Kevin
Midnight rider
It was a hot August evening. Nothing was stirring outside except the branches in the hot humid breeze and the lonely calling of a stray cat. In a lonely house he strode purposefully, body glistening fresh out of the shower. The feeling of melancholy deepened as he pulled on a pair of worn jeans and a faded black T-shirt. The burden of a full day’s work weighed heavily on his broad shoulders as he struggled with his riding boots, buckles shining against scuffed leather. Grabbing his helmet he walked down to the garage where his faithful ride stood waiting for him.
Throwing open the garage doors, the waft of oil and metal hit his nostrils, causing him to smile appreciatively. In the dim fluorescent glow of the strip lights his trusty Honda stood waiting, reflections playing off polished alloy and pearlescent paint. Wheeling it outside in the night air, he paused to admire its full muscular look, looking like a mechanical steed ready to be unleashed. It was a look he never grew tired of. Pulling on his helmet, he swung his leg over the stressed leather seat. Thumbing the starter button, the machine came to life with one ferocious roar that immediately settled into a kind of muffled growl. Putting the bike in first gear and slowly letting out the clutch, he felt the familiar feeling as the bike pulled away from the kerb.
Letting the bike warm up for a while, he let his mind wander to the day’s events. He didn’t know how much longer he could take, all the bitching and back stabbing; all the neighing and braying of over zealous work ‘mates’. And then there was her. Her ,whom for a while, was the shining light at the end of a dark tunnel of desolation and loneliness. Her betrayal was a harsh pill to swallow, another one in a long line of failed relationships. How did he sink so low ? Was it really a slippery slope ? Or had he never gotten off the rocky bottom at all ?
A slight change in the exhaust note and the urgent insistent tug beneath him reminded him that optimum temperature had been reached. A slight wrench on the throttle sent the bike surging forward with a wail as the needle raced towards the red zone. Grabbing another gear, he hugged the tank with his knees as he settled down for a white knuckle ride. Streets blended into each other as curve after curve were tackled, interrupted only by short stretches of pockmarked tarmac. Scenery became a blur in the dimly moon-lit night. A gentle breeze was buffeting his helmet, causing the short sleeves on his t-shirt to flap uncontrollably against his skin.
Stopping at a set of traffic lights, he was grateful for the short break as he took the bike’s weight with his right leg. His heart was pounding inside his chest as he looked at the car waiting beside him. A beat up jalopy with misted back windows had pulled up beside him, the young couple inside laughing and giggling. His heart winced as he watched the young female reach inside her partner’s open shirt and lay her head on his chest. The seemingly innocuous gesture reminded him of best forgotten memories; Of a time when joy and laughter ruled his heart. The laughter lines at the corner of his eyes had long since been erased, he realised grimly as the lights turned amber.
Twisting the throttle viciously, he felt his spirits lift just as the front wheel left the tarmac in one graceful arc. Balancing on the rear wheel he struggled to keep the wheel afloat, aware that any slight mistake and he’d be splattering skin and blood on the unforgiving tarmac. Finally he let the wheel gently touch the ground again, feeling the jerk in his upper body. Approaching a tight bend he gripped the tank with his knees and set himself up; elbows out, hanging off the side of the bike. Knee barely grazing the road, he swooped round like a bird of prey, straightening up past the apex and grabbing another handful of throttle. Man and machine became one as he nudged past the last marking on the speedo, bike shuddering slightly as it forced its way through the air. All thoughts melted away as he focused on the road, rapidly falling away as he raced past.
Oh how she used to scream and hug him tight, her frightened yet insistent urgings to go faster and faster! Her sharp little cries as her excitement took her over the edge and her dry sobbing he could hear through her helmet. Her ghost always found itself on the pillion behind him on these lonely rides. He could feel her icy fingers close over his heart as he brought the bike back down to legal speeds.
Pulling up at his destination, he found his t-shirt drenched in cold sweat. Pulling off his helmet he dismounted and stretched his legs. The beach stretched before him, lonely except for the few couples making out in the dark and the clumps of youngsters hunched round glowing embers like some long forgotten tribe. Strains of music, if you could call it that, reached his ringing ears, as he strained to hear the soothing sound of the waves lapping at the sandy beach. Why had he come here? This was where he had brought her on that first ride so many moons ago. Happy memories came flooding back to him as he saw her there, dancing on the sand like the kid she was.
Leaning against the railing he let his mind wander. To love found and lost. To feelings of inadequacies. To emotions of hurt and anger. Her words cutting into him like a red hot knife through butter. His grief at the sound of the slamming door, his guilt in knowing he had driven her away like he had so many others before her. Guilt turned to denial, twisting the facts around to mask the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. With a sigh he wiped away the solitary tear making its way down his grimy cheek.
“Are you alright Mister?” ... startled he looked down at the little girl tugging at his trouser’s leg. Seeing her big blue eyes set against the pearly white of her skin he smiled and ruffled her hair. “Yeah.... Yeah i’ll be alright” he said... “now run along to your parents” as he caught sight of her grief stricken parents, horrified at seeing their precious little angel talking to a grizzled old biker.
Walking over to his still warm bike he looked back over his shoulder. There, outlined by the pale moon he saw her again. Dancing, pirouetting around on the soft sand with what looked like a younger version of him shimmering faintly beside her. Pulling on his helmet and thumbing the bike to life he gave the vision one last look. She waved and blew him a kiss. Leaving her exorcised ghost on the beach, he roared away.
“..I’ll be alright” he had told the little girl. Hugging the tank he realised that yes, he would be ok. As long as the tank was full and he could still hold on to the handlebars he would always be ok.
It was a hot August evening. Nothing was stirring outside except the branches in the hot humid breeze and the lonely calling of a stray cat. In a lonely house he strode purposefully, body glistening fresh out of the shower. The feeling of melancholy deepened as he pulled on a pair of worn jeans and a faded black T-shirt. The burden of a full day’s work weighed heavily on his broad shoulders as he struggled with his riding boots, buckles shining against scuffed leather. Grabbing his helmet he walked down to the garage where his faithful ride stood waiting for him.
Throwing open the garage doors, the waft of oil and metal hit his nostrils, causing him to smile appreciatively. In the dim fluorescent glow of the strip lights his trusty Honda stood waiting, reflections playing off polished alloy and pearlescent paint. Wheeling it outside in the night air, he paused to admire its full muscular look, looking like a mechanical steed ready to be unleashed. It was a look he never grew tired of. Pulling on his helmet, he swung his leg over the stressed leather seat. Thumbing the starter button, the machine came to life with one ferocious roar that immediately settled into a kind of muffled growl. Putting the bike in first gear and slowly letting out the clutch, he felt the familiar feeling as the bike pulled away from the kerb.
Letting the bike warm up for a while, he let his mind wander to the day’s events. He didn’t know how much longer he could take, all the bitching and back stabbing; all the neighing and braying of over zealous work ‘mates’. And then there was her. Her ,whom for a while, was the shining light at the end of a dark tunnel of desolation and loneliness. Her betrayal was a harsh pill to swallow, another one in a long line of failed relationships. How did he sink so low ? Was it really a slippery slope ? Or had he never gotten off the rocky bottom at all ?
A slight change in the exhaust note and the urgent insistent tug beneath him reminded him that optimum temperature had been reached. A slight wrench on the throttle sent the bike surging forward with a wail as the needle raced towards the red zone. Grabbing another gear, he hugged the tank with his knees as he settled down for a white knuckle ride. Streets blended into each other as curve after curve were tackled, interrupted only by short stretches of pockmarked tarmac. Scenery became a blur in the dimly moon-lit night. A gentle breeze was buffeting his helmet, causing the short sleeves on his t-shirt to flap uncontrollably against his skin.
Stopping at a set of traffic lights, he was grateful for the short break as he took the bike’s weight with his right leg. His heart was pounding inside his chest as he looked at the car waiting beside him. A beat up jalopy with misted back windows had pulled up beside him, the young couple inside laughing and giggling. His heart winced as he watched the young female reach inside her partner’s open shirt and lay her head on his chest. The seemingly innocuous gesture reminded him of best forgotten memories; Of a time when joy and laughter ruled his heart. The laughter lines at the corner of his eyes had long since been erased, he realised grimly as the lights turned amber.
Twisting the throttle viciously, he felt his spirits lift just as the front wheel left the tarmac in one graceful arc. Balancing on the rear wheel he struggled to keep the wheel afloat, aware that any slight mistake and he’d be splattering skin and blood on the unforgiving tarmac. Finally he let the wheel gently touch the ground again, feeling the jerk in his upper body. Approaching a tight bend he gripped the tank with his knees and set himself up; elbows out, hanging off the side of the bike. Knee barely grazing the road, he swooped round like a bird of prey, straightening up past the apex and grabbing another handful of throttle. Man and machine became one as he nudged past the last marking on the speedo, bike shuddering slightly as it forced its way through the air. All thoughts melted away as he focused on the road, rapidly falling away as he raced past.
Oh how she used to scream and hug him tight, her frightened yet insistent urgings to go faster and faster! Her sharp little cries as her excitement took her over the edge and her dry sobbing he could hear through her helmet. Her ghost always found itself on the pillion behind him on these lonely rides. He could feel her icy fingers close over his heart as he brought the bike back down to legal speeds.
Pulling up at his destination, he found his t-shirt drenched in cold sweat. Pulling off his helmet he dismounted and stretched his legs. The beach stretched before him, lonely except for the few couples making out in the dark and the clumps of youngsters hunched round glowing embers like some long forgotten tribe. Strains of music, if you could call it that, reached his ringing ears, as he strained to hear the soothing sound of the waves lapping at the sandy beach. Why had he come here? This was where he had brought her on that first ride so many moons ago. Happy memories came flooding back to him as he saw her there, dancing on the sand like the kid she was.
Leaning against the railing he let his mind wander. To love found and lost. To feelings of inadequacies. To emotions of hurt and anger. Her words cutting into him like a red hot knife through butter. His grief at the sound of the slamming door, his guilt in knowing he had driven her away like he had so many others before her. Guilt turned to denial, twisting the facts around to mask the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. With a sigh he wiped away the solitary tear making its way down his grimy cheek.
“Are you alright Mister?” ... startled he looked down at the little girl tugging at his trouser’s leg. Seeing her big blue eyes set against the pearly white of her skin he smiled and ruffled her hair. “Yeah.... Yeah i’ll be alright” he said... “now run along to your parents” as he caught sight of her grief stricken parents, horrified at seeing their precious little angel talking to a grizzled old biker.
Walking over to his still warm bike he looked back over his shoulder. There, outlined by the pale moon he saw her again. Dancing, pirouetting around on the soft sand with what looked like a younger version of him shimmering faintly beside her. Pulling on his helmet and thumbing the bike to life he gave the vision one last look. She waved and blew him a kiss. Leaving her exorcised ghost on the beach, he roared away.
“..I’ll be alright” he had told the little girl. Hugging the tank he realised that yes, he would be ok. As long as the tank was full and he could still hold on to the handlebars he would always be ok.
