Monday, April 8, 2013

G is for Growing Up



     Mike flicked the bell on his new bike as he raced down the hill. This is what freedom felt like; wind in his hair, bugs in his teeth. It had taken him eighteen months of shoveling dog crap to save up enough, but it was all worth it.

     Normally he wouldn’t have noticed the small boy sitting on the curb, but normally he wouldn’t have been flying down the sidewalk at close to warp speed. He wouldn’t even have noticed him that day except for the crash; the boy with the bike and Mike with the curb.

     The bike, the precious bike, flew out from under Mike, and, after making contact with the boy, landed in the road. Mike looked first at the bike, then at the crumpled form at his feet. He paused only for a second before reaching down and lifting up the boy to the sound of metal crunching behind him.

                                                                                           

46 comments:

  1. Hi,
    Uh, oh! Two hurt boys and a crunched bike... sad story, but so well written... thanks for the good, thought-provoking read...Best regards to you, Ruby

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    1. Thank you Ruby, and thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Wonderful beginning! More please. Just visiting today from the A-Z Challenge Juliet atCity Muse Country Muse

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    1. Thank you for visiting. I just went to your blog; your poem was lovely.

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  3. Bugs in his teeth! Funny way to illustrate his speed. Where along the O&E Canal do you live?

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    1. In Niagara County, by Middleport. There is a lovely coffee shop there, so my kids and I regularly grab a cocoa in the winter or an iced tea in the summer and walk to the next town. We love it.

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  4. Happened to me once! I happened to be the one on the bike. Not fun.

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    1. Me, too. Still have some scars to prove it.

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  5. This takes me back many years and reminds me of some bruises.

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    1. Nothing like having a new bike when you're a kid.

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  6. Oh, what a hard lesson to learn!
    Thanks for finding my blog through A-Z. I don't see your follower button, but I'll look again after I post.

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  7. Found it!
    Must have scrolled at warp speed the first time and missed it. My bad :)

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  8. Bummer for them! Bike safety is important, kids.

    from John at The Bathroom Monologues

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    1. And so is sitting on the sidewalk minding your own business safety.

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  9. Yikes, after all that hard work. I just hope the two boys are okay, because I bike, after all, is replaceable.

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  10. Ugh! Well, at least Mike did the right thing :)

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  11. "...wind in his hair, bugs in his teeth." LOL! (:

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  12. Had me remembering when I used to fly on my bike. Doesn't seem a happy ending, though.

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  13. Hi Melanie,
    Nice to be here,
    Hey I just joined in
    But in this post something is missing and important thing The Title
    Hey pl check and fix it LOL
    Keep inform
    Thanks for dropping by
    Best
    Ann
    PS the comment letters are showing in light white not readable, pl change the white background or add color to your fonts
    Best
    Ann

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  14. Wow! Intense. Oh, the joys of riding a bike and the accidents, etc... I lived in Taiwan for a while and my form of transportation was a bike. There were a couple places where I knew there was going to be a ton of bugs, so I'd try to close my eyes and keep my mouth shut. Without fail, I would return home with dead little bugs under my shirt. Icky.
    There was one place where a bug flew into my eye and I think as a defense mechanism, it squirted out a bunch of fluid into my eye; it was like pure acid flooding my eye. The pain was excruciating. Not an experience I EVER want to have happen again.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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    1. That sounds way worse than most of my terrible biking adventures. I still love to bike, though. How great was it to live in Taiwan?

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  15. This brings back memories. I crashed my bike at 13 but luckily no one else was involved. At an earlier age I had a BMX called Mike, too!

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    1. Bike crashes are one of those moments that stick with you.

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  16. Replies
    1. Thank you, by the way, I love your blog- so inspirational

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  17. I've been quite taken up today with a few things but, while visiting your blog, I've been rooted here...reading it all up! I'm really enjoying your writing!

    Thanks for the visit, too! I gave your blog a follow and am very excited to see what you will be posting in the future :)

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    1. Thank you! And I can say all of those lovely things about your blog as well. Very intelligent and thought provoking posts.

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  18. He sure was grown up making that choice over simply picking up his bike and leaving. Great descriptions in this piece. :)

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    1. That's the sign of maturity: thinking of others before yourself.

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  19. Oooh...I like this. I want to know what happens next. Flash fiction is such fun. Great theme!

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  20. I'm really enjoying your flash pieces.
    (My brother used to constantly crash his bike, but both brother and bike survived)

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  21. Poor boys. When I was a kid I crashed my bike into another's and still bear a scar.

    Chontali Kirk
    chontalikirk.blogspot.com

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    1. No wonder they make us wear helmets now! It's a wonder I didn't kill myself will all the falls I took.

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  22. Oh dear, I hope nobody is seriously injured from all this.

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    1. They are all alive and well, and now very good friends.

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  23. I like that you've managed a whole story in 150 words. Great job!

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