I think I have been preparing for this for a long time
They say there are two types of people in Jinan: those who have been in a bike accident and those who will be in a bike accident. Josh is now the former.
Easter Sunday started calmly enough, but when the phone rang at 5:45pm—30 minutes after Josh was due home—the day took a frantic turn.
It was Josh, “I’ve been in a bike accident.”
I gasped as my mind flashed through a dozen dreaded scenarios.
Where to begin? Josh and I have our own bikes. Nice bikes. Gears, shocks, working brakes, shiny paint, you name it. Our bikes stand out just as much we do and we are usually the fastest moving wheels on these congested streets. Very convenient, but potentially dangerous.
In this land where bicycles are built for two, men can be seen ferrying a dainty lady friend gingerly seated over the back wheel with a hand gently placed on the tummy of her partner, legs dangling off to the side. Josh has a need for speed, so his lady friend can be found 25 meters behind him.
Cut to the Easter dinner. I walk into a banquet room full of mingling foreigners and announce:
“Josh was in an accident.” (Pause for group to gasp) “He was on the bike path and hit by a car. A big car.” (Pause for group to shriek).
Caught up in the frenzy of newly concerned Christians, I forgot to mention that Josh said he wasn’t hurt and didn’t even sound all that shaken on the phone.
When Josh walked in to the dining room, I dramatically threw my arms around his neck. We all gathered around while he told us the real story:
“I wasn’t hurt at all. I was only hit by a motorcycle cart. Really, it was nothing.”
With Josh’s speedy ways established, I'd like to one thing make clear: The accident was not his fault. Not even in the slightest. The driver of a large cart-towing motorcycle is to blame. As Josh sped home along the bike path, a blue cart-towing motorcycle roared out of an alley and into Josh’s bike. Miraculously, Josh pushed himself off the back of the bicycle and watched as a reckless cart-towing motorcycle driver mangled the front wheel of his bike!
The man on the cart-towing motorcycle was a bad driver, but a good guy. He immediately stopped his cart-towing motorcycle and apologized. Next he took Josh’s bike across the street to a man with tools who fixes bikes and waited as the man with tools who fixes bikes fixed Josh’s bike. While Josh, and the cart-toting motorcycle driver waited for the man with tools who fixes bikes to fix the bike, I was at Easter dinner telling everyone about the big car that hit Josh.
I swear, I thought a car hit him.
Easter Sunday started calmly enough, but when the phone rang at 5:45pm—30 minutes after Josh was due home—the day took a frantic turn.
It was Josh, “I’ve been in a bike accident.”
I gasped as my mind flashed through a dozen dreaded scenarios.
Where to begin? Josh and I have our own bikes. Nice bikes. Gears, shocks, working brakes, shiny paint, you name it. Our bikes stand out just as much we do and we are usually the fastest moving wheels on these congested streets. Very convenient, but potentially dangerous.
In this land where bicycles are built for two, men can be seen ferrying a dainty lady friend gingerly seated over the back wheel with a hand gently placed on the tummy of her partner, legs dangling off to the side. Josh has a need for speed, so his lady friend can be found 25 meters behind him.
Cut to the Easter dinner. I walk into a banquet room full of mingling foreigners and announce:
“Josh was in an accident.” (Pause for group to gasp) “He was on the bike path and hit by a car. A big car.” (Pause for group to shriek).
Caught up in the frenzy of newly concerned Christians, I forgot to mention that Josh said he wasn’t hurt and didn’t even sound all that shaken on the phone.
When Josh walked in to the dining room, I dramatically threw my arms around his neck. We all gathered around while he told us the real story:
“I wasn’t hurt at all. I was only hit by a motorcycle cart. Really, it was nothing.”
With Josh’s speedy ways established, I'd like to one thing make clear: The accident was not his fault. Not even in the slightest. The driver of a large cart-towing motorcycle is to blame. As Josh sped home along the bike path, a blue cart-towing motorcycle roared out of an alley and into Josh’s bike. Miraculously, Josh pushed himself off the back of the bicycle and watched as a reckless cart-towing motorcycle driver mangled the front wheel of his bike!
The man on the cart-towing motorcycle was a bad driver, but a good guy. He immediately stopped his cart-towing motorcycle and apologized. Next he took Josh’s bike across the street to a man with tools who fixes bikes and waited as the man with tools who fixes bikes fixed Josh’s bike. While Josh, and the cart-toting motorcycle driver waited for the man with tools who fixes bikes to fix the bike, I was at Easter dinner telling everyone about the big car that hit Josh.
I swear, I thought a car hit him.
posted by B | 2:31 AM
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