THE NEW BIKE.

It was standing in the garage….all gleaming paint and chrome
With that sort of smell that new things have
When they first arrive at home.

For Willie's seventh birthday…his Dad had picked it up
At the bikeshop down on Egmont Street
By the Dairy that had shut.

The bike had been expensive, three hundred bucks at least
But if he couldn't buy the boy a horse
he'd have a two-wheeled beast.

NOW !
Willie was staying… with his cuz… at the Raetihi Marae
And his younger Bro …Little Mo
Thought he'd give the bike a try.

Little Mo had got his name when the nurse had made the call
And his Dad had knocked off shaving
To grab the phone down in the hall.

"It's a boy" she'd said,"and he's all there,…quite a lively lad".
And Dad … half shaven… in the Ute…
had driven off like mad.

ANYWAY
The half pint bro who we'll call Mo,… ('Cause it keeps the story short),
While Mum and Dad were getting lunch
thought HE would have some sport.

He wheeled the bike out to the path…at the edge of the incline.
He reckoned he could ride the thing
he'd seen it tons of times.

His little legs were way too short, So he stood up on some rocks
He'd been better off with the training wheels
…….(in the shed still in their box).

He managed to get up on the seat with his legs all flailing round
And slowly down the steep incline
he headed into town.

"STOP!" he thought and pulled the thing…that makes the brakes apply,
and with a shuddering squeaky lurch
the bike pulled to the side.




NOW
All of this was very well… and Mo stopped at the gutter
One foot went down and reached the curb
But the cross bar stopped the other.

"No problem here, I'll lay it down…and get off to the side."
But the little leg that bore the weight
To the ground was tied.

"I can't get down"... A scary thought..."Whatammygunnado ?"
If I ding the bike Dad'll be mad
And Mum'll yell at me too.

THEN
Just as he was giving up…(his leg had turned to jelly)
Uncle Bill drove up the hill
He'd been down to the Deli.

The Holden Ute roared up the road, sliding to a stop
Its warrant and rego out of date
It was known by the local cop.


"What's the matter Mo m'lad …got y'self tied up?"
And after rescuing the little boy
Put the bike up on the truck.


"I s'pose you don't want Dad t'know you've been riding Wills new bike
We'll just stick it straight back in the shed
Then we'll keep real quiet."

He'd nearly cried, and although he "never"…. It really was quite close.
When he thought what he'd just been through
Could've been worse, he s'posed.

Still, with the bike back in the shed….and every thing the same
No one would know….Unc wouldn't tell
And he wouldn't get the blame.

He'd now ride double and stay outa trouble with Willie up behind.
Big brothers could be useful
As he'd quite often find.

And when his Dad and Mum agreed, he was ready for his bike,
he'd insist on fitting training wheels,
And in the meantime ride his trike.


©
Jack May 2000.