The Boy With The Invisible Bike

 

 

Joshua Davidson was like all the other boys in his neighborhood except for one thing. He had an invisible bike. It was great fun having a bicycle that was invisible but a great responsibility too. People could see him seemingly riding on air but what they didn't think of was the great care Joshua had to have in keeping his bike out of people's way when he wasn't on it. If Joshua just laid his bicycle down or just put it in the bike rack at school without some note that it was there then someone was sure to trip over it or run in to it not being able to see it. He also had to remember exactly where he placed his bike or he would never find it.

The joy of riding the invisible bike far outweighed the responsibilities for Joshua. Everyday he would ride his bike up and down the neighborhood streets and through the trails in the park. And everyday Stevie Everman would watch him ride by, wishing he had a bike like Joshua's.

At first Stevie had enjoyed watching Joshua ride by. It looked like so much fun. It looked like he flew, pedaling nothing but air. After a time Steve's enjoyment of watching Joshua turned to envy, then the envy turned to anger. What was so special about Joshua that he should have an invisible bike? In fact Steve was convinced that there were some things he could do better than Joshua. The only good thing Stevie could think about Joshua was simply that he had an invisible bike.

As Joshua rode by everyday Steve began to imagine Joshua crashing. His imagination then turned to scenarios of the crash being the result of some trap that he had devised. They imagining turned to wild schemes of how he could get the bike for himself. Soon enough the wild schemes didn't seem too wild. The schemes turned into plans and then the decision came to implement one of those plans. Along with the decision came a sense of excitement and anticipation. The bike would be his, if only for a while.

Steve decided the time to get the bike was when Joshua rode through the park. Steve knew Joshua's route by heart and knew the place where he could get the bike where no one would see it. He tied the rope  to the tree at what he figured was about chest high on Joshua while on the bike. He laid the rope the rope across the path and grasped it in both hands.

Joshua pedaled into sight just as Stevie knew he would and as he approached the rope Steve pulled it tight. The rope sprang from the ground, Joshua ran into it, with it catching him in the chest knocking him backwards off the bike. The rope burned Steve's hands as he watched Joshua fall back and strike his head on the ground. Joshua just laid there motionless.

Steve's plan had been to grab the rider less bike and go for a joy ride but the sight of the still silent Joshua caused a feeling of panic as he ran up to check on Joshua. Blood puddled in the dirt beneath Joshua's head as Steve stared down at what he had done. Joshua opened his eyes, looked up at Steve, then closed his eyes with a low moan.

Despair constricted Steve. This was something he hadn't planned on.  Joshua was seriously hurt and could identify him as the cause for his injury. Sorrow joined despair making it hard for Steve to breath. He was sorry that Joshua had been hurt but he was more sorry that that he had been seen and could be in big trouble. His despair jolted him to flee and run for home.  He had only taken a few quick steps when something hit him and sent him sprawling. He jumped up and looked around and saw nothing. Then he realized that it was the bike. That damned bike. There was no way he could be caught with it now so he got up and ran for home.

It was hours before Joshua was found and rushed to the hospital. He lay in the hospital, silent, not moving for three days. The fear of being caught and the sorrow that Joshua had been hurt had been working on Steve. He talked his parents into taking him to the hospital to see Joshua. His parents were pleased to take him thinking that it was nice for him to be so concerned about a schoolmate.

When they got to the hospital Steve began to wish there was some way he could tell Joshua he was sorry without anyone else hearing. Steve's parents sat in a waiting room while Steve went in with Joshua's parents to the bedside. He stood at the bedside for a while then reached and placed his rope burned hand on Joshua's shoulder. Joshua's eyes opened, he looked intently at Steve and clearly said, "I want you to have my bike. It is there in the park." With that he sighed and closed his eyes again.

Joshua's parents gasped and screamed for the nurse. The nurse and a doctor came rushing into the room. All thoughts of telling Joshua he was sorry disappeared from Steve's thoughts. The bike was his.

When Steve got home from the hospital he rushed to the park to find the bike. It wasn't hard to find because he could remember well stumbling over it. He picked up the bike and got on it and started to pedal home. The bike was really hard to pedal and Steve had to work extremely hard just to barely move at all. When Joshua rode it the bike had seemed to fly so gracefully. This wasn't fun. This wasn't riding on air. This was hard.

As Steve struggled to pedal the bike Joshua opened his eyes, smiled at his parents and drew his last breath. Steve was putting every ounce of strength into pedaling the bike. Steve agonized with each push on the pedals. He felt like he was going up a steep hill but Joshua was soaring effortlessly up into the heavens.