Derryl's Perils-Bike Race

DERRYL’S PERILS
Bike Race
True Story

It all started one blistering summertime day. It was about 100 degrees. When you rode your
bike on the blacktop, the tires wanted to meld with it. Only the bravest of souls zigzagged across in
their bare feet. I was a skinny kid who had not yet grown into my teeth. I also had very little dignity
being impulsive, hyper and 13 years old.




Riding my flashy new bike down the road I hope someone will notice it’s a J.C. Higgins. I take a
side glance, anyone notice?




“You think your bike is so great? Let’s race,” challenged my cousin Joe.




“You’re on.” I never turned town a dare or maybe the heat was affecting me.




As expected, Joe defeated me waving his hands in the air with bravado.




I complain loudly. “You always win. I never get to win. I want to win sometime. It’s not
fair. Your bike is a racer and mine is not.”




“Well then, let’s trade,” answered Joe.




I of course had no suspicions that Joe’s bike was booby trapped.




I’m in the lead. Finally I will beat Joe at something! At last, Woohoo!
I look back, the killer instinct kicks in. With the finish line in view I stomp on the pedals even
more. My plan is to leave him in the dust.




That’s when the gears slipped. I remember flying over the top of the handle bars screaming.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion. “HELP! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”




My unfortunate lack of composure left my mouth wide open when I landed. Both front teeth
hit the tar…and sunk. In the distance my cousin Joe is laughing with dramatics. In this humiliated
position I’m wondering how I’m going to get them out.




Great, what am I going to do now! Would if a car comes? I’ve got to get them out. Grrr,
they won’t budge. I’d tell him to shut up if my mouth wasn’t stretched beyond its limits. I look over
again, I hope he died laughing.




Yes, I did get my teeth out or should I say partially out. They broke off. To my great
amazement they broke evenly. I no longer had big teeth.




Joe’s hilarity had changed into a smirk.
I picked myself up with as much dignity I could muster and left my teeth where they were.




“I’m glad you find this amusing!” Riding my bike home I tried to pretend the messy incident
never happened. It was a momentary set back to my manhood…I hope. When I arrived I told no one
about the event. My mom did not notice my newly shrunken teeth. I’m sure if she knew she would
never allow me to drive.