Pinball Wizard

When I was a little kid, my brothers worked across the highway at the Dog n Suds.  After they enclosed the patio, the Dog n Suds had seating for only about 10 people, but they did have room for a pinball machine, and it was the only one in Philo.  Every few weeks, the pinball repairman would come by to either do maintenance or fix the machine.  And when he showed up, my brothers would yell across the highway to me “The Pinball Man is here!!”

That was my cue to come over, bum a root beer, and hang out there until the pinball guy left.  Because, before he left, he always pushed some secret button in the back of the machine that added a bunch of free games.  I would sit there like I wasn’t about ready to pee my pants in anticipation, just waiting to hear how many games he added.  For each one, I’d hear a loud CLAP like two pieces of wood being slapped together.  Usually, he’d leave about 2 or 3, but one time he left something like 13.  I think that day I played that Paul Bunyan pinball machine from 10 in the morning until suppertime.  I didn’t dare leave the machine and give some other kid (or my younger brother) the chance to use MY free games.  Yeah, I know, I was selfish.

I played a lot of pinball back then.  A few years later, we got a Pong at our house, and I’ve probably only played a pinball machine a dozen times since. L