crashing a wake (first draft)

It’s been an odd day and I’m sensing a theme.

Mental note: check to see what significance buzzards have with spirits.

Let me explain.

I was riding early this morning along a local highway,

There is a house on that road, just off the route to Polo, with a nasty history, It’s a rental now. I’d been riding this route for a month at least, wishing they’d repave my favorite stretch of road north of Plattsburg, when I popped up over a hill and came too close to a crowd of buzzards having breakfast in the middle of the lane. Note: in the ‘believe it or not’ category, a group of buzzards is called a ‘wake.’

That said…I crashed a wake today.

Or I almost did as I swerved to avoid the dead badger and the group that was tearing into him.

Mentally marking this spot on my map of the area as Roadkill Crossing, I pulled my Piaggio Sport to the shoulder nearest that house I mentioned earlier, and caught my breath.

While I was trying to see if I could get my camera up in time to take pictures of the morbid feast I got surprised again and I jumped.

“Are you ok,” said the young boy. He was in an actual suit, like maybe going to church..

I struggled to avoid dropping the bike while having a heart attack. Settling the wheels on the asphalt, I hit the ‘stabilize’ button and set my parking break. Sliding my helmet off I smiled at him. He was a pale little thing.

“Yes thanks, just got startled by our friends there, I’ll be out of your way in a sec,”

“Take your time,” he said. “No rush. That’s a weird looking bike.”

“Yup I call her Meep-Meep,” I said. “Look, she even says her own name if I have to honk her horn.”

I demonstrated, and he giggled.

“High five me if you see me near the road like this would you?” he asked, putting his feet on his grass and reaching one hand waaaay out.

I smiled.

“Sure thing kid,” I said, seeing no harm in it. I recalled playing chase with the local kids on their bikes when my weird three wheeled scooter began showing itself around town.

I asked his name and I gave him mine, and put my helmet back on. Starting my motor I pulled away and made a large loop around the wake and turned to the boy, who, good to his word, was at the edge of his property with his hand out waiting for me. As I began to move towards him, meaning to drive by and gently tap his hand with mine, I saw a woman at a distance behind him running towards us, alarmed. I almost stopped but reasoned that she’d see what we had planned and wouldn’t worry.

I reached my hand out, smiling at the kid, but with a gentle tingle my hand moved through his….there was no slap or whoop of cheer from him. It took me a little room to turn the bike again. I came around and stopped facing them. The wake now in full swing in the road, making short work of the badger, the boy and his mother (?) looking at me with sad smiles. As the buzzards all took to the air at once, the two figures disappeared right in front of my eyes.

I won’t say ‘swear to god’ because the importance of the assurance might change depending on who reads this….maybe instead I’ll tell you I ‘swear by the road’ that I saw what I saw….but now I’ll look more carefully when I crash a wake….