People have memories, and memories of childhood are the most wonderful period. Childhood is the most amazing phase of our life. Looking back at my childhood I remember my best friend who accompanied me with my growth and every turning of those days. My favorite Bicycle.
When I see back in my life, I have walked so many distances. A short trip, a medium trip, and a long trip. Walking is amazing. I think My shortest trip is from the bed to the door of the room talking few seconds, A long trip is about 12 hours trek and the medium walk are all those walks in the middle. Calculating my walks and measuring those in time is the easiest thing. Though People make troll of it, it is wonderful. Walking is the most common thing that every creature does. Today I am not writing about walking, Some days I may write about it too. I want to share here is my memories of my best friend my bicycle.
Initiating friendship with the bicycle was a bit difficult for me. Maybe because I was too small or maybe Bicycle was big. I used to see people around me cycling and cycling. Back then the number of the cycle in the streets used to be higher than any other vehicle. I remember we had the Red ladies bicycle. I still remember the Brand. It’s Avon. My brother used to ride cycle. I used to sit beside him. we used to take round and round over the town. Deep inside me, I had the feeling that one day I will ride the bicycle. But the friendship with Avon was not easy. I couldn’t handle it. Still, I used to get a feeling of riding cycle at evening or night. And you may say it is crazy.We had our living near the main road. At evening or nights when any vehicles traveled by the road with the headlights on, the shadow of the cycle used to move along the lights of vehicles. I used to sit at the cycle which was leaned against the wall and take the feeling of riding cycle along with the moving shadow of me and cycle with the lights of vehicles on the road. That was the most innocent and wonderful experience of cycling.
I used to analyze, how the cycling can be done. It was amazing how cycle just goes with the flow of paddling. I used to look at the people cycling, and used to think oh! it is very easy to ride the cycle. Just keep your hands on the handle, and paddle using your legs. But whenever I tried to touch the cycle the whole balancing thing used to come up and being unable to handle it, I had to leave the cycle on the ground. The cycle was a dream for me. Cycling was the fantastic thing that I could do as a child. The only thing I knew then was I had to learn to ride cycle.
I was 8 years old when I first learned to ride the cycle. I wanted to ride the cycle. That Small ladies Avon bicycle was all there ready for me. Okay, first trail ride I took with the help of my brother. We went to the ground nearby for cycle training. He caught the cycle at the back I kept my feet in the cycle and cycled the paddle. But It was a difficult task to move the paddle. I couldn’t do it.” I will not ride any cycle, I give up ” I screamed in anger not being able to ride. Okay then let’s go home ” he rode the cycle in a speed. I was there all shattered with my dream of cycling. I returned back walking towards the home. I saw the cycle. The cycle was teasing me of not being able to ride. I felt sad. Looking my sad face mom told, “Nobody learns cycling on the first day, you will get wounds while practicing but you should not give up”.A small hope raises in me. Baba told lets to go I will teach you cycling. we went to the same ground ” again the repetition of the process. I couldn’t cycle with him too. I said, “don’t waste your time, I will learn this by myself. ” I took the cycle and dragging the cycle with hands I returned home.
Learning cycle now became a challenge for me. My friends knew the cycling, and I was there who was still back in riding the cycle. I secretly took the cycle and started to learn by myself. At first, I had o learn how to handle the cycle. And I learned gradually . on the first day I only dragged the cycle and handled it.I dragged the cycle without being able to control the handles. It was the second day I lifted up my foot into the cycle. But I lifted my right foot and kept in the left paddle of the cycle and paddled only the left side using my right leg. The very next day I used the left leg for paddling the left paddle. I still didn’t have enough confidence to put both the legs into the cycle. The balancing thing of the cycle was difficult for me. Day by day I increased the time for cycling. After school, I used to walk towards home hurriedly and used to complete my homework as soon as possible. I started dragging the cycle, paddling it using only left leg on left paddle, someday only right leg on left paddle, right leg on right paddle and so on. With the continuous effort and a strong determination, I took the first ride of my cycle for a few seconds. I was so excited, Yeah I could do it. Starting with the small distance learning to ride I started covering up more distance. I started making round and round in the ground. I called up my parents in excitement. To show how well I can ride the cycle now. Every evening making some rounds in the cycle became my favorite game to play.
The friendship with red Avon could not last long. It became old and was not in the condition to cycle anymore. It was sold to scarp. I became cycle less. After 3 years of learning to cycle, we moved to the new house. It was a bit far from our school, I was in grade 7. I got the new cycle. City Bike with the basket. I then now could take the cycle to the school too. I used to cycle daily for 20 minutes to go to school and return from there. The Summer days in Biratnagar become so extreme that one cannot think of coming out of the house but we had to cycle to school and return from there. While going to school it was not so much problem but while returning back the bright sun in the eye , i hardly could open my eye and that extreme high temperature. It was so tiresome returning back from school. After that, I started hating my cycle. In those days, there were very few students from our area to go to school and us senior students of schools had not school bus route but every possible time I used to leave the cycle and get into school bus secretly.
Cycle was there with me in my ups and downs in my every turning since then. I travelled so many distances in the cycle. The want has changed into need now. The extreme temperature of Biratnagar Tanned my skin but I didn’t care at all, since I could cycle this long distance. Cycle gave me pleasure. But I had some bad memories with the cycle. I fell down many times from Cycle. Once I was returning Back from school, there were so many turnings on the way, at the last turning to Home, my cycle slipped in the sand and I fell down from the cycle . My hand was affected. We went to hospital xrayed but Thanks to god There was no any big injury . “There was a small sprain”.
After then a major accident took place, At the time of my SLC. I was on my way to the exam, cycling through the streets. The morning was as usual , so many students on the road going for the exam , policeman around for the exam . The morning was cloudy , and I was feeling good as the temperature was not so high , neither it was the windy day though it was a month of Chaitra . So overall it was the perfect day . But it is said that there is nothing in the world that is truly perfect. I was cycing and was focusing on the upcoming exam. Suddenly I saw a bike coming from the opposite direction in a high speed. I felt like it is going to hit me, I jumped from the cycle the Motorcycle ran over my cycle and I was at the side of the street. Soon people gathered, Traffic police took cycle and motorcycle it its custody. I was taken to the hospital. After the first aid treatment, I was taken to the examination hall. Thank God I was 30 minutes late than the schedule but as t was informed about my accident I could sit inside the hall with my friend. My hands were bleeding and I was feeling extreme pain. I My head was spinning , I felt as if someone strangled me , But all I thought was I had to write , My hand moved faster than the machine. I was writing in such a speed that there were only a few seconds left to finish my paper. Finally, I could finish the exam on time. I will write about this accident in detail in near future. This incident was the incident which led me to break up with my best friend, My bicycle.
I had a crack in my pelvic bone. I couldn’t stand. I was in a complete bed rest. I had no cycle, but only the beautiful and scary memory with a bicycle. I was afraid that when I wake up will I be able to cycle again?
It nearly took me 3 months to get up. In the meantime, I got another cycle from that motorcycle rider. Also after 3 months, I was not suggested to cycle. I could travel on foot or take any other vehicle. It was a full break from the cycle.
After a year of break up , I started cycling again, But I didn’t travelled much in the cycle. But I increased my time for cycling on the daily basis. After my plus two, I joined BBA. The college was 4 km far from my home. So Every day I had to cycle 8 km on regular basis and more if I wish to travel more. During BBA it was the time when I started volunteering for different types of social cause. I used to go for college in morning and day Time I utilized the time volunteering and gaining social exposures. It was the voter’s education Campaign from Youth Initiative; We had to aware people on registration on the voting list and their voting rights. And cycle was a best company to move around Biratnagar for those college campaigns. At the initial days of Youth for blood, we used Cycle very often. Cycle was there to reach out to Blood donors, Promote Blood donations campaign and so on. Meetings every Saturday, and the cycle was there to accompany me.
Today when I see people cycling here in Kathmandu, I feel amazing. Every memory that is attached with the cycle comes to me like a movie. And when somebody asks, Oh you are from Biratnagar? Then you must know cycling, I give a proud smile and Say, Yes I know Cycling and I miss my Best friend, my bicycle.