Like riding a bike
Response to prompt ‘easy’ for Star Twister 55
Like riding a bike belongs to the following groups:
Twisted TalesThey told her it was going to be easy. ‘Simple, ‘they said, ‘like riding a bike.’
She’d only nodded at the time and didn’t dare tell them of her memories of pedalling while her dad held onto the back of her new two-wheeler bike with the pink plastic streamers flying at the handlebars, and him letting go, and her hitting the gutter and banging her pelvic bone hard on the bike bar.
That had hurt.
They talk about boys having tender nether regions, but no one talked about how the impact would make her eyes water and how she couldn’t tell her dad where it hurt because, well, all of a sudden she just couldn’t. Her underarms had gone all sticky and hot, and she’d refused to cry.
This was going to be straightforward then, was it? She wanted to believe it would be.
Everything had come kind of easily to her, she supposed, and this was just another challenge, or a setback, nothing permanent. Looking around the bustle of people in the cold, clean room who looked like they knew what they were doing, she felt a familiar sensation settle in her stomach like she was lying underneath three folded wet wool blankets.
She didn’t like the smile of that starched young woman. It was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and she was holding her paperwork to her chest, marking it with a pen now and again. That concerned her, the pen marking. All of a sudden she felt old. Frail. Fallible.
But people go through worse everyday, she told herself as she ran her hand over her chestbone and breathed slowly through the panic. We all have to learn new ways of living and simply being. We are perennial survivors, she told herself. Doesn’t matter what you chuck at the human race, we still come through it like some nasty infection, just feeding off something or someone different.
The lights of the machine were coolly blinking, awaiting their instruction.
She noted her aged hand and clicked.
“Thank you for using internet banking,” the screen read. “Would you like to make another transaction?”
Solar Zorra
There are a lot of elderly people that just wouldn’t do it, progress is scary. Great story Anya.:) Solar
anya replied
Ta very much Solar.
John Braxton ...
Beautiful Writing, nicely written piece about how much time can change, and those who don’t change so easily…Very nice writing.
anya replied
Thank you John. Nice of you to read and comment.
TheWanderingBoo
wonderful piece of writing
anya replied
As always Boo, thank you for your kind words
KMorral
The idea of technological banking gets me too! Great writing, such empathy in the text.
anya replied
I’m convinced there is someone checking over my shoulder, or keeping tabs on my account when I do online banking. Panics me slightly, so this wasn’t much of a leap… Thanks for your lovely comment.
Mark Bateman
I like the way you build your stories – it’s a trade mark of yours. I was convinced it was a breast xray, or some medical procedure.. so a great twist – not at all what I expected.
anya replied
I’m really glad you thought so Mark. I really wanted people to think she was having some excrutiatingly painful surgery, which she was in a way.
dancharles
Great story, I could relate.
ArcadiaTempest
Anya …you totally got me with your twist! I too was waiting for some old mean nurse to say “this injection won’t hurt a bit” ..... ATM’s. I try and avoid them if I can….always feel like I am being watched…well I guess I am by the camera’s they have… Not good when you are having a bad hair/face day! And just to add…the empathy you solicit for her works so very well particularly when you get to that ATM :)))
anya replied
Thank you so muchly Arcadia. I’ve been a bit off the air recently and only dropping by now and again. I really must dust off those writing fingers.
Micky McGuinness
I have to admit that I was a bit thrown by this and had to read it again to see the flow in it. As much as I like this I think its crying out to be turned into a longer piece.
anya replied
So we’ll have to make the twisters longer then Micky ;)
Micky McGuinness
Perhaps or you could try your hand at Twisted Tournoi06
Zolton
Wow…. very cool story. The bike thing happened to me at 10 and I still don’t internet bank. ha ha. As for the writing, great job!
anya replied
Doesn’t it damn well hurt Zolton?
Matt Penfold
Onya Anya, what a great story and a wonderful twist :-)
anya replied
Why thank you Mr Penfold
Alison Pearce
Excellent twist Anya!!! Beautifully written as always :)
anya replied
Glad you liked the twist Alison.
Jeannette Sheehy
“But people go through worse everyday, she told herself as she ran her hand over her chestbone and breathed slowly through the panic.” y’see, it’s your way of capturing the small nuances of movement and making us see them that makes me so in awe of your writing. Great twist too. :)
anya replied
Shhh Jeannette. You’ll make me blush. Thanks for your kind words.
funkyfacestudio
Aww that was wonderful !
anya replied
Thanks very much for reading funkyface!
Teacup
I like Mark thought it was heading down the path of mamogram etc. So great twist at the end. x
anya replied
Excellent (she said while rubbing her hands together). You fell into my trap… ha! Thanks for reading Teacup.