When she was 5 years old, the most thrilling thing in her life was her bicycle. She rode it everywhere and she never did what other kids her age did - she never left the bicycle out in the rain. It was always clean, and the red and chrome surfaces always glistened in the sun. It was her bike, and no one else was allowed to play with it.
She would ride the bicycle fast in a straight line - and as it reached the right speed, she would let go of the handles and let the momentum take her forward. She loved the feeling of being weightless as the wind rushed through her hair.
One day, as she was riding from her house to the bakery shop nearby, her mind drifted to her favourite mango tree - she wondered whether the view from the top would be nice that day. She heard a loud horn and the sound of car brakes screeching. Next thing she knew, she was in a ditch, her knees grazed and bloody.
She couldn't ride her bike for a while, not until the wounds healed. No matter, she was angry at it anyway, it failed her, it had betrayed her trust. She left it out in the rain as punishment. Slowly, the vinyl seats stretched and shrunk from the abuse, and the sponge started to creep out from the open seams. Spots of rust started appearing, but she didn't care. She kept on looking at the scabs on her knee, wondering whether it would ever heal.
Posted by Najah Nasseri at 2003年08月07日 11:56 | TrackBackThe feeling of betrayal is part of life, it happens from time to time and takes many facets. Memories are something that we tend to keep, scabs are just temporary reminders of the present.
I use mine as a constant reminder of who I am and where I have been. I try and take strength from it, learn from it and benefit from its lessons.
Posted by: Fische at 2003年08月07日 12:13oh my. sounds like me as a kid. :) also sounds like an analogy here.
"placing high expectations on someone/something and becoming disappointed when it's not achievable"
i used to be like that. until i was at the receiving end. ain't no fun at all. that changed my viewpoint on many things.
Posted by: Wena at 2003年08月07日 12:15hmmmm didn't the bicycle help you to avoid that car? and visiting the mango tree?
guess the accident had more of the impact than your favourite mango tree or the winds in the hair bisicle ride?
beautiful story.. yes when part two coming?
Posted by: wan at 2003年08月07日 17:35FYI all, before you guys read too much into it, it's just a story, vague resemblance to my childhood, but not really about me.
Anyway, part two will take a while.. :)
Posted by: Najah at 2003年08月07日 18:13Well, the way I see it, the relationship between the girl who is not Najah, and the bike was mutual. The bike took her to the mango tree, and gave her those wonderful moments where the wind is in her hair, and she in turn took care of the bike, keeping it safe.
The feeling of betrayal came because despite all that the girl had done for the bike (and vice versa), the bike 'failed' her. Of course, Najah did not say whether the bike helped her avoid the accident...
Posted by: veri at 2003年08月07日 18:18The learning process is a long, hard road filled with many unexpected twists and turns. Being 5 year old entitles everyone to behave exactly the way they feel. Her actions would reflect on her mood. At that age her personality is unable to comprehend the many subtle points in life.
Over the years, we tend to envelope ourselves with a shrouded cloud of deception (or illusion) as to who we actually are, and what we are actually capable of doing. It is almost a failing in human nature. We have to learn to break the chains that are holding us back and reach our maximum potential.
Amazing what a short story of little significance is able to do eh k. najah?
She kept on looking at the scabs on her knee, wondering whether it would ever heal.
... :(
It was hard for the bike to comprehend this. As the rust eats into its red and chrome surface, the bike took it like any discarded plaything would - in silence.
It tried to yell the blood-curdling WHY but it couldn't; it wanted to point the accusing HOW-COULD-YOU finger but it couldn't; it desperately wanted to just LEAVE knowing it's unwanted but it couldn't.
As the little girl feeds her revenge on the bike, the bike feeds on its own helplessness under the sun, the rain and the night.
Time will pass and the bike will be forgotten. The scar on the little girl might remain, even if it becomes an insignificant physical blemish. Yet, the bike will remain - remains of a girl's once indiscriminate and unreasonable hatred for what used to be the love of her life.
Posted by: chez1978 at 2003年08月08日 00:22How come no one is feeling sorry for the bike? If we're going to analyze the story, wouldn't you say that the little girl actually represents the mentality that most ppl have nowadays? The blame culture, not taking responsibility for one's own action, the girl practically oozed it. And becoz she got hurt, she took it out on an innocent soul, to make it hurt as much as she is hurting.
Of course if we were to take it as just a story, then that reaction is normal, just a little girl's way of throwing a tantrum.
Posted by: hunny at 2003年12月29日 15:03