On The Bike

For his 4^th birthday Mitch Cartwright had gotten a bike of his grandpa Ben Cartwright. The boy was pleased with it but didn’t dare to learn how to cycle. The father of Mitch, Adam Cartwright, had noticed that also. He knew that his son was He knew that his son was suffering from anxiety and had trouble to learn something new. But he couldn't do anything about it.

Four months later.

Still stood the bike of Mitch unused in the big garage. Mitch kept it clean, but learning to ride on it, to that wasn’t needed for him.

One morning during breakfast Mitch said, “Grandpa, just sell my bike because I don’t dare to learn it anyway.”

Ben looked up amazed of this announcement.

“Mitch, I just wanted to make a ride with you this afternoon. On the bike”, Adam said then.

“Where to?”, the boy asked curious.

“To the grave of mama”, was Adam’s answer.

Mitch hesitated for a moment but a second later he said, “Then I would like to try it.”

Ben and Adam gave each other unnoticed a wink. Quickly they ate further because the sooner Mitch could cycle, the sooner father and son could start their 1^st bike trip.

After breakfast Adam and Mitch went to the yard of the Ponderosa ranch. Pateintly Adam explained to Mitch how his bike was made up. Mitch had his bike helmet on and climbed carefully on the bike. He put his little feet on the pedals and with his little hands he held the steering wheel. Adam had Mitch at the neck and knew he would learn quickly.

“Just begin to pedal”, said Adam.

Mitch pedaled and noticed that he quite liked it to be able to cycle. Quite soon Adam had trouble keeping up with his son and had to let him go at a certain moment. He watched how Mitch was cycling and too how the boy cycled back to him.

“You see that you can do it, can’t you?”, asked Adam.

Mitch nodded and asked then the following question, “In the garage 2 big bikes are standing in dust. Are those of my uncles?”

“Yes, but don’t say anything about it to them”, advised his father.

Mitch accepted that advise very eagerly.

Sometime later that morning Ben came to have a look how the cycling lessons of his grandson went.

Adam confessed, “It’s as good thing that you haven’t given Mitch

It's a good thing you Mitch don't cross bike has given because then he converted the whole ranch to a cross circuit.”

“Is he already so good with cycling?”, Ben asked worried.

Adam nodded. At that moment Mitch came riding and he stopped He braked which literally did stir a lot of dust.

Ben and Adam coughed very much.

“Mitch, where are your training wheels?”, Adam asked amazed when he saw that his son was riding without training wheels.

“Which training wheels?”, the boy asked on his turn.

“The training wheels which were on both sides of your bike this morning. Those training wheels”, said Adam.

“Oh those things. I think that I lost them somewhere when I had to stop for a rabbit”, said Mitch.

Ben had trouble not to start laughing but Adam didn’t find it very funny.

He said then too, “I think that you are the only 4-year old who loses his training wheels on his 1^st cycle day.”

“Sorry daddy”, the boy said a bit disappointed.

Adam sighed deep and answered, “Why can’t I can get angry so hard on you? I'm just proud of you.”

Of course Ben was that too.

After lunch Adam made his 1^st bike trip with Mitch. It was a lovely weather. The gentlemen rode in a quiet pace to their cemetery.

At the grave of Mary Adam said, “Mitch, just tell mama what you have learnt this morning.”

The boy said, “Mama, this morning daddy has taught me how to cycle. Now we both have come here cycling on the bike.”

Cycling home again Mitch asked, “Daddy, would mama be proud too now that I can ride a bike?”

“I do know for sure. From now on we go to cycle a while each day”, answered Adam.

Now he went with his father cycling every day around the ranch Mitch got to know the area of the ranch in a different way than by car.