Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: STRETCH (04/08/21)
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TITLE: Young Jack - No Looking Back! | Previous Challenge Entry
By Noel Mitaxa
04/15/21 -
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I won’t bore you with all the technical details, because I’m no mechanic, and this event delivered less than it had promised.
It started off well, for the world was a wonderful place that Saturday morning.
Opening the door and inhaling the newness, I slipped in behind the wheel and quietly celebrated my seat’s comfort level. The instrument panel assured me that the motor had burst into life, even though I had heard no noise or felt any vibration, so I selected Reverse and checked the screen view of the driveway and beyond, courtesy of the reversing camera.
Was that young Jack from opposite my house, showing off his new bike to his friends, and looking as proud of that new bike as I felt about my new car? And no ordinary bike for a seven-year-old, for this king of the pavement needed no trainer wheels to aid his balance, as he glided smoothly along the pavement behind me; his bike's shiny spokes glistening in the crisp autumn sunlight.
Let’s not scratch each other, young Jack,” I thought, as I backed out onto the street and caught his eye. He seemed very close; a picture of innocence and confidence as he returned my grin and we waved to each other.
I selected Drive and gently pulled away, catching his friends in my mirror, but not Jack - he was probably thinking of some new way to show off his wheels…
But just then, young Jack pedaled past me.
Wow – this was innocence and confidence on a level of industrial strength - but curiosity got the better of me, so I accelerated and caught up to him; waving a congratulatory farewell as I reached fifty miles per hour. With no Jack in my mirror.
Suddenly, Jack hurtled past me, pedaling furiously and holding on as firmly as he could. What are you trying to prove, young Jack?” I thought, as he disappeared into the distance.
What else could I do but try to get to the bottom of this? I accelerated again – to seventy-five – and caught the boy. I overtook him, hoping to teach him a lesson in road safety. How could he even consider the risks he was taking?
The car felt like part of the road as we raced along, with no further sign of young Jack.
Suddenly, a blast of wind almost wiped me off the road, as I made out the blur of a seven-year-old cyclist holding on for grim death and hurtling forward into the horizon, leaving me in his wake.
A mix of curiosity and uncertainty washed over me as I accelerated.
How was Jack going so fast, and how could I explain my velocity to the nearest available highway patrol? “Well you see officer, I was trying to catch a little kid who was out to break the world’s land speed record for underage cyclists!” I couldn't quite imagine exactly how sympathetic he would be, as so many other drivers must have similar challenges...
Now, at a hundred miles per hour, the roadside power poles were looking like a picket fence, and I began gaining on young Jack.
Suddenly, my mind became clear, I can’t go much faster than this, and who knows how much faster he can go?”
I drew level with him, caught his eye and waved to indicate that I was slowing down.
We slowed down together, stopped together, I waited until young Jack finally got his breath back; and all became clear.
“Thanks for stopping. My braces were caught in your rear bumper bar!”
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