Peter and the Pothole

How does a young boy handle one of California’s most hated and argued about ailments: the Pothole? See how Peter uses his child-mind to overcome, with maybe a little bit of adult assistance.

Sarah Savage Telloian
May 5, 2019
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Peter and the Pothole


Today is Monday.
Peter rides his bike to school when….
CAHTHUNK! [Kerthunk!]
a pothole.
Peter’s bike falls to the ground and he scrapes his knee red.
He pushes his bike the rest of the way to school.

It is Tuesday.
Peter rides his bike to school.
Peter remembers the pothole up ahead in the sidewalk and swerves his bike to miss it.
He hits a parked car instead and falls.
Now Peter’s other knee is scraped red.
He pushes his bike the rest of the way to school.

It is Wednesday.
Peter rides his bike to school and sees the pothole up ahead.
He pedals faster and faster.
Peter tries to jump his bike over the pothole!
His front tire makes it.
CAHTHUNK! [Kerplunk!]
His back tire does not.
Now Peter has a red elbow.

It is Thursday.
Peter rides his bike to school.
Peter sees the pothole in the sidewalk and he stops his bike.
He takes a small plastic sandbox shovel out of his backpack and fills the pothole with dirt.
Peter gets on his bike and rides over the smooth sidewalk to school.
AAAAHHHHHHHHH

It is Friday.
It is raining.
Peter’s father drives Peter to school.

[Now] It is Saturday.
There is no school today.
Peter is riding his bike for fun.
Peter sees a puddle up ahead in the sidewalk.
Peter pedals faster and faster.
CAHTHUNK! [kerplunk!]
SQUISH!
Peter’s bike falls to the ground.
That is not a puddle.
It is the mud-filled pothole.
Now Peter has two red elbows.
Peter sees an orange traffic cone.
He moves it on top of the mud-filled pothole.

It is Sunday.
Peter and his father pull a wagon.
They are carrying a bag of cement mix, Peter’s plastic sand shovel, and some water.
Peter moves the traffic cone and his father pours the cement mix into the pothole.
His father adds water and mixes.
Peter smooths the cement.
Peter’s father tells him he can put his handprint in the wet cement and write his name with a stick.
Peter puts the traffic cone back on the pothole.

It is Monday [again].
Peter rides his bike to school.
Peter sees the traffic cone and stops his bike.
He moves the traffic cone off of the pothole.
Peter climbs back on his bike and pedals over the smooth cement sidewalk.
AAAAAHHHHHHHH
Peter continues riding his bike to school when…
CAHTHUNK!
[Peter hits a big bump in the sidewalk and his bike goes flying through the air]