Thai Trail 6 - Leap

The best part of this island? The fact that there’s a motorbike parked downstairs, and we can run outside whenever we fancy and zoom off to wherever we fancy.

A bit like these stories: the best part of them? The fact, I’ve just noticed, that I can take them anywhere. I can make them leap into outrageous fantasy, I can create crocodiles to chase us around for a while, I can be soothed to sleep by a one-eyed angel.

And no one will say ‘wait a minute, I was there and that’s a load of larks’. Or ‘I wasn’t there but that sounds plain silly’. Or just ‘hmmm’.

You see, all that freedom…

But where were we? Ah, the freedom of zooming around on our bike.

So this one day I dash out, late and laden with towels, goggles, creams and books. M. and K. already perched on the bike, waiting. I fling myself on, perhaps with more enthusiasm than usual. The bike lurches to one side.

I catch a look of dawning horror on M.’s face.

What’s happening?

THIS.

The bike starts to fall, with a faint rumble.

CAN’T.

M. gives K. a wordless nudge and she jumps off, unsure why but curious.

BE.

M. then jumps off, just as his hand tightens on the handlebar. A roar of acceleration, the front wheel spins in the air as the bike is falling.

HAPPENING.

It’s happened. The bike lies on its side in a cloud of dust. I haven't even jumped off: I'm left straddling a puff of smoke, a big dolt of dust and metal at my ankles. As it falls it leaves a blue bite on the inside of my leg. A chorus of cicadas. We stand around looking at each other, mouths hanging open, eyebrows vanishing into our sun hats, in a vast and silent HUH???

Finally you say:

‘At least no one’s seen it.’