After Olivia

22

While most people in the city went about their Friday morning routine, Matilda and Bill took the day off to enjoy the warm weather with a bike ride along the river pathways. The bright sunlit sky was a clear baby blue except for the white vapor trail of a jet that had passed overhead. Bill arrived at Matilda's house just before ten in the morning with two bicycles secured to the rack on the roof of his car. The door of the house slammed shut as she hurried down the walk with a gym bag slung over her shoulder.

"I'm so excited!" Matilda said as she looked at the bikes.

Bill stepped around the front of his car and joined Matilda on the passenger side. She turned and looked at him then wrapping her arms around him for a brief hug that was followed by a quick kiss on his lips. Bill smiled and seemed to have lost track of what he was doing or thinking of saying.

"You're going to have to teach me how to use the brakes and things."

"Oh, of course. I'll go over all of that once we get to the park," Bill said. "I hope you don't mind using Olivia's bike and helmet."

Matilda looked at Bill with a slightly puzzled expression and said, "Of course not."

"Great. I didn't get home until after midnight, so I cleaned off the dust and inflated the tires, but that's about all I managed to do," Bill said as he opened the car door for Matilda. "Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"Yes, they in the gym bag. Do you have a place to plug in the charger for my phone? I forgot to charge it last night," Matilda asked as she passed her bag to Bill.

As Bill drove, he explained his plan for the ride. "We'll park at the Centennial Park lot on Memorial Boulevard and just ride around the lot and pathways at that end of the park until you get used to the bike. Then, I was thinking, we could ride along the river and have lunch at this little café I know on Stanton Drive."

"The Rosebud?" Matilda asked.

"Yes. You know it?"

"I worked there for a week. I started on the Monday and it closed on Friday. I spent the first couple days learning all about the place and the last half of the week helping move everything out before the flood."

"Really? Hmm... I was there the Saturday before it closed."

"I heard that the building has been moved back from the river and it reopened last month."

"I haven't been there yet, so I figured we could go and have a look. It's a bit of a ways away, but there aren't any real hills or anything to worry about along the way. You should do fine," Bill said.

"I'm up for it!"

Minutes later, Bill had brought the car to a stop in a parking lot in the shade of some large trees. While he lifted the bicycles from the rack, Matilda adjusted the helmet Bill had given her. Nervous excitement sent a chill through her body as her eyes scanned the bright red bike she would be riding.

"You can put your wallet and phone in the pouch on the handlebars, just don't forget them. I drove home once after a ride, left my wallet, phone, apartment keys, everything in the bag, pouring rain. Fortunately, it's water resistant but it's a bit of a pain when you're in the drive thru window and realize your wallet is a couple feet above the roof of the car," Bill said. "Now, let's go over the brakes and gears."

Matilda giggled then listened and tried out the controls as Bill explained each.

"There aren't any big hills along the way, but there are a few small ones and some places we'll need to stop, so you'll need to change gears. When you do see a hill, switch down a gear or two before you get to it, or at least as you start into it. Before a stop, switch it all the way down. The trick is to do it before hand so it's in the right gear when you need it."