 
 Eventually you become immune to infectious smiles. 
 
 I never used to be so unhappy at work but that's a story for another time. I'm sure you're here for the story about the kid right? 
 
 It all started the first time I saw him with his family, he could n't have been older than six or so. He was with his family just like the rest of the kids around the park. His mother and father looked like a young loving couple, holding hands while their kids ran ahead. He had a little brother leading an older sister towards another one of those money trap games we set up every year. Then there was the kid himself, lagging behind the family looking down with a frown. Not particularly a rare sight anywhere else, but at a carnival a frown is a rare sight on someone who does n't work there. They never ended up riding the rig I was assigned to so I did n't think much about them after the quick glance that year. 
 
 The next year not much else was different, the family still looked happy for the most part when I saw them. The kid and his family were all holding hands in a line as they passed my booth that year, the still pouting kid in the center, his brother and father to the left of him and his sister and mother to the right. They circled my ride several times but ultimately decided not to come on. 
 
 I do n't remember ever seeing them on the third year we set up in that town. 
 
 On the fourth year I saw him again, this time he was just with his mother and older sister. He still wore that solemn expression on his face he always had. I saw the kid tug on his mothers coat and point towards my ride. They waited in line to get on the ride. When they got to the front the kid backed out but the mother and sister wanted to get on the ride still. He stayed by my control panel while his mother and sister went to the ride. I started it up and we stood in silence the whole time until his mother came off the ride to get him. 
 
 Next year he was back but this time with his father and little brother, they looked like they were having a good time going from booth to booth playing the various games. until the kid pulled on the arm of his father pointing to my ride again. They made there way over and stood in line. They got up to the front and the kid chickened out again to wait by my podium. I started the ride and waited with the kid. Most of the ride was spent in the quiet sound of moving metal until the kid pulled on my sleeve. 
 
 `` Is this ride... fun?'' he said, his voice almost a whisper. 
 
 I looked down at him and pulled a reassuring thumbs up, `` yeah it is.'' 
 
 `` oh, okay.'' he said and went back to being silent until the ride was over and his father picked him up. 
 
 During the sixth year we set up in his town I only saw him on the last day we were set up. He was with just his sister and little brother walking around the fair. I saw the kids come up to my ride again and get in line. They all got on to my surprise. I ran the ride like normal and saw the kid come off of it with a frown still. He ran past my podium and I think I saw him crying, his sister and brother ran after him. 
 
 two years past and I did n't see anyone from the family at the fair. 
 
 But I guess that's why you called me in is n't it officer? What? oh yeah you want me to answer that question. 
 
 Yes, that's him, be sure to tell the coroner to put a smile on his face. He deserves at least one.
