I want to ride my bicycle

It was a regular day. I mean, it was my last ever Wednesday of being a fourteen year-old, but besides that, nothing special.
Well, not until about five o'clock.
That day was so normal up till then, actually, that I can't even remember much of the details. Just another school day destined to sink into oblivion.

Oh, now I've counted back, I've remembered it being a day 1. P.E. first; running around the school; a full lesson dedicated to a warm up. Maths next, sitting next to Gabrielle and Aleisha up the front, doing geometric drawing, which is actually quite fun. What was next...? French; learning something about the metro. Drama last. Doing improvisation work. I think I went to the school library after that but I can't be sure.

Don't you find that funny? How even yesterday or the day before that can be so hazy? So unimportant? It's also a little depressing, when you give it some thought; a good part of your life is destined to be forgotten. Never seen again; lost forever. The stuff you do remember will be distorted; changed to be either really good or really bad. Their might be a few mediocre memories in there, but for the most part, it's those ones that stand out. Maybe, inside our brain it's a bit like survival of the fittest: only the most interesting memories last the trial of the time.

So, I get home from school, right? (Amazing, I know.) I heard my dad working under the house, so after dumping my things in my room, I went down to see him. I asked the usual questions: 'how are you?', 'how was your day?'. He was fixing up my little brother's training wheels, and with the prospect of my new bike on the horizon, I said, 'it's going to be so cool when I get my new bike, me and Jack will be able to go riding together'.
I went to walk away when my dad said, 'have you see my new Norton?'. As you can understand, I was confused. What was he on?

As I stood there, I began to get angry and fire questions at him. Another one? You bought another one? Mum doesn't know? What?! You get the picture.
I walked hesitantly towards the workshop door. I pulled it open, and their I saw my brand new bike.
He thought that I had seen it when I had walked down. This wasn't the case, however.

My reaction was less than over-joyed. I don't know why, but I wasn't happy. Well, I do kind of know, as a result of my own psycho-analysing. Firstly; he had spoiled it, hadn't he?
I later found out that they had purchased it on Monday (329 smackaroos), so this in fact was a new record for my father. He is a very generous man, but also quite impatient when it comes to these things.

I had a different idea in my head at the time about how we were going to buy my bike. I thought we were going to go shopping together. So, when things don't follow the plan in your head, or what you were imagining, they can often be disappointing.
When I had first laid eyes on this bike, a few weeks ago now, at the Warehouse, I remember being drawn to it (it's not like they had a massive range or anything) but after looking at it, thinking that it was a bit plastic-y. It was all one colour, a Pacific blue, and the mud-guard things on the tires looked like they would bend and move around. It sounds so stupid now.
It wasn't like there was another bike I has wanted. And that one was, like, everything I needed. It was perfect for me, really.

So, I moped in my room for a while. After the negative frame of mind had passed, I became, as my mum said, 'the positive Eve I know'. I decided to lift the mood (I had obviously offended me dad) and asked if I could have a test drive. Boy, am I glad I did.
I don't know adequate words to make you really see or understand.

It was bliss. It was amazing. The first ride down the road was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I can't recall how long I was out there, time seemed irrelevant at the time, but it was quite a while, I'm told.
It just rode around two close streets, but that didn't make a iota of difference.

The wind against your face; it gives you such a wonderful sense of freedom.
You're in control; you can go wherever you like. No responsibility; you don't have to think. You can just ride.
As I rode down the hill, standing up, I felt like if I jumped into the air, I would fly.

And as I looked out at the view, across the sea, at the sky, as the curving peninsula; sweaty, heart beating, leaning against my bike, I thought, this is the point.