I don’t remember specifics, but it was Friday and around 6:30 when it happened. I had been biking possibly an hour or two at Castro Park. I saw Subrat when I was passing the basketball courts. His brother and sister were busy on the court. I stopped by mom, who was watching my cousin, Dawood, and my brother, Talha , play on the structure. He walked over, when I waved to him. Now Subrat is a little short for a sixth grader. I asked him whose bike he was standing next to. “ My brothers,” he replied. I nodded. We decided to go for a round or two.

I took him around the whole park, and told him that was to be the race track. He agreed. I was pretty exited. I hadn’t had a decant race for months. I raced with my friends, little brother, and cousins. It just wasn’t the same. They all suck, no offence.

So we went around a couple of times. Score 3 me, 1 Subrat. It was getting late, so one more round. I made a few changes, to stop at the court lines. Coming from the front of the club house. I was exhausted. My shirt was soaked and I had put on my hoody.

I stopped to talk to my mom and catch my breath. My mom sternly told me I should stop and cool down for a bit. My brother looked flushed when he walked over to me, followed by my cousin Dawood.

“ You should stop, you're getting too careless,” Talha commented.

“ Oh, shut up. It’s just been a while since I had a good race,” I told him.

“ You shut up, besides Ame told you to stop anyway,” he retorted.

“ No she didn’t. Right, Ame?” I looked up at my mom.

“ Do you two ever stop arguing? My heads hurting, so stop talking. Take another round.”

“See you made Ame’s head hurt. Whose bike is Subrat riding? I didn’t know that he had one.”

“ I think it’s his brothers,” Dawood said.

I nodded. “Alright I’m going.”

“Sadia bagie, your going to fall,” Dawood said. “I saw you skidding over there by the parking lot a few minutes earlier.”

“What, Ame Sadia bhana almost dropped a few minutes earlier,” Talha bellowed.

“ What is your problem? Why did you need to tell them? I just wasn’t paying attention. I took care of it. And Dawood I’m not going to drop. Second of all, even if I do. It’s not going to hurt. I’ve gotten used to it.”

I waved to Subrat to get to the entrance. We started with Subrat in the lead. I cut him off at the woods. He took the head at the parking spot, where I forgot to use the brakes and nearly crashed into one of the kids leaving soccer practice.

“ Sorry,” I yelled as I went by. “ That was scary!!!!” I saw Subrat cut across the grass. I wasn’t angry, he’d done that a couple of times already. I don’t cheat, situations doesn’t matter in a game. I biked faster, but he’d reached the finish line by the time I remembered to swerve to the left of the fork. I went form the front of the club house and pulled the brakes two early at the play structure. My bike slid down an inch and my left knee ground the gravel. My right feet crushed under my bike. My right toes stuck in the front wheel.

My mom hurried to me. I grumbled as I pulled the bike aside. I looked down at my sneakers. Ugh, they were ruined. Oh, oh well they were already burned from the sole.

My mom helped me get up. Talha and Dawood picked up the bike. I walked. And stretched for a bit. My mom looked at my knee and the blood soaked ripped pants.

“ I told you to be careful,” my mom said.

“ I know. She can’t ever listen to anyone,” Talha said.

“ It’s ok. Is it hurting much?” Mom asked.

“I told you so,” Dawood said.

“ Oh, shut it. It’s just coincidence,” I grumbled.

“ Alright fight. You guys don’t know anything other than to fight,” mom huffed.

“ Sorry.”

“ No, it’s just throbbing a little. So is my right hand,” I told my mom.

“ You should have gone a little faster,” Talha snickered.

“ It’s nothing. I’m ok. Go ahead and play with Dawood. I’ll just sit for a while.” I said as I sat down on a baby slide.

“You sure? We could go home? And I really need to put some medicine on those wounds.” my mom asked.

“ No, let them play ten minutes more; then well leave.”

Subrat waved to me. I waved back. Damn, I could have won.

In the end I decided that it was the cold that had me asking my mom to go home early. But I can say this that I biked back home. I love Biking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Ame- (Urdu) mom
Bajie-(Urdu) older female, sister ( honorary)
Bhana- (Urdu) older female, sister ( honorary)