A BICYCLE RIDE

I finished this several hours from the late evening of Sept. 10 until 2am of Sept.11. Actually, Sept. 11 was the birthday of someone special I know. So I dedicated this to him. Enjoy reading :)) !

  That small boy, seven years of age, with smooth brown hair reminds me greatly of something way back before… and the way he pedals the bicycle reminds me of someone who changed me a lot way back years ago. He looks just like her.

-

THE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 

          My name is Francis Lockhart. I used to be a loner since my childhood days, but not until my childhood sweetheart came into my life. We were more than committed despite our age. I think we were both eight that time? And we were both nine when she left and never came back.

          That day, she gave me a circular bracelet and I kept it. I used to call it a wheel.

          From that day onwards, I never really committed myself with other people, as I still believe until now that she’d come back to me. I may be close to many people, but I still give limitations, ‘cause I believe that she is still in my heart and no one can break the relationship we had even if it seemed to be a very tight string connected just by my thought now.

          We started as playmates. I was just a little kid fond of playing with my bicycle in the meadow of the park of our town. Well, I love meadows, especially at autumn. I just love the view. Imagine the cool autumn breeze blowing upon you, brown and yellow leaves moving like a river, branches moving along like crocodiles and the almost-leafless trees sway with the breeze.

          It just happened that when I was biking, a girl with the brown hair leaped from the trees on you from behind, held my collar while she’s behind me, stepping on the balance of the bike.

          “Hey, I’d fall.” I remember myself crying this when we went out of balance.

          And we were crashed onto the bed of leaves, but it hurts. I still remember her saying as well, “Oops. Sorry!” with a bright smile.

          Then I cried. Weird. I was just a child back then, anyway. It’s fun remembering those though.

          But that started something I never regretted I had; or should I say am still having.

          Every time I do biking in the meadow, she would leap behind me, and we would fall. I hated her for being like that. I hated her much that I didn’t even cared to know at least her name. But time came that I got tired of hating her and one day I just learned how to prevent myself from falling off the bicycle and how to keep my balance whenever she leaps from behind, and that first time I succeeded in keeping my balance, it made me smile.

          “It’s the first time I saw you smile. With that, we’re friends!” she said and took her place standing on the support of my bicycle, her hands gripping on my shoulder. I didn’t mind her stance behind me and instead went on biking.

          And even without a sign of approval from me, we just entered a kind of relationship that we both didn’t know what we really were. Seriously, we didn’t know each other’s names.

          As I’ve said, I was always a loner, so only she became my biking companion aside from the people at home. As days, weeks, and months went by, I became comfortable with her for reasons I don’t know. Well, I would just do biking on the meadow, then later she would leap behind me " from a tree that I marked on my head, and we would be strolling around the vast meadow together " only the two of us. She would first keep her balance, later she would shout around like crazy, and sometimes she would raise both her arms as she shouts while we were biking.

          But one day, she didn’t leap at me while I was biking around. She was just sitting on the leafy ground and she looked lonely. And I never forgot that day I saw her first frowned.

          “What’s wrong?” I asked.

          “I’m going away.” She said.

          And I remember that time I felt just as worse as I always feel as a loner. I didn’t know what caused that. “Where?” I asked.

          “Somewhere far, far away…” She said like she was dreaming.

“I know that you’ll miss me.” She said, staring stoically through my sea green eyes.

          “I will.” I said. “And you will miss me, too, right?”

          “I will, too.” She said and smiled bitterly.

Then that was the first time someone not of my family hugged me tight. And all I can remember was I closed my eyes when she did that and laid on her shoulder.

          Then she took a circular bracelet from her pocket and forced it to my wrist. But I kept it up until the present.

          She hugged me again, for the last time, and whispered “I love you,” which, as I could still remember, made my eyes grew wide.

          She just then ran and left me speechless. That was the last day I saw her.

          And what’s worse? We never had the chance to at least know each other’s names.

          One time, around those years, I remember myself crying in my room all through the night just thinking about her. About that girl who changed my life… And I saw the wheel bracelet and decided to nickname her “Wheels.”

 

THE TEENAGE YEARS

 

          Whether I like it or I don’t like it, I have no choice, anyway. I have to move on, forget her, and just let go of the past I’m getting a tight grip on.

          Years pass, and today is one of the days of my sixteenth year of existence. Despite my age, I still can’t forget about Wheels. And every day, I still do biking, especially when I feel like missing her. Childish, I know, I am. But I just don’t have a choice. It’s my heart and mind that takes over.

          One autumn morning, when I was biking on the same meadow, I circled around the tree that used to be where Wheels would leap from " the tree of memories dear to me. Despite the storms and many calamities that passed, this tree never seemed to be affected at all.

And it just scared the hell of me when I looked back and saw a girl leaping on me from a leafless branch of the tree behind me. I remember my childhood sweetheart, Wheels leaping on me, so I was terrified for a while.

          “Hey, I’d fall!” I cried.

          And we were crashed to the bed of dry leaves which hurts.

          “Oops, sorry!” I remember those exact words! Isn’t she "?

          No. If Wheels has just light brown hair, this girl is a total brunette. If I judge her by her looks I would tell that she’s younger than me.

          Despite what happened, I just can’t be angry to this girl anyway. She just reminds me so much of someone, and I didn’t know, that tears were already falling from my eyes, until she said, “What’s wrong? What’s with the tears? Did it hurt that much? Look, I’m sorry.”

          “No.” I said, realizing that I shed tears. Weird. “I just remembered something.”

          “Oh, it must’ve been a… bad memory. I feel sorry for you.” She said and tapped my shoulder. “I’m sorry again. I was just playing along.”

          “It’s okay.” I said, stood up, and ride back my bike. And I looked back at her when she took her position behind me, on a stance Wheels used to do, which was weird.

          “Well, I guess it’s okay to ride along…” She said. And I had no choice. We strolled around the vastness of the meadow, and as I’ve observed her all along, she is just like Wheels " the grip on my shoulder, the shouts, and the raise of her arms while shouting.

          I wished it was the last meeting. Because the more I spent my time with her, the more my heart softened and the more I feel bad remembering Wheels. I think it was too early for me to feel that way. But it was my feelings. I had no choice.

          The next day, my wish was not granted. She still did the same, but being able to balance, I managed to give her a smile which was totally the same with what I did with Wheels that softened my heart before. But now that I’ve kept the balance with the bicycle, she transferred her grip at my neck " using her arms, not her hands " which was more like hugging me from behind, and it felt like my heart skipped a beat.

          May I just remind myself that I do biking to reminisce Wheels and me as childhood sweethearts; not to be with a weird girl who was like her.

          I stopped. “What’s the problem? Why’d you stop, dude?” she asked.

          “Nothing… I just remembered something.” I said.

          “That ‘something’ again? Same as yesterday?” she asked.

          “Yeah…” I quickly respond.

          “Oh, come on. Go biking, anyway.” she demanded. “I want to feel the wind on my face, dude!”

          And I had no choice. I strolled around. I can’t contradict whatever this weird feeling I have inside me.

          It went on, day by day, until I felt bad one time and thought that if this goes on, I’d be disturbed of reminiscing Wheels as it would be ruined by just some weird girl who was more like her. And yeah, I didn’t know her name as she didn’t know mine as well. We have the same system like what Wheels and I had.

          I concluded that biking with disturbance would not be a good idea, so I decided to stop biking for a while. And I did stop, for a couple of days. But I could just bear it no longer, so I decided to do biking again. It has been part of my daily routine, so it was hard trying to remove it from the list.

          That day, I didn’t know, but as I entered the meadow from a shadowy place, it seemed like I wanted to see that weird girl again, but she wasn’t there. So when I went back home. It felt like something’s amiss.

          The next day, she wasn’t there as well, and another. But one time, I think I’ve been missing so much that I decided to do biking at afternoon after classes instead of before classes in the morning, with my mind having the thought of seeing her again.

          And there she was! When I circled around the tree of memories dear to me, she took her aim from above the leafless branch of the same tree and leaped at me from behind again, not destroying our balance anymore.

          “Did you miss me, dude?” she asked jokingly. But hearing that made my heart skip a beat.

          But I answered casually. “It’s been a while anyway.”

          “Then it seems like you missed me for real.” She said and smiled.

          I couldn’t help but to smile and look back at her just to see her face.

          “You know, your shaggy blonde hair and that bewitching green eyes reminds me of someone. But I couldn’t much remember.” She said. And that made my heart beat fast that I felt the vibration which is more like the vibration when you beat a drum.

          “You remind me of someone a lot, too.” I said as compliment. That brown hair and amber eyes; and the mannerisms " those were Wheels’, although her hair was lighter that time.

          “Is that why you seemed to avoid me?” she said, and I get her point.

          “How can you say so?” I asked, not evasively.

          “Well, you said you remember something and based on how you react on that, it seems like it’s something ‘bad’ so I guess you seemed to avoid me because I remind you of that something bad.” She said which sounds like she’s sulking, and I felt her cheek resting on my back despite me biking around the meadow, which seemed to send a zap all throughout my body.

          “It’s not like that…” I softly said.

          “Then what?” she asked sheepishly, I felt the vibration from her cheek to my back.

          “Never mind…” I whispered. And silence took over.

          And when we felt tired of biking, we sat under the sturdy leafless tree she and Wheels used to leap from. Upon staring at it closely, I realized that it has grown so much " aged. And I didn’t have the chance to keep an observation on this tree since Wheels was gone.

          We lean our backs against the hard surface of the trunk, half-lying " half-sitting and we’re beside each other.

          “Say, we don’t know each other’s names yet, right?” I said to start the conversation.

          “Yeah…” She responded.”What’s your name, anyway, dude?”

          “It’s Francis Lockhart.” I answered. “And what’s yours?”

          “Bridget Shaw.” She answered. “Bridget for short, France…”

          “Huh?” I asked.

          “France. That’s what I’d call you starting now and onwards. It sounds good and cute, get it, dude?” she asked. And hearing her say that made me feel my weird heartbeat again.

          I nodded. “I hope I’m just the only one calling you that way, dude.”

          “You are.” I confirmed.

          “Well then, I hope you feel special in that way, France.” She said softly, but I heard it.

          I was speechless. Then I was surprised that she leaned her head on my shoulder and her hand made its way to mine. It feels like I was losing my breath when I thought that she’d fill the spaces between my fingers with hers, but rather her pinky caught mine and locked it together.

          “Promise me, you won’t leave my side, France.” She said. “Promise me.”

          “W " why?” I asked. My speech was really affected by the tension and I felt like trembling.

          “Just promise me.” she said, and I felt pressure on my pinky.

          I didn’t know for what reason, but I just answered, “Yeah.”

          “Thank you.” She whispers, and then leans on my chest, moving from my shoulder. Oh, s**t! My heartbeat! “Sing for me, France.”

          “W " Well, I…”

          “Please?” She pleaded, and she looked above straight into my green eyes. And saw her sincerity through her beautiful amber eyes.

          “Okay. But please don’t laugh at me if I don’t have a good vocal           quality.”

          “I won’t, I promise. I would appreciate it.” she said, and pressure was on our pinkies again.

          “Okay.” I whispered. Then I started to sing…

 

No Im never gonna leave you darling

No Im never gonna go regardless

Everything inside of me is living in your heartbeat

Even when all the lights are fading

Even then if your hope was shaking

Im here holding on

 

I will always be yours forever and more

Through the push and the pull

I still drown in your love

And drink 'til Im drunk

And all that Ive done,

Is it ever enough?

 

Im hanging on a line here baby

I need more than if's and maybe's

Well come down from the highest heights

Still searching for the reason why

And now I know what its like

Reaching from the other side

After all that Ive done

 

I will always be yours forever and more

Through the push and the pull

I still drown in your love

And drink 'til Im drunk

And all that Ive done,

Is it ever enough?

 

“You have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, France.” She said, yawning.

          “For real?” I asked with wide eyes, flattered.

          “Yeah…” She softly said. “The song was inspiring. I just needed someone to never leave my side, even just for now.”

          I felt tears dropping on my cloth. But I ignored it and stole a glance at her angelic face.

          “Sleep tight.” I whispered.

And maybe she drifted off to sleep. After quite a long while, I made her head lie on my chest, I cleared the dark brown strands of hair off her face and I then gave her nose a slight pinch. And I realized I was already becoming crazy! I was doing crazy things. She had something in her… something that does help me let go of Wheels and our memories. I also realized something, but I’m not yet ready to accept it.

          I tightened my pinky’s grip to her pinky and gave her a kiss near the ear and then I softly laid my cheek on her head. S**t Bridget. I just knew your name, but why?

          Days passed, weeks, and months. And Bridget and I became closer instantaneously after that afternoon. Well, when I woke up she was already gone, and when I went back the next day, it was like nothing happened, as if I didn’t kiss her.

          Then she asked me to teach her how to do biking which I loved to do. I taught her, as she had her bike as well, as she took it since the time I told her I’d teach her. She’s good, but at times she couldn’t keep the balance, so I had to guide her. One time, it happened that when I just let her be, she went off on her own, and when I also pedaled my bike beside her, she extended her hand. Craziness made me extend mine too and our hands found each other, spaces locked by each other’s fingers which made a total ruckus in my heart.

          Also, I finally accepted that Wheels is not coming back anymore but I don’t have to erase all of the memories we shared, so she is still in my heart, and will never be gone. It only happened that Bridget took over. At last, after how many years… this is the first time I felt “heaven” just by feeling crazy for Bridget, especially when I learned to hug her " hug her back in retrospect.

          One time, we were lying under the tree. She observed my wheel bracelet on my wrist closely.

          “What’s this?” she asked.

          “It’s my childhood sweetheart’s goodbye gift. She gave that to me before she left.” I said.

          “Why? Where’d she go?” she asked. “I don’t know.” I said.

          “Tell me about more about you and her, France.” She asked which sounded like a demand.

          “Sure…” and I started to tell her right from the very, very start.

          She listened and just spoke when she has to. She understood every detail. I told Bridget about how alike they were " that leap from behind, the bicycle ride, the looks. But I concluded by,

          “But you were totally different from her. In my heart, you’re greater. You are real. You are not just part of my thoughts and memories but rather you live them with me.”

          Then she was silent for a while, and then she stared right through my green eyes. Here we go again; I don’t think I could resist her amber eyes for long. And s**t! I think I’ve made a mistake. I think I just told her something crazy which may put a strain in our relationship.

          “Answer me, honestly, France, will you?” she said and hearing that statement puts the beats of my heart into a race. “Do you like me?”

          I stared stoically at her, my sea green eyes through her amber eyes. I couldn’t answer.

          “Are you in love with me?” Her face turned serious when she said so.

          I just stared at her eyes as well, and I couldn’t help it. “Well, I’m sorry Bridget. But I am.”

          “No. To love is not to be sorry of. It’s okay, France. At least you’re true to me.” she said with a smile, and I think there’s an edge in her statement.

          “Will something… change?” I asked, referring to the negativities that may happen after this.

          “Yeah…” She said, and I felt bad and down that I just held back my tears. “Because from best friends, we would have to be lovers…”

          And my eyes widened, jaw dropped in awe, and it was like s**t! Does she mean it?

          “Don’t you see, France? I am Wheels!” she said which shocked me. “I just had to confirm that it was you, green-eye!”

          “Oh my good Lord! Is this real?” I gasped. “Bridget, you’re the one I was looking for for years!”

          “Remember that time I told you, you remind me of someone. I just wanted to let you know that time that I see my childhood sweetheart in you, and I believed right from the start that it’s you.” She said, and my tears just fell of excitement and so much joy to be reunited with someone you love and at the same time someone you have been looking for your whole life! “I felt bad one time because I thought you thought of me as a bad memory.”

          “Well, I’m sorry Bridget.” I said. “I just didn’t think…”

          “I even asked you one time to promise me to never leave my side, because I was about to tell you who I really am that time. But it was delayed because I thought you were not yet ready.” She said. “And may I just tell you, Francis Lockhart, that right from the very beginning, since we were children, I love you.”

          And hearing those three words was like…

          My heart lost in beat, my eyes lost blinking in a “SLOWMOTION” manner, and my insides are trembling. I love you.

          “I love you, France.” She said again which felt like heaven to hear.

          I couldn’t speak, so instead I let my actions do the necessary. I came closer and hugged her.

When I felt her hugging me back, I hugged her tighter. Heaven!

But one day, everything just had to be wrong…

 

WHEN EVERYTHING HAD TO END

 

          It was a cold late afternoon.

          She wept hardly and it’s for a long while already; maybe it’s about an hour already, that I couldn’t just help myself but worry about her. Something’s wrong deep within.

          She was just leaning her head towards the trunk of the tree that has served as our witness over our whole romance.

          “Hey, Bridget… Tell me what’s wrong. Don’t hide it from me.” I said, and I’m also crying, because I could also feel her pain even though I don’t know what’s behind that. But only her sobs were her answers that I just kept on hugging her to comfort her at different approaches.

          But I get really tired of that, so I cried, “Bridget, you’re hurting me. Please…”

          And then she slowly stopped sobbing, and when she faced me. That natural beauty she had was gone, washed away by the tears and her eyes seemed to be the heaviest at the moment.

          “Now tell me…” I gently said. “What’s wrong? I’ll help you. I love you. You know that.”

          “My m-m-mother…” she said. “She’s… she’s… s " she’s gone.” And then tears just raced down from her eyes again. “Mom’s dead.”

          “What?” I exclaimed. I can’t believe it. I have never really met her mother, but I was pretty sure that she doesn’t deserve her mother’s death.

          “Now I have no more… No one’s left.” She gasped. And I get what she means.

          “You still have me.” I said. “You have me. And I will never leave your side. I promised, right?”

          And after uttering those words, tears rushed from my eyes. Because I now felt as if how it really feels to lose a mother.

          “No, Francis.” She exclaimed. “You don’t understand me.”

          “No, Bridget. You’re mom has just gone off physically. But she’ll always be here around us.” I said, to comfort her. “And I repeat, I will never leave your side. I promise.”   

          I took the pinky fingers of both her hands and locked them with mine.

          “I will never break my promise.” I said, as another set of tears rushed.

          “You don’t understand, Francis…” she said, trembling. And it was immediate that she stood up, took my bike and drove at high speed that I was left late and behind.

          I followed her barefoot, as she took my bike since she didn’t bring hers along. I run, trying to cope up with her speed, and I’m really, really late behind that she’s gone out from the meadow and my knees get tired, but still I managed to run to chase her. She drove through the plaza, and I’m trailing her behind. I look at the stars above the cloudless sky.

          I silently prayed, Lord, please help us. Please help Bridget.

          And it was like a flash when my eyes turn back to her.

          She was on the road, and I was still trailing her, on my bike, charging towards the incoming crosswind. She was totally mentally disoriented, because it seemed like she doesn’t see the larger vehicle coming that may take her life…

          “Bridget, stop! Bridget!” I scream. “Bridget!”

          And it was like a lightning when I was almost near, ready to push her off the bike to the safer way even though it would injure her a bit, but much better rather than injure her to death. I saw the widening of her eyes before I lost sight of everything and I just heard the squeak of the vehicle. But still, despite losing all senses, I still managed to whisper her name, Bridget.

 

A BICYCLE RIDE, ONCE AGAIN

 

          It was almost fourteen years since that incident " that incident that changed my life forever.

 

          “Daddy France! Daddy France!” calls that small boy biking. He’s charging right onto me.

          “Oh, be careful Fridge! Careful!” I say in alarm, as he still charges, but he made it. He charged right towards me and his wheels step on my shoes which hurts my foot. I frown.

          “Sorry dad!” He says then gets off the bike and clasps his hands in front of me.

          Well, I simply took him up to my shoulder, and he wraps his arms around my neck and hugs me. I remember his mother doing that to me before.

          “Next time, be careful, okay?” I say.

          “Yes, dad. I’m sorry again.” He says.

          “It’s okay Fridge. Just be careful next time. You might step on others and make them mad.” I say then kiss his ear.

          “I will. I love you, daddy.” Sweet child… guess who would he get that trait from?

          “I love you, too, Fridge.” I say, and his hug tightens.

          “Mom!” he screams, and recklessly moves to come down.

          Then, she comes to us running and hugs her child tight.

          And for a while, she stares right through my sea green eyes.

          My lips curve when I see the hint of a smile on those amber eyes that always bewitch me.

          “Let’s go, France?” she asks and extends her hand.

          “Let’s go, Bridget.” I say then take her hand, and fill the spaces between her fingers with mine.

 

          Yes, she didn’t die at that incident. And I still survived despite getting hit by the vehicle as well. She said she had seen her mother blocking towards where she charges that’s why she was surprised.

It was hard afterwards, too, when we got out of the hospital. Because her father also died before, when we were still children, that’s why she had to leave.

When her mom died, she thought she had nothing left as she doesn’t have a family anymore. But I proved her wrong; I let her live with me and my family.

And we lived our second life as much as possible, together. After five years of that incident, we were married. And we only have one child which looks a lot like her " especially the eyes " but got my traits whose name is Fridge. This small child we carry.

Fridge Reich Lockhart " a combination of Bridget Shaw and Francis Lockhart.

 

---

 

          I am biking on the meadow this morning. Bridget is not home. Maybe she’s gone to shop. I don’t know.

But when I came across that tree that has been the witness of our love since childhood " the tree that holds memories dear to me, there she is on a leafless branch, a smile across her face, ready to leap on me from behind.

          It’s a bicycle ride, once again.

Reviews

[Sue Hart]

A good story with detailed action. I enjoyed the characters and you tied it together beautifully. It flowed along with suspense and then you gave it that near tragedy that turned happy ever after. It was very entertaining.

[Prime]

Thank you for the review ! :D