My Bicycle Helmet Story - written by Alfred (a short story for kids)
Once upon a time there lived a boy named Jamie. He belonged to a nice Christian home with a very loving and caring single mother.
One day, as Jamie was going out the door, his mother shouted lovingly from the kitchen that he should wear his helmet before he gets on his bicycle.
Jamie just cried back, “Yes! Mum.”
Mothers! they worry too much, Jamie thought to himself. His mother couldn’t see him since she was in the kitchen so he left his helmet behind even though he head a voice in his head telling him not to leave the helmet behind.
It’s not like if he’s new at riding bicycles. He’s ridden his bicycle hundreds of times before without a helmet. Nothing bad ever happens to pros. How could anything bad ever happen to him?Besides, wearing helmets aren’t cool. Wearing a helmet means that you are an amateur. Helmets are for squares and wimps. He was way too cool to wear a helmet. Mum just doesn’t know what’s cool, Jamie thought as he walked out the door.
Jamie was in a hurry to get to the comic book store and pick up the most recent copy of his favorite comic book, which according to the website just hit stores that day.
Jamie would have to follow the route that has a dangerous ferocious dog that was always loose to get to his favorite comic book store. Jamie loved the thrill of getting past that dog with his bicycle and having the dog get frustrated about trying to get him because Jamie believed that he was just too fast and too clever with a bicycle. Getting past that dog made him feel brave, super and acrobatic; like his favorite comic book hero.
Jamie got to the street where the dog lived. He took in a good breath. Then he started pedaling down the street as fast as he could.
As soon as the dog saw him, the dog started barking and running towards him. The dog seemed to be running faster than usual today. Jamie got scared. He felt his heart skip a beat but he knew that if he let his fears take control of him, he would surely fail. So Jamie pulled together courage within himself and he kept his focus straight ahead of him.
The dog had come too close to the bicycle now that it was almost close enough to touch the bicycle.
Jamie peddled even harder. Steady … Steady… Steady. Yes! He made it. Jamie made it to the other end of the street. Even though the dog wasn’t chained it never crossed past the end of the street. That was fun, Jamie taught to himself. There was more adrenaline pumping in his veins than usual. The dog almost got him.
Feeling like his favorite comic book super hero, Jamie pedaled away to the comic book store.
After buying the comic from the comic book store and reading the comic over some ice cream in a kiddies eatery next to it, Jamie got on his bicycle and headed for the open air space where he and his friends discussed, played and rode their bicycles.
While playing with his friends, Jamie told them that he wanted to do a rather dangerous trick with his bicycle on a ramp. It was such a tricky trick that no one they knew had ever quite succeeded doing even an easier version of what he was describing he was going to do. Jamie loved to impress his friends. He loved doing things that made them admire him more. He loved it when they looked at him as the Cool Kid On The Block.
Unbeknownst to Jamie, as he got ready to do the trick some of his friends started making bets on whether he would break his bones or he would make it.
Just as Jamie was about to go head with the trick, his youngest friend ran out to him and got in his way. He begged Jamie not to do the trick but Jamie refused, he said he knew what he was doing and he told his young friend to get out the way.
His young friend begged him a little more but he just wouldn’t listen.
When his young friend saw that begging was no good, he gave him his helmet to please at least wear it.
Jamie was like, No way.
But his young friend said that since he had already said no to his pleading with him that he should not even do the trick in the first place, he should at least do him the favor of wearing his helmet.
Jamie looked at the helmet. Well it was a cute looking helmet. It was very macho. It looked expensive too.
Although his young friend was younger than him and therefore had a smaller head size than him, the helmet was one of the cool models that could be easily re-adjusted to fit almost any head size and shape.
Jamie heard the voice again, telling him to take the helmet. Jamie look the helmet from him, adjusted it to his size and then wore it. Well, what do you know? In-spite of the fact that he would never admit it, it actually felt good.
Jamie told his young friend to back off, which he did. Now Jamie was going to do the trick.
And then, came the count down. 1 … , 2… , 3 …. GO!!! Jamie rode off to pull the trick. There was suspense in the air. Some folks were just worried about the money that they could lose and not about Jamie’s life.
“WHHHHEEEEEEE !!!”
Jamie does the trick. He pulls it off.
All his friends or so – called friends except for the one who gave him the helmet went wild and crazy about the success of the trick. They had never seen anything so cool. There was a ruckus. There was rejoicing or something that looked like rejoicing. Everybody was caught up in the moment and Jamie just smiled as he soaked in all the praise and admiration. In all the excitement, Jamie forgot to return the helmet.
While riding home on his own. A car being chased by another car comes out of nowhere and hits him. Knocking him straight off his bike.
Jamie lands on his head first.
People around, who saw what happened rush to help him.
Jamie gets up. He is alright. He takes off the helmet and he takes in deeper breaths to breathe properly.
As he looks at the helmet, he notices that it cracked.
A lady among those who came to help him and saw the crack and said, “THAT COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR SKULL. THANK GOD! YOU ARE A GOOD BOY WHO ALWAYS WEARS HIS HELMET ANYTIME HE RIDES HIS BICYCLE. OTHERWISE, WE WOULD HAVE ALL BEEN SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE.”
THE END.
