National Adult Literacy Database

July 1, 1996

This week we are featuring a story from British Columbia written by Steven Cox . Steven is a self-employed businessman who enjoys winter camping, fishing, and all family activities. He is married and the father of two. Steve wrote this story while enrolled in the adult education class at The College of New Caledonia in Burns Lake, British Columbia.

Low Rider

by Steven Cox

Turning left and right, right hand cranked down, the wind blowing through my hair, I enjoy the loud rumble of two wheels rolling down the pavement. I am on Freedom Rider - twisting, winding up and down the road, swerving, and enjoying the squeal of hot tires; I know I am out on the open road once again. With my saddle bags loaded with money, I have the confidence to know nothing can go wrong.

Then bang! My bike starts to swerve to and fro. The back side of a semi tractor truck is coming up fast. I decide to ruin my back rim. Squish - the awful sound of steel on pavement. When I get the thunder machine stopped, it is on its side and I am sprawled out on the right-of-way.

Slowly getting up and dusting my ego off, I look at the pile of rubble in the ditch, my bike. But walking over to it and kicking the remains of the back skins, I realize we are not in such bad shape. Oh no! My saddle bags! Where are they? Just then, looking over my shoulder, I see a car hit the saddle bags, making them fly through the air right into my arms.

Then I realize my weekend is over. The money I had saved for my time out will go towards fixing two wheels and buying new leathers.

[ Used with permission, " Low Rider " was taken from the collection of personal stories edited by Bill Graham and entitled In this country: Personal Stories About Nothern B.C. The book was published by the B.C. Ministry of Skills, Training and Labour and The National Literacy Secretariat, 1994, page 98.