The Long Way Home

  ****

  Brian saw the car first as he swooped around the corner. He braked hard and the back tyre of his bike skidded frantically along the bitumen road.

  Beeeep!!!

  The car stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, horn blasting angrily as Brian skidded past on its left side. He looked over his shoulder in time to see Simon swing wide around the bend in the road.

  Simon saw the car stop in the middle of the road only a second before he swung wide to the right side of the road and came within inches of slamming into the bonnet. With no time to react he simply aimed his bike for the narrow gap between the right side of the car and the shoulder of the road, screaming past the stunned motorist who continued to hold his hand down on the horn.

  Beeeep!!!

  Simon tore through the tight gap at a little over 60 kilometres an hour! Small clouds of dust flew up behind him as the wheels of his bike flirted with the loose dirt and gravel on the shoulder of the road. He struggled momentarily with the handle bars of his BMX to maintain control before finding the sealed bitumen again and leaving the honking vehicle to disappear behind him. He regained the middle of the road and quickly drew level with Brian who was pedaling madly once more, having lost momentum when he had braked for the car. They rounded the next corner together, side by side with total disregard for any other oncoming vehicles. Simon began pulling away from Brian as they raced along a straight section of roadway where the gum trees gave way to houses and they exited the bushland reserve.

  Simon reached the corner of Brian’s street first and leant in close to the kerbing as he swung into the final straight. He pedaled furiously for the last 50 metres before aiming his BMX at the small, angled strip of kerbing at the edge of the neighbours’ driveway and launching his bike gently into the air. He landed on the front lawn of Brian’s house and finished with a huge, sideways power slide that tore up small clumps of grass and sent them flying into the air. He looked up to see Brian land his bike on the lawn behind him and do the same, the huge 10 metre skid starting in the middle of the lawn and finishing up in his Mum’s flower garden by the front letter box.

  “I won!” Simon shouted, heart still thumping wildly in his chest.

  “Only ‘cause I nearly hit that car.” Brian laughed in between trying to catch his breath.

  “I hope you boys aren’t skidding across my lawn again!” Brian’s Mum shouted from inside the house. “Brian, I said to come home when the street lights came on, it’s now dark!”

  “Quick, you’d better go home Simon or you’ll be grounded by your Mum. See you tomorrow.” Brian said as he hurried off around the back of the house.

  “See ya Brian!” Simon shouted over his shoulder as he rode off.

  Simon hurried past another four houses until he reached the next corner. He turned into his street and began the long pedal back uphill toward his house at the very end. The street reached a crest halfway along the street before it dipped back downhill past the last half dozen houses. There he passed his next door neighbour walking home from work.

  “Hi Laurie.” Simon called out as he rode up behind him.

  “G’day Simon.” Laurie spun around as Simon rode past. “Better hurry boy, the streetlights have been on a while now.”

  “I know.” He called over his shoulder as he pedaled hard over the crest and rolled downhill toward his driveway. It was the same conversation they had nearly every day on their way home.

  Simon swung into the driveway and rode his bike to where he parked it every night, under the carport in front of his Mum’s beat up old car. He leant it carefully against one of the poles and raced inside through the back sliding glass door.

  “Where have you been Simon?” His Mum yelled at him the minute he stepped inside. “It’s dark and I wanted you home earlier tonight remember? I’ve got friends coming around and I wanted you in bed and asleep before they get here.”

  “Oh yeah, sorry I forgot that was tonight.”

  “Well you’d better get yourself into the bath quick smart, I’m about to dish up dinner in 15 minutes.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry Mum.”

  “And you’d better set the table as soon as you get out.”