achilles on hills

I picked up my helmet like I had done consistently for the past week, every day, with the hope of taking Achilles, my mountain bike, outside the estate for a ride.

For days, whenever my roommate was home, I claimed I was going to take my bike outside. Somehow, I always failed to.

But today felt different.

I needed to be challenged, and somehow, a sequence of poorly timed words became the catalyst for making this happen. If you ask me what those words were, I honestly don’t remember. My mind has a GIGO system for negative words, so the words themselves didn’t stick.

But I do remember how I felt.

Challenged. Mocked.

Where the words came from didn’t really matter. Not taking my bike out today felt like me disrespecting myself, and oh boy, that wasn’t going to happen today. Nahhh.

After a week of saying I’d take Achilles outside the estate, I had started feeling like I would never actually be ready. I had dedicated time to learning my tight turns and balance. I could hold a line quite okay while peeking over my shoulder.

But today, the itch under my skin couldn’t just be ignored.

I wanted to take my bike out for a ride.

I felt like I needed words of encouragement, not the bare, demeaning words that found my ears. But well, I couldn’t disrespect myself by not taking Achilles out, so I did.

And mehn, it was funnnnn!

Just taking Achilles outside the estate gate felt like enough at first, but then I wanted more. I wanted the thrill and unfelt embrace of a different terrain, something uneven, risky, sandy, with mushy air and a different kind of ambience.

So I took a turn and headed towards Obvillion.

It was all I wanted. It was the remedy I needed to feel better from the troubles that had been carving at my heart.

I took the route down and made a turn towards my uncle’s house, but I didn’t drop by. I guess next time I will.

I pedaled, got stuck, came down, pushed, pedaled, got stuck, conquered the sand, and connected more with my gears.

Riding down the street, I heard some young guys calling out to me. Certain of trouble, I decided to ignore them. My earbuds were a facade of obstruction ( They bought it ).

I kept riding.

At some point, I stopped and pulled out my phone to check if I had passed my turn.

And oh well, I had.

Twice.

The first time I stopped, I checked and saw there was a V-intersection up ahead. I pocketed my phone, had a young boy compliment my bike, said thank you, and kept riding.

It took two barking dogs chasing after me, a growing sense of fulfillment, and the realization that I might actually get lost if I didn’t turn back.

So I pulled a 180 and headed home.

I am glad I went on this ride.

I turned, retraced my route, and enjoyed the ride back. I took my bicycle just a bit onto the expressway, got onto the sidewalk, and pushed back towards the estate.

My shirt was soaked, but my heart was drenched in contentment.

I am grateful to be alive.

“You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bike, and that’s pretty close” ~ quote from random pin on Pinterest.

[ bloopers ]

On my way back, my decision to ignore the young guys who had called me was justified. As I rode past, I heard them call me “ewurẹ” 😂

I guess I really did feel like the greatest of all time in my world today.