A Ride to Remember

By Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan

(A bike left standing against a house front window)

Jill gazed out the window, her eyes fixed on the old bicycle getting drenched in the rain. It was old but not rusted since she made sure to take good care of that vehicle, which meant a lot to her.

Being born in a farming family, she never had a chance to get things whatever she desired. Her father worked hard to give his daughter everything. He didn't forget to notice his daughter's eyes, which lit every time whenever her friends bought something new.

He gifted his daughter this bicycle when she turned sixteen.

Jill's reaction was precious, and no camera could capture it. She was jumping in joy and cried when she touched her new cycle.

Though not as fancy as her friends' bikes, to Jill, it was perfect. Her father taught her how to ride it too. Everyone in the village always noticed Jill hanging out with her cycle. It was like her best friend.

That cycle was also the reason why she ended up in a wheelchair. And that was the last day since she used it. Her heart didn't allow her to throw away the precious gift. She repaired it and made sure it was clean.

"I think it's time to give her away." Jill sighed heavily and placed her half-full mug on the coffee table.

Her husband, John, who was sitting beside her, looked at his wife with surprise and concern. He knew how much this cycle meant to her.

"But, you love that bike," he protested gently.

Jill shrugged, her eyes never leaving the rain-soaked bicycle. "That's why I am letting it go. It's no use. I can't ride it anyway."

Suddenly, John scooped Jill into his arms, eliciting a surprised yelp from his wife.

"John, w-what are you doing? Put me down." Jill exclaimed, a mix of confusion and amusement in her voice.

Ignoring her protests, John carried her out into the rain.

"Are you crazy? We are getting wet. Bring me to the wheelchair." She kept punching her husband playfully and giggled happily.

She circled her arms around her husband's neck while shaking her head. She knew it was useless to waste her energy. Her husband will have his way.

"Don't you think you have sat on that wheelchair enough already? It's time for a fun ride."

John said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Carefully, John placed Jill on the back seat of the old bicycle, her legs straddling either side. He then took his place on the front seat.

One thing that made Jill happy was her husband. When she found out about her disability, she thought her world was over. But then she met John, her physiotherapist.

Her life lit with brightness while being with her therapist. And eventually, they bonded together. Though Jill lost her walking ability, her husband was always there for her. It's been forty-five years since their marriage, and they both were getting to know each other every day.

Jill and John were kids by heart. Unfortunately, the couple didn't have any children, but they decided to love each other.

"Hold me tight," John whispered and circled his wife's lightly wrinkled hands around his thin waist. He put his feet on the pedals and checked the brakes.

Everything was perfect.

Though John couldn't see his wife's face, he could imagine it.

As they began to move, Jill fought back tears of joy. The feeling of being on her beloved bicycle again, even if she wasn't pedaling herself, was overwhelming.

She was biting her lips so hard since she didn't want her husband to hear her silent cries. Deep inside, she was in euphoria. She finally got a chance to sit on her cycle, which had given her so many memories.  She traced her fingers over the cycle and let her tears dropdown. Though she had cleaned it, she never sat on it. But now, here she was sitting behind her husband and cycling.

Jill never thought this day would come. She clutched her husband's wet T-shirt tightly and rested her head on her husband's back.

"Here we go," John exclaimed happily and started to pedal the cycle.

In this moment, nothing else mattered – not Jill's disability, not the years that had passed, not the rain that fell around them.

All that mattered now was the fun that they were having while cycling.