When You Don't Stop to Say Hello
Apr. 28th, 2022 01:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
The first thing you should know is that I love bikes. I love everything about them. The chewiness of the tires, the grease of the bike chain. I even love the expressions of the people on these bikes. Especially when I chase them.
The fact that bicycles are about three times my size does not deter me. Unlike cars, which roar when they come to life, bicycles make little clicky noises, and people pant as they ride up the hill near my house. I simply cannot get enough of those little people carriers.
I’ve ridden on a bicycle, of course. When I was a wee pup, I was placed in a front basket. It was on Easter Sunday. Beatriz took me for a ride, but she and the bike did not get along. After riding for about a block, a squirrel popped its head down from the branch, and I yelped with excitement. Beatriz lost control, and next thing, we were on the pavement. I meant to comfort Beatriz, whose tears betrayed a scraped knee. But the bicycle came back into focus, and putting two and two together, I decided it was the bicycle’s fault that we were in this mess. So I did what any good girl would do. I howled, and barked at the thing, until I heard, “Mija, stop your barking!” Mama had come, scooped up Beatriz, and it was time to go back home.
Unfortunately, I did not see any bicycles for a while, and I moved away from Beatriz and Mama. I stayed in a shelter for a while, but in a few short weeks, a new family adopted me. I was given a new name, Lily.
They had a grassy yard, and a kitten to play with. But best of all, they had bikes! Three huge bicycles! This family went for rides when the sun shone, and the roads were clear of ice and snow.
Sometimes, I would ride in a backpack, but I was a little big for that. Eventually, the youngest, a girl named Sunny, took me with my leash, and I ran alongside as she rode her bright red bike. I searched and searched for squirrels, but this new neighborhood did not provide. Bored, I tried to cross to the other side of the street, dragging Sunny and the bicycle with me.
That was the last time I got to run along with the bicycles.
I never stopped daydreaming about them though. In the summer, many bicycles would coast past our house, and I would always bark, “Hello!” when I saw one. Yet the bicyclists never seemed to want to stop and humor me. How I longed to chew on those skinny tires and spiky pedals. So I would sigh from my yard, and daydream.
One day, luck was on my side. Sunny and I went for a walk. Sunny and I could walk for hours, and I didn’t mind, because the further we got from home, the more there was to see. Squirrels, trees, and of course, bicycles. This time, one of the bicycles that coasted past the house daily crossed our path only a half block from home!
I was delighted. I gave a quick bark, ‘hello,’ as surely the person would recognize me. The bicycle came and went, gliding past the STOP sign without even a glance. I took this personally. I greeted this person daily for weeks all summer, and not even a nod, or a “Hey, doggy, what’s up?”
I was pretty upset about this obvious snub, and I really needed to know why that person wouldn’t give me the time of day.
So I tugged on my leash.
I broke free from Sunny.
I began to run after the bicycle, with the speed of a cheetah. I really needed to – sniff the tires, or bark at the person. I needed some sort of validation.
“Lily, wait!” Sunny called after me. Sorry, kid, I need answers. Not even Mama could calm this puppy down. I ran.
And ran.
The roar to my right didn’t faze me.
“LILY!” I heard Sunny yell, but at that point, a very large machine was above me, and I suddenly felt like I should run much faster. I bounced off of a wheel, and came out to the curb. Sunny had caught up with me, and she grabbed me, her face full of worry.
The bicycle was long gone. As I felt hands gently caress the fur along my back, I watched as the largest car paused, then continued down the road after the bicycle. It made a very loud noise as it roared down the street. My back stung a little, and I realized that perhaps my pursuit of the bicycle wasn’t worth it.
“Lily bounced off of the bus wheel!” Sunny said a few moments later. I looked at Sunny and my human parents. My ears perked up.
What’s a bus? Actually, I didn’t want to know. Their wheels weren’t at all chewy like bicycle wheels. I would be careful going forward, but not before enduring six months of obedience school training.
Now, I know how to ‘heel’ on walks with Sunny and the others. I am not allowed to be distracted by the bicycles or squirrels when I’m on leash. But I do still think about that bicycle that never bothered to stop and say hi to me. I think about the bus too. I never want to go near one of those again.
Not even once.
*** *** ***
Author note: This is fiction, but based upon an actual event from my childhood.
Thank you for reading.
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Date: 2022-05-10 09:50 pm (UTC)(I'm going back and commenting on some of my faves from last week before starting to read this week's entries.)