... easing into semi-retirement, having lots of creative adventures and enjoying being a (relatively) new Granny.

Thursday, 22 October 2015

A memory associated with a bicycle


Whenever I trim my toenails and try to tidy the horny bits of nail on my little toes I remember the day my foot slipped on the pedal.

I used to ride and ride everywhere I could around the farm. Around and around the large circular driveway of almond trees, down to the chook yard and across to the cow shed.

My bike was red, possibly a Malvern Star and almost definitely second hand. I don’t remember learning to ride a bike and I'm sure I didn't ever have trainer wheels. It was just something I could always do (or thought I could.)

One day, pedalling fast, my foot slipped on the metal pedal and ripped my little toenail.

Furious pedalling back to the house, blood streaming from my foot, at age seven I imagine an emergency trip to the hospital 17 miles away.

I finally reach home and rush inside to Mum: she comforts me, bathes the foot with Dettol and bandages the toe.

Emergency averted, all over, no need for panic.

The toe healed, a new nail grew but only a short while later the same thing happened again, this time to the other foot.
 19.10.13


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