Papalapit.

Life's Ironies..

              

    "....if my life was so precious, i probably wouldn't know. if my life was so worthless...i probably wouldn't care..."- Constino

            Rey moved as fast as he could and very soon he arrived at the bakery. Collin's bakery was housed on the ground floor of a small commercial building somewhere east of Pickleville. Mr. Cashlo's hygiene ethos ensured that the place was kept extremely at all times.                     "Mr. Wilkelle...I hope your shoes are clean." Cashlo cautioned Rey as he stepped into the bakery.                                              

"Yes sir...very clean." Rey replied.                                                                                                 

"Good." Cashlo puffed.                                                                                                               

"You're on time too! Imagine that!!"                                                                                                 

"I always try to be on time, sir." He defended himself.                                                                 

"But you don't usually succeed..." Cashlo teased. "Do you?!"                                                     

"Not very often..." Rey responded. There was a silence as Cashlo went through some papers as if looking for something specific...something important.                                                                 

"Rey, I knew your father..." Cashlo spoke. "He was a very good man, Rico."                                  It was not usual for Cashlo to talk about personal matters at work. And he had never talked about Rey's father before. Hearing him speaking, Rey could only keep his mouth shut and his ears attentive.                                                                                                               

"Opportunity is like a bull he often said..." Cashlo quoted. "It charges once and then, you must be ready to grab it by the horns..."                                                                                                 

"Of course comparing opportunity with a bull is a bit excessive...and grabbing a bull by the horns is extremely reckless." Cashlo pointed out.                                                                          

"But Rico's point is quite clear; once the chance comes, you must be ready to utilise it." "Crystal, sir" Rey chipped in.                                                                                                     

 "I'm glad I don't have to explain further..." Cashlo said as he spread out the piece of paper he had found in the pile.                                                                                                                "The Hillvy's are interested in becoming our customers... "                           

 "The Hillvy's?! That's good news, sir." Rey reacted to the information.                                      "Indeed." Cashlo agreed. "It's an opportunity and I'm grabbing one horn by accepting...I'm hoping you can grab the other by delivering the confections."                                                        

"I will not let you down, sir." Rey promised.                                                                         

"Now...I don't like it when you talk like that." Cashlo cautioned him. "Where is the team spirit?!" 

"I will not let us down, sir" Rey 'corrected' his earlier statement.                                               

"That's more like it!!" Cashlo lauded him, "In fact...for this errand, you can take...ma...our motorcycle."                                                                                                                         

"Really?!" he asked like a kid who has just been told they can go and play.                               

"Of course..."Cashlo affirmed, "we are a team! My bike is your bike." Mr Cashlo really liked his customers most especially the new, rich and famous but his bike...he didn't just like it, he loved it. But here he was trusting Rey with two things he fancied dearly! Rey, on the other hand, had always dreamt about taking that bike for a ride... Cashlo watched keenly as Rey loaded the packages on to the bike. He was almost regretting giving out his vehicle to the boy.                   

"Hey, wait..." he called out to Rey as he got on to the bike.                                                   

"What is it Mr. Cashlo?!" Rey asked after he had paused and turned to look his boss's way. 

"Can you...do you know how to ride?!" Cashlo asked.                                                               

"No need to worry Mr. Cashlo..." Rey answered as he wore the helmet, "I'm as good as they come...the riders, that is."                                                                                                           

"Oh! That's excellent..." Cashlo spoke with a great deal of relief. 

"I will take great care of it...her. The bike." Rey promised whilst he started the ignition. 

               As a matter of fact, Rey had no prior experience in riding motor bikes. All the confidence he exhibited was therefore sourced from his imagination and a bit of faith. Reality is a lot harsher of course. And Rey came to realise this as soon as he started riding. He could not find his rhythm and ended up on a 'crooked path'. Throughout, he enjoyed the exhilarating exercise. Not even for a moment did he worry about what could happen if the vehicle crashed. The one who worried was Cashlo. And even he only worried about his motor bike-a machine he so loved. Far ahead was a man...a boy really, whose life was in great danger but he was having the most exciting moment of his life. Standing far behind was another whose life was in seemingly no danger at all (except the strain of worry) but was having the worst anxiety of his life. The irony that is life.  

hello to y'all! Thanks for your time...i haven't been on the website in a longtime and what do I find when I return, pointless changes!! it turns out i can no longer upload my works so I have to write twice!!!!!!

I hope you enjoy. A vote or a comment would be nice;)

-Constino