The Road

The Boys

The sun is setting fast as I peddle across the dusty plateau. Pretty as the pink light is illuminating the distant mountains, I know I'll be in trouble as soon as it slips off the top of Wadi Dana. I shouldn't have stopped for one last glass of sweet, spicy Bedouin tea but the women looked so beautiful in their long flowing abayas, smiling and waving me in.

I ride frantically in hope of finding my way back to Feynan Eco Lodge before the sun sets leaving me in total darkness. "Yeeaa" I hear a squeal from the side of the road and a tiny boy appears in front of me clapping his hands and jumping up and down. No one has ever been this happy to see me. He rushes up and with euphoric glee grabs the handle bars of my bike. With all the bouncing excitement I too am grinning ear to ear and laughing. He now has a death grip on my bike. Still squeaking loudly I realize he is calling someone. I hear an echo and a larger version of the boy rushes around the corner bursting with excitement. Ah, it's not me. It's the bike! The little boy is holding me captive till his brother arrives. I hop off and lower the seat. The 10 year old boy leaps on the bike and takes off. It's not his first rodeo. Little dude and I jump up and down cheering on the Tour de Jordan rider as he races madly in circles. The sun is well below the horizon as the boy returns with my bike.

But the ride isn't over. He swings off the bike keeping a vice like grip on the seat and looks up at me yelling over and over. Yelling what? I have no idea, then it's clear as day. I laugh, he laughs as we both know the plan. I lower the seat as far as it will go and grab the small boy. His eyes widen into saucers as I place him on the bike. His brother and I hold him as we run round and round the dusty field giving the little guy his first ride on a bicycle. We laugh as only 3 bike crazy kids can laugh. One on his first ride and one on her thousandth. The joy is the joy shared by cyclists the world around and our club now has it's newest member.

The sun has set but I don't want it to end, this special moment in time. The boys feel it too. I am still not sure where I need to go so I follow the two bouncing figures as they lead me confidently into the darkness. There in the valley below I see the warm candle light of the Feynan Eco lodge. As I cruise down the hill with a big smile on my face I can hear the laughter of the boys doing a Jordanian high five and singing "Welcome to Jordan, Welcome to Jordan".