Come Ride With Me

We get Sam a bike. Well, I guess, he gets himself a bike, I just happen to be standing next to him when he gets it. Although, naturally, he wouldn’t have been getting one at all, if I hadn’t bought myself a new one last Friday, if I hadn't been the one encouraging him to ride.

He hasn't ridden since he was a kid and he is nervous and when the bike shop man gives it to him with a helmet and says, Go over the road to that side street and ride it around for a while, Sam looks really nervous and, he might deny it, really excited, all at the same time, which looks really cute. And we go over the road to the side street on the other side and he has non-stop questions until I say, Just get on and ride the fucking thing and stop thinking about it.

And he does just that. And he does just fine, even if stopping isn't a strong point. “Come on,” he says, when he gets too far ahead and me, his training wheels, gets too far behind.

He kind of falls inelegantly forward off the seat onto his feet to stop, which doesn't really matter until he is riding up behind some pedestrians on the footpath and I worry for their safety. I give him a demonstration of how to stand on his pedal with one foot while he gently places his other foot down on the bitumen to stop. And I tell him he must avoid hitting pedestrians, as that would be very bad, with much damage and probably lots of yabber.

Although, if he wants to use a small child as a front wheel chock, if the alternative is freewheeling out into oncoming traffic, I don't think that would be so bad. I mean, what else are small children good for?

We get back to the shop and Sam says, “Do we take it now, or do they have to assemble one, or get one in?”

And I look at the rows and rows of bikes and think, Surely, we’ll be able to take it now.

Then, all of a sudden, I’m thinking that I’m talking him into it, just because I like riding and I start saying things like, “You know, we can leave and think about it.” and “We don’t have to get it today.” and “You know, you should only buy this if you really think you are going to use it, I don’t want to be blamed for talking you into it.”

And he smiles and says, “But you did and you will be, but that’s okay because I am a big boy who can make his own decisions too, you know.”

Then he’s telling the shop guy that he’ll take it and the shop guy says he’ll have it ready for Sam to take it in no time.

And I say, “We can go riding all afternoon, if you like, that way you’ll build your confidence.”

The shop guys says he’s just going out the back to get the colour helmet Sam wants.

Sam turns to me and says, “We could go riding all afternoon, if you want. Or, we could go home and have sex.”

Seriously, I was thinking helmets and leg clips and bike paths under the sun. I was thinking riding for a few hours. My mind was totally on that.

Is this a retail therapy woody? I think.

Then we are out on the street and Sam is all excited with his new purchase and says, “Let’s go get your bike and go riding.”

But, I’m thinking I like the other idea better, now. I raise my eyebrows and say, “Okay.” I shrug. "Let's go."

And he knows exactly what I am thinking. He gets that adorable smile on his face, as he looks at me through the tops of his eyes.

"Let's go home then," he says.