Freedom on two wheels
Christopher has had a cold all week. Although he has required an alarming quantity of paper handkerchiefs and tends to appear less than normally intelligent when he is obviously not getting enough oxygen to the brain, it is just a cold and can be dealt with. In part, this means that his mother needs to tell him to wear shoes and socks instead of sandals, for example, but this is only mildly annoying, not a major crisis.
Having had this cold all week, at shortly before seven this evening Christopher set out to ride his bike to a nearby lake, where a group he knows is to play a gig at a BMX meeting. By the time he must have been about half way to the lake, the storm that has been looming all day finally broke. Since he has not returned, it is to be assumed that he is now happily sitting, soaking wet, in the muddy grass listening to the music with his friends. He might be dancing, but it is still a safe bet that he is soaking wet. He promised me that he would be home by one in the morning at the latest. The rain shows no indication of stopping any time before then.
Why is this necessary? Why did his irresponsible parents not forbid him to set out for the lake on his bicycle when he has had a cold all week and a storm was obviously coming?
Because he is almost sixteen, it is almost summer, he finally passed a test at school last week for the first time this school year (a 3 on his math test!) – and it is a new bike that he just got today.
His last bicycle was stolen almost two years ago. It was really his own fault, in a way, as much as anyone can ever be blamed for becoming a victim of crime. He rode his bike over to the Danube park to meet a friend, even though I told him not to, because he would not be able to keep an eye on it. However, the friend happens to be a very intelligent, interesting, warm-hearted, and also very pretty girl, who wanted to talk because she had just broken up with her boyfriend. That is a hard choice for anyone to make: be sensible and boring and walk to the park, or ride over looking cool on a good bike. "Sensible" is an attribute rarely associated with Christopher. This story did not have a happy end. He lost his house key, his bike got stolen, and he was thoroughly convinced that he will never find a girlfriend, because he is nothing but a "shoulder to cry on".
Last summer we never got around to doing anything about a replacement for his bicycle, because he was never out of the hospital long enough to need one. Although we had a long beautiful autumn, perfect for riding bicycles, he wouldn't have been strong enough to ride one then. Today his grandparents took him out to pick out a new bicycle for his birthday, and he proudly rode it home from their house, thoroughly enjoying it, coming in looking alive and alert and happy.
He is almost sixteen, it is almost summer, he passed his math test last week, and at long last he has freedom on two wheels at his disposal again.
Neither a cold nor a rain storm can be that important.
Having had this cold all week, at shortly before seven this evening Christopher set out to ride his bike to a nearby lake, where a group he knows is to play a gig at a BMX meeting. By the time he must have been about half way to the lake, the storm that has been looming all day finally broke. Since he has not returned, it is to be assumed that he is now happily sitting, soaking wet, in the muddy grass listening to the music with his friends. He might be dancing, but it is still a safe bet that he is soaking wet. He promised me that he would be home by one in the morning at the latest. The rain shows no indication of stopping any time before then.
Why is this necessary? Why did his irresponsible parents not forbid him to set out for the lake on his bicycle when he has had a cold all week and a storm was obviously coming?
Because he is almost sixteen, it is almost summer, he finally passed a test at school last week for the first time this school year (a 3 on his math test!) – and it is a new bike that he just got today.
His last bicycle was stolen almost two years ago. It was really his own fault, in a way, as much as anyone can ever be blamed for becoming a victim of crime. He rode his bike over to the Danube park to meet a friend, even though I told him not to, because he would not be able to keep an eye on it. However, the friend happens to be a very intelligent, interesting, warm-hearted, and also very pretty girl, who wanted to talk because she had just broken up with her boyfriend. That is a hard choice for anyone to make: be sensible and boring and walk to the park, or ride over looking cool on a good bike. "Sensible" is an attribute rarely associated with Christopher. This story did not have a happy end. He lost his house key, his bike got stolen, and he was thoroughly convinced that he will never find a girlfriend, because he is nothing but a "shoulder to cry on".
Last summer we never got around to doing anything about a replacement for his bicycle, because he was never out of the hospital long enough to need one. Although we had a long beautiful autumn, perfect for riding bicycles, he wouldn't have been strong enough to ride one then. Today his grandparents took him out to pick out a new bicycle for his birthday, and he proudly rode it home from their house, thoroughly enjoying it, coming in looking alive and alert and happy.
He is almost sixteen, it is almost summer, he passed his math test last week, and at long last he has freedom on two wheels at his disposal again.
Neither a cold nor a rain storm can be that important.
posted by Aileen at Saturday, May 20, 2006
1 Comments:
Christopher not only returned safely and happy, he walked in the door at exactly 12.59. I am grateful that I can rely on him to be home at the agreed time when he is out late - my hair is grey enough already.
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