Several weeks before Christmas my
brother, Sam, came to me with a Christmas catalog and showed me some beautiful
bicycles—mostly boys bikes, but there was one girls bike. He pointed out
the amazing features of several boys bikes and asked me if I would like to have
one of them. Of course, I said NO, I would want a girls bike. He
tried for some time to convince me of the superiority of the boys bikes to no
avail. At the time I thought it was strange the way he carried on, but I
brushed it off except for an occasional question that crept into my mind:
Could I possibly be getting a bicycle for Christmas? No, of course not,
impossible was the answer. And then it was Christmas Eve. I was
sent to bed, a little too early, I thought, but the grownups insisted. I
could hear them laughing and making noises as I tried to fall asleep.
Finally, on Christmas morning I was
awakened by the family telling me to come quick and see what Santa had brought
me. And there it was—the most beautiful bicycle in the world with my name
on it. I was stunned and didn’t have to pretend my surprise. They
were all so excited for me and I was so very happy. It was still dark
outside when I said, “Hey I’ve never ridden a bike before, I’ve got to learn
quick before my friends see me”, and out we went. It was all boys that
morning on their new bicycles and they let me join them in the exciting ride on
my most memorable Christmas Day!
It was unbelievable and wonderful and I
enjoyed my bicycle for many years. It may have been the only girls bike
in town. Even though there were no paved roads or cement sidewalks to
ride on which made it more work, I was still happy to jump on my bike and ride
to the store for a candy bar and a pair of nylons for Pearl who had been so
generous.
On
looking back, I feel a little sorry/ashamed that my brother Sam never got a
bike and he needed one, always walking several miles to see his sweetheart,
Myrtle Hatch, and walking the other direction to school and for basket ball
practices. Many years later, Sam said to me one day, “I’m surprised you
could still like me since I wore out your bicycle.” I was totally
surprised and had no recollection of such a thing. Can you imagine a
tough farm boy going everywhere on a girl’s pink bike? Shows you how
desperate he was and fearless too, I think.
By (Myrtle) Irene Mousley, daughter of Nathan Cram Tenney and Myrtle Payne
I'd never heard this story before! And I loved it. Thanks Asia.
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