CYCLE OF DECEPTION

Johannesburg South – Apartheid South Africa – March (Summer) 1978

It was any boys’ dream bicycle – a Chopper, with three gears controlled by a lever similar to an automatic car’s gear selector. It had a small wheel upfront and a larger wheel at the back, resting on a spring-loaded axle. It may have been second hand, but for Bertie, it was the ideal tenth birthday present. Bertie, born to blue collar immigrant parents and now growing up in a predominantly immigrant area, had just been to his parents’ home country for a prolonged six week visit over December. While visiting with his relatives, they all remarked how inappropriate it was for a boy - about to turn ten - not being able to ride a bicycle. He was after all, of Dutch descent and every kid in Holland learned to ride a bicycle before they could walk. Yup – crawl, ride, and then walk! So, little Bertie spent most of the six weeks in Holland learning how to ride a bicycle.
Bertie’s clumsy, unbalanced and consequent swervy attempts at learning to ride a bicycle in Holland at age nine, where everyone assumes you have been riding for at least four to five years, were met with derision and insults. This culminated on an icy pavement when Bertie nearly knocked a woman over and she screamed: “Who taught you to ride (past tense) a bicycle?”
Bert’s dad had stayed in South Africa and was surprised and delighted to hear that Bert had learnt to ride a bike while in Holland. Bert’s tenth birthday was in a month’s time and he requested a bicycle.
The metallic green, bluish purple, or better described as Aquamarine Indigo, Chopper bicycle was perfect for Bert.