Yeh Sure...being 16

Leon was sitting on his back step listening to the Back In Black album by ACDC. ‘About time you got here”, he said flicking a half smoked cigarette away, ‘I saw your old cheese leave yonks ago’.

I had known Leon since I was 15 and he was 18. Actually I had to fight him off my younger brother one day. Richard and his smart mouthed mate Simon had taunted Leon as he rode past our place on his pushbike. They’d chanted, ‘skinhead skinhead over there…what’s it like to have no hair’. Leon was a Skinhead.

Leon rode around on his racer (before he got his motorbike licence) with chopper type handlebars. He thought he was real cool. I just thought he was a rebel and mum didn’t like him so that was more reason for me to like him. But mum didn’t know I spent most of my spare time up at the corner house listening to ACDC with Leon.

I sat on his motorbike and began to imagine myself as his biker girlfriend, riding around the countryside, arms wrapped around him.

‘I got me car licence’, he smiled, ‘now I can drive me car’, he nodded towards his green LJ Torana.

He jumped up from the back step and squeezed himself in front of me on the bike and roared it into life. ‘Hold on’, he said taking off around the back yard. I clung to his jacket careful not to put my arms around him. I could smell the leather perfume mixed with sweat and grease. I squealed, as he turned around the bush in the front yard. My eyes were clamped shut and I couldn’t move. I was filled with excitement and fear.

Suddenly we slipped and the bike went onto its side. We tumbled off onto the front lawn. I lay still for a second listening to the bass from his stereo thumping from his bedroom, then I burst into laughter. That was fun I thought. Leon wasn’t moving. He lay very still. ‘Leon’, I said , ‘Leon.. Get up”.

I got up to find his mum; he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down against him. He laughed. ‘Got ya’, he smiled, not letting me go. Our faces were close. I could smell the cigarette smoke on his breath. It seemed to last forever. The butterflies thrashed madly in my stomach. His steely blue eyes lingered silently then he broke free. ‘Look what you made me do, tip me bike’, he laughed. ‘Bull, you were steering, not me’, I replied. “Hey if ya weren’t so chicken to put ya arms around me it wouldn’t have happened…you unbalanced us”.

He lifted the bike up and looked down at me on the grass. ‘Come to the drive-in tomorrow night…in the Torana, it’ll be fun…what d’ya reckon?’

I brushed the grass from my jeans and shirt. My heart was thumping in my chest. Yes, yes, yes I wanted to scream but the words were stuck in my throat. “Um..Dunno, I’ll ask my mum,’ I replied knowing well mum wouldn’t let me go, she hated Leon. Leon wore leather and was a skinhead…yeh right..just the perfect boyfriend for her daughter..yeh sure.

Me aged 16, on my old horse Sonny, 1982

• Favorite
• Report Concern
• Share This
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Add your comment

You need to login or signup to add your comment to this work.

Tags:

16, 1980s, bikes, bikies, motor bikes, retro and skinhead