Bike Fright

My godparents were my Uncle Howard and Aunt Viola, both siblings of my mother.  A person could not have asked for more loving people to watch over me if anything happened to my folks.  When I was 9years old Uncle Howard wanted to get me a bicycle for my birthday, but my mom said absolutely a big fat no!  Diane's godparents, Uncle Cecil and Aunt Catherine, did not ever give her anything for her birthday, so since she did not have any bike neither should I get one.  Mom said we would fight over it anyway.  Well one day Uncle Howard came out in his work van, he was a carpet layer, and told mom he had something outside for me that we should all step out to his van.  Mom warned him, it better not be what she thought!  We walked to the back of his van, we told me to close my eyes as he opened the doors.  When I opened my eyes, it was beautiful, a brand new 2 wheel blue with white stripes, a big wire basket in front with a big light to ride at night.  What a surprise, I did not know mom and Uncle Howard had even talked about a bike.  Wow!!  But I did not know how to ride a 2 wheeler, and it looked way bigger than me.  He would stay until I learned how to ride, with my dad's help.  Man was I excited!!  Diane asked mom if she could ride it first, since she knew how.  Uncle Howard and my folks agreed we had to learn to share anyway, might as well start now.  So as Di got on, She stuck her tongue out at me, and gave me a very low Na, Na,-Na- Na, Na!  Boy I was irked, I was going to share with her, but after that display of arrogance I never wanted her to ride my bike again and she knew it.  She was doing so well going up and down the road.  Across the side street from our house was the village park, and as you enter there was at least a 14 foot circle of cement with a metal door on top for the fire engine to fill up with water, I guess it was the village water well.  Anyway, Di was riding into the park across this cement circle when all of a sudden the front wheel of the bike caught the edge of the cement and unexpectedly Di and the bike went down onto the cement.  Right before my eyes, on the first trip out, my bike was having an accident, before I got a chance to ride???   We all went running over, the adults to see if Di was hurt, but me to see if my bike was alright!!  Crap!!  Neither made it unscathed.  Diane skinned her knee and palm of her hand, not bad enough for me.  Standing in total disbelief, shock, and anger, I inventoried the bikes injuries.  One my word, the basket was all bent up as well as some of the silver scratched off, and my big wonderful light was twisted and never got a chance to shine at night or during the day.  The soft white pad on the right handle bar had 3 deep gouges in it.  MY NEW BIKE!!  After a few hundred minutes, I got over the shock and decided it was still a bike and I was willing to learn to ride.  My dad put me up in the seat, my feet just touched the pedals and my lesson began.  Dad said to pedal and steer while he held on to my bike seat to steady me.  All was going well, since I was learning on the busy road in front of our house, until Uncle Howard shouted to ask me where my dad was!!  As I turned my head to look, no dad!!!  He was way behind me, he never said he would let go at any point!  All of a sudden, I had no balance and fell with the bike in front of a car.  The driver was going real slow since I was in the middle of the road, thank goodness.  I had sense enough to land under the bike to save it from harm, nay, it was just luck!  So dad ran up to me picked up the bike and me to walk us home.  Everyone tried to reassure me that now I could ride a 2 wheeler, but I knew more practice up and down the driveway would be necessary!  So Di and I learned to share the bike, or maybe I learned to share with Diane.  She never asked to ride it, she just took off and wasn't as careful about handling or riding as I was.  She always reminded me it was her bike too, and that I should not forget it either, or mom would take it away from both of us.  Needless to say she was a brat, someday I will be bigger than her, so look out Diane your day is coming!!!!