THE BRIGHT PINK BICYCLE
Once upon a time, Tulip spent a sunny Saturday in Earth Ville, neighbouring Aqua Ville, in her home community of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
It is International Earth Day and the Town Square has been transformed into mini planets — each representing a different aspect of the environment and/or the impacts of climate change in our lives, our communities, our world. Everywhere people walk, they can see words like recycle, refurbish, reuse; preserve, protect, prepare; cycle, commute, plant, bake, cook, fix, repurpose, and celebrate sensible progress.
Tulip is an active member of the HUB Cycling Club and their planet at the exhibition is close to the sunny center. It is a vast open area with a large tent, two tables of helpful information and a wide span of 19 donated and refurbished bicycles for all ages. They would all be given away via a draw at 1 pm, making 19 people very happy, and leaving a few a bit sad. Tulip is assigned to do security watch around the bicycles and to explain the draw format to anyone who is interested.
Flocks and flocks of people come and go. Some stop to chat about their memories of cycling, their hopes for cycling and their interests in helping the Club. Others just drop by to enter the draw.
As Tulip paces between the rows and rows of bicycles, she cannot help but notice the regular presence of a young girl standing by the only pink bicycle in the group. She stands there and stands there for what seems like hours, talking to herself and imagining how this bicycle will soon be hers. Every so often she shakes and does a bit of a skip dance on the spot, feeling more and more sure that this bike is meant for her, and that she is going to win.
Her mother shows up, now and then, to check on her and to entice her to come along to look at other planets around the area. She mentions painting, colouring, tracing, worm digging, tree planting, tadpoles, free cookies and cake, clowns, balloons — nothing worked.
Finally the little girl agrees to go look at some free toys and clothes, and says she needs to use the washroom too. Tulip assures her not to worry about the bicycle; it would still be in that exact spot when she gets back. That was the clincher, and off they go.
An hour or so later, the happy little girl returns to her post right next to her favourite bicycle. Tulip starts to wonder about the two possible outcomes and dreads the latter. She asks one of her club mates to relieve her so she could go check out the Walmart next door to see their selection of children’s bicycles.
Sure enough Walmart has a bright pink girls’ bicycle and it is on sale. She asks the store clerk to set it aside for two hours and explains why. The clerk agrees.
As Tulip returns to her HUB planet, the draw is about to begin. The pink bicycle is number 9 and for the little happy girl, the wait is painful. She keeps her fingers crossed and eyes closed. At times it looks like she is holding her breath. Every so often she jumps on the spot, crosses her legs, and reaches out to hold her mommy’s hand.
Finally the moment comes and the little girl’s heart sinks with a sudden thud. Tears pour from her glowing eyes, silent tears, as her mommy crouches down to console her devastated daughter. She guides her away from the crowd and they sit on the soft, green grass. Tulip follows them and whispers something into the mother’s ear:
“Meet me at the Walmart cycling department at 2:15 pm. I have a surprise waiting for you.”
And so it was, on this very special earthly day, a day to be mindful and helpful to our planet, our sub-planets and to each other, that a whole lot of people went home with a lot of new knowledge, awareness and appreciation of humanity and compassion and, best of all, knowing the power of hope, help and humility goes a long way in making the world grow into a much better place.
THE END