The Lesson
Pavel held the bike by the seat. A five-year-old girl put her legs on the pedals. “Ready,” she said.
Pavel jogged forward and pushed the bike. “Pedal!” he yelled.
“What?” The girl’s head turned back at him.
“Lean left!”
The kid fell down, arms spread out on the ground, legs under the bike. She laughed.
“Alice, are you ok?”
“Yes,” she said, adjusting the strap of her helmet. “One more time. I must learn it.” She lifted the bike from the ground, rang the bicycle bell, and walked to Pavel.
“When is the bike trip?”
“Next Monday.”
“Does everyone in your class know how to ride a bike?”
She nodded and sat on the bike again.
Pavel grabbed the seat. She turned towards him. “Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Why are your suits in boxes by the door?”
Pavel looked at the gravel path in front of the bike. “Dry cleaning. I need them cleaned.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.” Pavel pushed the bike and ran along it, holding the seat.
Alice looked at him over her arm.
“Look at the road,” he said.
Alice hit the brakes. They stopped.
“I saw you sleep on the couch.”
“Why did you stop?”
“Why do you sleep on the couch?”
“I fell asleep while watching TV.” Pavel took her hands off the brake levers. “Try again.” He pushed the bike.
Alice leaned right, then left. She kicked the ground to keep her balance. Stopped, dragging her toes on the ground.
“You must pedal when you start moving,” he yelled.
The kid turned the bike around and walked to Pavel, bike still between her legs. “Why didn’t Mom come with us?”
“She didn’t want to.”
Alice stopped, looked at Pavel, and wiped her face, smearing dirt over her cheeks. “You don’t come when I go with Mom.”
Pavel kneeled to clean her cheek. “One more time?”
She nodded.
“Remember to pedal.” Pavel pushed the bike, ran three steps, then stopped and looked at the kid.
Alice’s feet fell off the pedal. She looked down and put her feet back on the pedals. She pedaled. The bike sped up.
Pavel took a mobile phone out of his pocket and took a picture.
The bicycle bell rang. “I can ride a bike!” Alice yelled.
A woman in a beige jacket walked over to Pavel. “Did you get the photo?”
Pavel nodded. “Will this help our case?”
“The judge is sentimental,” she said.
Pavel shook her hand and walked to Alice.
“Who is she?” she asked.
“A colleague from my office.”
The woman got into a car. She waved at Alice. Alice turned away and looked at Pavel. “Push me one more time.”
Pavel took out his phone. Read the notifications.
“Dad! Push me!” Alice positioned the bike on the path. Her feet on the pedals.
“Later. We have to go now.”
Alice’s lips dropped.
He lifted her off the bike. “Let’s go to the car.”
Alice kicked a rock.
“Alice.”
“Yes, Dad. When do we go on a bike trip with you and Mom?”