A nine year old girl is riding a bike. The sky is blue. White peak of the mountain range stands in the background.
The day before yesterday, her bike passed me by wobbling. I said to her father,
“May be the seat is too high.”
“No, I don’t think so,” he said, “She’s riding this kind for the first time. She could have done it earlier, but she didn’t.”
“Every kid is different. Like us,” I said.
“Yep, that’s right,” he said.
In the meantime, she didn’t bump into the parked cars or truck, managed to make a U-turn at the end of the cul-de-sac, and came back.
“That’s impressive,” I said to the father, “The first day I rode my bike, I hit against my neighbor’s fence. I couldn’t turn.”
Next day, she is riding her bike again. The father is standing on the sidewalk watching her. I say to him on the way to my walk.
“She learns fast. The bike isn’t wobbling much.”
He says yes.
“She is so cute,” I said.
The third day, the cul-de-sac was clear. No truck. I see the back of the father’s head over a parked car. A block away, I see the back of two young girls on bike at the stop sign. The father holds his arms in front. The girls with helmets cross the street. I walk toward the father. He stares straight to the street like a rock. His chin is close to the neck. I’m only used to his smile and greetings. So I said,
“She might bring back her fiancé. Watch out!”
His eyes widened.
“What!? She just!…only…. riding!….a bike!”
His cheeks reddened.
Hee hee hee. I had my fun of the day. He made a big grin.
6 comments:
he,he.You left him thinking about it... ;-)
Is that where you live in the US, Keiko? It´s beautiful! Look at those mountains!
Luciana,
Yes, it’s my neighborhood. The father looked very serious. I’ve never seen him that way. The girls were probably headed to the park nearby or just go around the street and come back. But making a dead stop at the sign and crossing the street mean a lot for the girl and the father.
My daughter learned riding a bike early, and my son probably took her to the park. But when I taught my son drive, he didn’t come to a dead stop at the same sign there. He said he stopped. I said he didn’t. Our argument escalated, and he headed back to the same stop to start all over. My face probably looked more serious than the girl’s father. In the heat of this focused argument, my son pedaled the accelerator instead of the brake and ran into a large tree! Needless to say, I was dismissed from his coaching. My big fault!
Pictures, story and your humor, what a beautiful trio! You really have a good place to live.
Jitu,
It's San Gabriel Mountains, and the mountains said thank you.
I realized that everytime I write, I tend to reveal my fault. But what can I do? I can't stop writing.
The San Gabriel mountains are gorgeous, Keiko.
:) The man's reaction...that's funny. When I look at the pictures, I wonder if the girl could see alright. Her eyes seem hidden by her helmet. Looks like she made out ok, though :)
I laughed too at your car coaching dismissal with your son. Learning to drive is so stressful.
p.s. I'm glad you can't stop writing. You're on a steady roll!
Rebb,
I like that helmet. It looks cool. I want it, too, but I'll look funny wearing it for a walk. A smile.
If you drive Fwy 57 north to San Dimas, the view of the mountains is breathtaking. I feel home.
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