Mon Ami
"It is in the small things we see.The child’s first step,as awesome as an earthquake.The first time you rode a bike,wallowing up the sidewalk."Anne Sexton
Do you remember the first time you rode a bicycle or the bike?I remember I was 10 years old when one day my dad came home with a beautiful blue bike and saying "Here Fuzzy,this is something I want you to have,this is your new friend" I was so thrilled that I almost cried with happiness. I had wanted one for a long time ever since my friend Anu had got hers. Whenever she flaunted that little bike of hers all around the neighborhood and at school I had a secret desire to have my own. I would think for hours together what all fun I would have with it,all the places I would ride to and how I would show Anu that my bike was way better than hers. I hugged that blue bike,I got out multitude of stickers I had been collecting to adorn my bike and got ready to work.This was going to be Fuzzy's
identity,this bike would say everything about me,it would reflect my style,my world and my life. I even christened it as "Rebel" wanted to name it as the "Knight rider" but decided to be original. Rebel was quite a sight,what with so many stickers of all my cartoon heroes.There was Jerry the mouse at the handlebar,there was Mickey and Minnie at the frames,He-man was at the back, Lots of flowers on every inch possible,yes Rebel did look hot!
identity,this bike would say everything about me,it would reflect my style,my world and my life. I even christened it as "Rebel" wanted to name it as the "Knight rider" but decided to be original. Rebel was quite a sight,what with so many stickers of all my cartoon heroes.There was Jerry the mouse at the handlebar,there was Mickey and Minnie at the frames,He-man was at the back, Lots of flowers on every inch possible,yes Rebel did look hot!But there was one teeny tiny problem,I had no idea how to ride a bike! Rebel must have felt mortified hearing this but even if it did Rebel never revealed the true emotions he felt. So off I went to beg my dear big brother to teach me to ride. Big brothers have a condescending attitude when it comes to teaching little sisters atleast mine obeyed that universal law.He always felt I was one little nuisance who always came by only to share things which he would have liked to have only for himself. But this fine day somehow sun seemed to have risen from the west and he actually agreed to teach me to ride the bike!I was ecstatic,this was going to be more fun than I expected it to be. Come next few weeks,he gleefully would come early morning at 6 am and would
yank my blanket off and drag me out of my bed and would ask me to get ready and come.He would then take me to a nearby school playground and teach me. First few days Rebel suffered a few bruises in my infantile attempts of riding. I was deeply troubled as I watched those bruises and cuts and then hit upon a idea to learn as well as save Rebel from getting flawed. We hired a bike to just practice my riding skills. Now there was a poor victim to take the falls and cuts and my Rebel would stand on the other side and mock at the poor illfated bike fella. The idea worked out pretty well. But very soon my big brother's patience wore thin and he started to use that insulting tactics to get me to learn. I remember one day he called me some lame name indicating how stupid I was and the next moment we were on the ground wrestling with each other as I kept hitting him and he kept trying to ward those blows and pull my hair.
yank my blanket off and drag me out of my bed and would ask me to get ready and come.He would then take me to a nearby school playground and teach me. First few days Rebel suffered a few bruises in my infantile attempts of riding. I was deeply troubled as I watched those bruises and cuts and then hit upon a idea to learn as well as save Rebel from getting flawed. We hired a bike to just practice my riding skills. Now there was a poor victim to take the falls and cuts and my Rebel would stand on the other side and mock at the poor illfated bike fella. The idea worked out pretty well. But very soon my big brother's patience wore thin and he started to use that insulting tactics to get me to learn. I remember one day he called me some lame name indicating how stupid I was and the next moment we were on the ground wrestling with each other as I kept hitting him and he kept trying to ward those blows and pull my hair.At the end of 3 weeks however one day he told me to take a round all over the stadium and said not to worry as he is holding the bike at the back.I happily took the ride all the way talking to 
my bro as to how I am waiting to take it to school and how I want to show off and after few minutes I didn't hear any reply from my bro and then in sheer panic I gazed back only to see him standing at the other end of the stadium waving his hands!A wave of fear took over me,there was no way I had riden all this way without his support and now how the hell was I going to go back.My brother kept shouting I could do it and I lost balance and toppled and fell along with my poor bike. I got a nasty bruise and started bleeding and my brother then had to take me to the doctor to get some stitches. Anyway finally I did learn to ride!
my bro as to how I am waiting to take it to school and how I want to show off and after few minutes I didn't hear any reply from my bro and then in sheer panic I gazed back only to see him standing at the other end of the stadium waving his hands!A wave of fear took over me,there was no way I had riden all this way without his support and now how the hell was I going to go back.My brother kept shouting I could do it and I lost balance and toppled and fell along with my poor bike. I got a nasty bruise and started bleeding and my brother then had to take me to the doctor to get some stitches. Anyway finally I did learn to ride!Then the fun began.I would circle the whole neighborhood in my bike,whizz past those poor souls who had to still walk to school,knock some down and grin mockingly at them as they hurled curses my way (yes I was quite a tomboy) me and Rebel we were a force to reckon with and we were a team. We rode to see the sunsets at the beach with friends, tried climbing on a lightpost,offered rides to innocent people only to make them fall (I swear those were only 
happenstances and not intentional) and would run errands more cheerfully. But with the new bike came new rules,the list of roads not to ride,the list of places where I couldn't go ,well we obeyed all those rules for sometime and once we were experts we broke them and ventured into all those untrodden territories, ofcourse all well hidden from my dad's eyes.Rebel stayed with me for quite a few years until I fell in love with another motorized stylish two wheeler. But he was my buddy and every summer we still kept up with each other.I was possessive about him and didn't want to part with him when one of my younger cousin asked if she could have him. She promised me she would take good care of him. So one fine day I handed over Rebel to her. I felt he did look a little sad. 
But I was happy he was in good hands. A few years passed and one day I got a call from my cousin who was in tears and hesitatingly told me that Rebel has been stolen!
happenstances and not intentional) and would run errands more cheerfully. But with the new bike came new rules,the list of roads not to ride,the list of places where I couldn't go ,well we obeyed all those rules for sometime and once we were experts we broke them and ventured into all those untrodden territories, ofcourse all well hidden from my dad's eyes.Rebel stayed with me for quite a few years until I fell in love with another motorized stylish two wheeler. But he was my buddy and every summer we still kept up with each other.I was possessive about him and didn't want to part with him when one of my younger cousin asked if she could have him. She promised me she would take good care of him. So one fine day I handed over Rebel to her. I felt he did look a little sad. 
But I was happy he was in good hands. A few years passed and one day I got a call from my cousin who was in tears and hesitatingly told me that Rebel has been stolen!I screamed at her and asked her how did this happen. She then said that she usually left it locked at the bike stand whenever she ran errands and one day she just found that someone had broken the lock and made away with the bike. We knew even if we lodged a complaint it would be unlikely to be found. Somehow I felt really sad that day. It was afterall just another bike,but perhaps it was the memories attached with it that made it special.
I don't know why today I thought of it.Maybe because I saw the little girl in my neighborhood showing off her new bike and riding it with gusto. I'm sure she and her bike are right now busy building memories!
As you all know DA BEARS lost the match to mighty COLTS!but it was quite a good match though it was funny they atttributed the victory to being God's will:) Colts supporters hope you had a great celebration:)
10 comments:
It's amazing how little things jog our memory. Wonderful post!
It jogged my memory. I remember the first time I road without training wheels, with my dad (who died just before Christmas) guiding me behind until I started moving too fast for him to keep up with me.
Thanks for bringing back that wonderful memory of my dad. :)
Fuzzy -
You just brought back my memory of my first bike! Its name was Trigger I think that its still in my parents garage!
Excellent. I can't even remember when I learned to ride a bike. Some neighbors taught me. Now it's too dang cold to ride a bike, though I wish it were not so ...
awwwww..That's priceless. And Rebel lives on forever! Our first bikes came from the Sheriff's sale. Once a year they would auction off the stolen and abandoned bikes, spray painted and altered to camaflouge their identities. We fetched home our new bikes and dressed them all up to be our own....poker cards and clothespins on the spokes... Christmas tinsel tassels taped to the handle bars! Ahhhhh....you never know, Rebel is probably cruisin' as we speak......
Loved this post..took me back to when I was first learning to ride a bike.I did not have a bike of my own and had to learn on my brothers.remember falling and getting quite a few bruises before I eventually learned to ride.we used to go to the school grounds and ride our bikes.
Ahh memories. Loved reading it and reminded me of my days learning to ride the bike. I do remember the first time my folks thought I could take it a bit far from home.
Overconfident me, I promptly rammed it in to barbershop off the street. Luckily no one was worse off the expereince, except for my ego.
I still ride a bike. Although not in this weather, cold as hell here!
I don't remember my first two wheeler, but I do remember the green one I got in 1962. Dad was off work, but still bought me a bike. It was a Schwinn Tiger model. Inside of two weeks I had the fenders off and the chainguard off. All reflectors off. No kickstand. Just the bare essentials. Striped down, light weight. I wish I could have measured how many limes I rode that thing before it busted for the last time.
Good memories for sure. Now, I make memories with another bike, my motorcycle. :-)
(Dan)-The memory of your dad and your first ride must have been special.Thanks for sharing it.It is indeed amazing how we can recall those small details when we really think about it.Memories are perhaps god's gift for us to cherish those moments even long after they're gone.Your dad would be proud of having raised a fine son like you!
Baron-It's so great that Trigger is still with you,I would have perhaps liked it if Rebel was with me too.I'm sure everytime you visited your parents Trigger would have brought back fond memories.Childhood memories are really so special.
Dorky dad-I know,its this dang cold!I want summer to be here soon,so I can go ride the bike:)You learnt from your neighbors,atleast you escaped being subjected to humiliation of being taught by a sibling who taunted your every attempt and grinned from end to end whenever you fell.
Singleton-Yes true,he might have whizzed past me and I would not have recognized him:)I'm sure you sisters had a grand time with your bikes.With your artistic talent I'm sure your bikes were the envy of the neighborhood!:)
Lalitha-Lol,my brother fought tooth and nail when they were planning to get me a bike claiming why couldn't I have the hand me down one rather than a new one:)I think all of us do have some tell tale bruises reminding us of the adventure in learning to ride!I'm sure you enjoyed riding yours:)
Sanjay-Lol,the barber perhaps would have been surprised having a such a young customer hurriedly barging in to his shop!I once barged into the cycleshop after losing control trying to park it there and ended up right inside the shop on the floor with the bike!I remember feeling my face flush with embarassment as everyone there started to grin stupidly.Those really are such precious memories aren't they?:)Thanks for sharing this one!
Spadoman-Ah,you have your Harley davidson now!I'm sure riding it beats all the thrills you could have gotten by any other two wheeler anytime.Your description of your first bike is very similar to the one my brother had,he too had done all the alterations to make it look cool and super light.Did you try some stunts too on them?My brother used to try all the time and always ended up making a fool of himself:)
I can understand the damn cold weather now.Here it's freezing -30 today.I can't wait for spring to arrive.And ofcourse come summer to ride the bike:)You must be looking forward to your scheduled trip with your bike!
Lovely post- but here is a secret- i still do not know to ride a bike:-(
Artnavy-Even few of my friends in college had never learnt to ride a bike.I think one advantage of learning to ride the bike would be that you automatically get the balance when you try to learn kinetic or a scooter or a motorcycle later.I think you can learn even now:)It's quite fun!
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