“Didn’t you enjoy the picnic Will?”
“Well yeah, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” There were a few seconds of
still silence, not a word. Then Zach thought of something. “Want to hear an
idea?”
“Wot is it?” William stood there impatient.
“Let’s hear it then.”
“I could show you around the village?”
“How? My legs would fall off.”
“We could go get Mrs Fletcher’s boys’
bikes?”
“Alright.” William stood there with a
nervous smile. The problem was he couldn’t ride a bike and was too scared to
own up that he couldn’t.
They started to walk back to the
village, and they soon got back. The rough stones were crunching beneath their
feet. They saw Mr Tom’s house and started to walk over. “Let’s go to Mr Tom’s.”
“Why? Aren’t we going to get the bikes?”
“Yeah we’re getting the bikes, but I
need to ask him if I’m allowed.”
“Be quick please?”
“I’ll try.” William started to run to Mr
Tom’s and skidding around corners. He got to Mr Tom’s house and opened the
door. “Mr Tom?” No reply. William started to look around the house trying to
find him, and Sammy was nowhere to be seen either. “Mr Tom?” He went and looked
in the back yard and found him working on the trench with Sammy by his side.
“Mr Tom.” He turned around to face William and Sammy’s head poked up. “Wot you
want?”
“Is it ok if me and Zach go get some
bikes and look around the village?”
“As long as yer back here before it’s
dark.”
“I promise.”
“Ok, and whose bikes are yer using?”
“Mrs Fletcher’s boys’.”
“Ok, but no
need askin’ me, go ask er.” After hearing that William sped off to get back to
Zach.
“You took your
time,” said Zach with a smile.
“Yeah, sorry.
I couldn’t find Mr Tom at first.”
“Well can you
go on the bikes?”
“Yep.”
“Let’s go
then.” William had a nervous feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t a happy nervous,
but a scared nervous. It felt painful and it hurt, William put on an act for
Zach though that he was ok. While William was feeling this, there was a tense
silence.
At one-point
Zach saw William nervous, and felt nervous for him. He didn’t know if he was
sick, hurt, had a head ache, he just felt nervous for him. “Will, are you ok?”
William looked
up at him. “Um, yeah, never been better.”
“Are you
sure?”
There was no
reply from him. William gave out a sigh. He looked at him, and started to cry.
“Will? Are you ok?”
Zach stood
there surprised. William sat on the floor. Zach knelt on the floor beside him.
“Tell me, what’s wrong?”
“I-I didn’t
wa-want you-you to know-ow.”
“Know what?”
“I-I can’t
ride-ride a bike.” There was silence and only William’s crying could be heard.
William wiped his eyes. He looked at Zach, and he was still surprised and in
shock. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought it
would make you sad because we couldn’t go on a bike ride. I also thought you
knew…” Zach helped William up and held his shoulders. “You could of just told
me.”
“I know it
sounds stupid, but I was scared to.” They started to walk over to Mrs
Fletcher’s house and they started to move a bit faster.
Eventually
they got to Mrs Fletcher’s house and they went a knocked on the door. “Want me
to ask if we can use the bikes?” Asked Zach. William gave a nod and wiped his
eyes. “Hello boys, what do you want?” She said with a smile and in a cheerful
voice. “Please can we borrow the bike?”
“Of course you
can, just one rule.” William and Zach looked at each other. “You must bring
them back before it’s dark. If you don’t you can’t use them again.”
“We’ll
remember that, won’t we Will.” A polite, quite nod came from him. “Ok, just
remember the rue though.” They both nodded and smiled. “They’re just around
there.” And she pointed around the corner. “Thank you.” Said William. Mrs
Fletcher smiled and waved goodbye. “You’re welcome.”
William and
Zach got around the corner and started to choose a bike. Soon enough they both
got a bike, fit for their size. “Now I just need to teach you how to ride a
bike.” They walked the bikes over to an open space, and started to practice. “Remember
to keep your balance!” After an hour or two of William trying to ride a bike,
he finally got the hang of it and could ride a bike. “Can you turn, or
steer?” William looked confused. “No?”
“Oh. All
you’ve got to do it turn the handles in the direction you want to go. Say you
want to go left you turn the handles left, and if you want to go right, you
turn the handles right.”
“Sounds easy.”
“It isn’t.
Trust me, but you can practice.”
After ten
minutes, William could turn the bike.
“I can do it
Zach!”
“Yes, yes, well
done.” Zach said with a chuckle. “Let’s look around then, Will”
“Yep.”
After they
were done looking around, they found a bench and they sat down, leaving the
bikes beside them on the floor. “I’m so tired.” William said with a yawn.
“Me too.” And
Zach looked at William. “Let’s take the bikes back?”
“Sure. Would
you be able to walk me back after? I’ll end up falling asleep in the middle of
the path.”
“Of course I
will.” They returned the bikes and Mrs Fletcher said thank you and how they
returned them on time.
“Will, stop.”
“What? I’m too
tired, let’s just go back.”
“No, look.”
“A man, cool. Let’s
go.”
“He just looks
different though.”
