Enjoying on the road Learn English through story level 2
riding a motorbike is a great way to
travel
who cares if the bike is an old norton
or a shiny new suzuki
it’s the speed
the noise of the wind in your ears the
engine roaring under you
burning up the miles
bikers are free alone
they go where they want
free
alone
sometimes lonely
and danger waits
at every bend in the road
but for roy
riding home to auckland as night falls
it’s still a great feeling
[Music]
coming up from the river towards the
road
roy looked at his watch
it was half past four
it was cooler now
he could do an hour or two of the
journey before dark
he started off down the road feeling the
heavy fish in the bag against his leg as
he walked
he played the fish again in his mind
feeling it pull on the line
fighting him all the way
he walked happily through the afternoon
stillness
a car was parked off the road by the
bridge
with three men standing beside it
they watched him coming
they stood drinking from metal cups
looking pleased with themselves
pleased with the wild boar they had shot
it was tied to the roof of their old
american car
they looked at roy and his fish as he
came by
good fishing then
one of them said
sure
roy said
it looks like everybody’s got what they
came for
he stepped into the long grass
found his old norton
and pushed it up to the road
he felt the men watching him
have a beer
one of them offered
well thanks
roy said
he took a cup from one of the bags on
his bike
and went over to the car
that’s a nice fish
the man said
filling his cup with beer
not bad roy said
he nearly took the fly last night
and i went back to get him today
he drank his beer
he must have a poor memory then
the man said
he just loves black gnats
roy said
touching the fishing fly pinned to his
shirt
they all
looked you could tell that they were not
fishermen
roy looked at the dead bore with its
long dangerous teeth
big one
he said
and finished the beer
the guy offered the bottle
no thanks
i’ve got to get going
he walked back to the bike and went on
packing
the men stood around with their beer
watching him
roy picked up the fish
and held it up to show them how big it
was
and they smiled
he packed it away in one of the bags
he sat down on the grass and pulled on
his boots
thinking that it hadn’t been a bad
weekend
he felt the men watching him
they were friendly
but there was something about it
a kind of feeling he wasn’t sure about
he put on his crash helmet and his
gloves
then he started the bike
and waved goodbye
the men smiled
and one of them lifted his beer for good
luck
i’m on my own
roy thought
that’s what it is
they’re three friends out together in
the afternoon
and i’m on my own
with 200 miles to go
it’s a small thing
but that’s what it is all right
he turned away
and rode the norton down the road
the road stayed near the river for the
next eight or ten miles
sometimes the rocky walls of the valley
hid the river
and sometimes you could see it far below
you
in places
road and river went side by side
and you could see the wet rocks shining
in the late afternoon sun
and the deep black water at the bends
it was always good to be close to a
river roy thought
next time he would fish down river from
the bridge
the road
turned away from the river at last and
joined the highway
roy let the bike go faster
he felt the old feeling coming as the
miles went by
all the things that hurt
disappeared
all the things that didn’t matter
he didn’t need to think
not about being alone
not about anything
he did 65 miles in the first hour
he felt calm and easy
sometimes it worried him riding fast but
this afternoon was fine
when it was dark he would slow down
he rode on past the rich farmland
he thought about the farmers
finishing work
perhaps having their tea
that made him feel a little hungry
maybe about halfway he would stop for a
cup of coffee and something to eat
he came round a bend
and saw a car just disappearing around
the next bend
he slowed down a little
waiting for a place to pass it
it was a big old car
and as he came up behind it
the driver speeded up and went fast into
the next bend
roy stayed behind him
waiting for a straight piece of road
maybe the guy just didn’t like bikes
the place came at last
half a mile of straight empty road going
up a small hill
he checked his mirror
and passed the car
he went up the hill leaving the car
behind
and he was alone again on a straight
road
and then the world exploded underneath
him
it came with a sudden crash
like a shot from a gun behind him
a moment later he realized what it was
he was riding a flying machine on a back
tire in pieces
fighting wildly to stay on and to slow
the norton down from 65 to zero
the big bike flew from one side of the
road to the other
but as it went up the hill
it began to go slower
then a car was coming
and he was off the road
and at last the bike ran hard against a
bank
and stopped
roy turned off the engine
and sat back
then the car he had passed came up and
stopped beside him
an unpleasant face stared at him from
the front passenger seat
bad luck
voice sounded pleased
somebody laughed
then the old car roared away and
disappeared over the hill
roy got off the bike
he was shaking just a little
he decided not to think about the guys
in the car for a while
he wanted to calm down first
he looked down the road
half a mile of it
straight
with no ditch
and he felt how lucky he had been
a long straight road and no ditch man
he turned and looked up the road
there was a house near the top of the
hill
he half walked
half road the bike to the farm gate
they would let him leave his bike there
surely
he stopped by the back door
and turned off the engine
a big man in jeans
with only socks on his feet came to the
door
roy felt the farmer looking at him
deciding about him
while he explained
on your own
yes
just a minute
the farmer said
and got his boots
they put the bike in one of the farm
buildings
and roy felt better about it
lucky it happened there the farmer said
that’s true said roy and lucky it was
the back wheel
i used to have one of these things
the farmer said
and he reached over to hold the bike
he seemed to be looking back in time
it’ll be safe here he said
roy took out the fish and gave it to him
well he’s a big one
said the farmer
we’ll keep him for you
no
roy said
give him to the cook.
do you think i’ll get a ride this time
of day
easy the farmer said
one of those cattle trucks is what you
need
take you all the way to westfield
thanks again roy said
and walked back up to the road
it was nearly dark
he took his gloves and put his crash
helmet on
then people will see i’m not just out
walking he thought
that was what he thought
at the beginning
the first two or three cars
did not matter
but then he knew he had a long walk in
front of him
most people did not even slow down
before they decided not to take him
he was halfway up the second long hill
and it was quite dark
when he heard the first cattle truck
he waited as the big truck came closer
then he saw the driver’s face looking at
him
and he remembered it when the truck had
gone
it wasn’t unfriendly he thought
the guy just didn’t care
he watched the truck go slowly up the
hill
he started to walk again
he felt a kind of loneliness walking in
the dark
it was the way the truck driver had
looked at him
the guy just didn’t care
or maybe he didn’t want a stranger with
him all that way
maybe he just didn’t want to talk
more cars passed
but he didn’t even try asking for a ride
anymore
he walked on
not caring
knowing how alone in the world he was
he had walked perhaps another five miles
when he heard his favorite sound
a bike came up fast behind him and went
round the next corner
roy heard it slow down
turn
and come back
rider stopped
and waited for roy
it was a big modern bike
japanese he guessed
the rider sat looking back at him crash
helmet shining
roy was next to the bike before he
realized
that the rider was a girl
a tall leggy girl
in jeans and boots
and perhaps there was fair hair under
the helmet
roy stared as they spoke
which way you going mister
auckland
that makes two of us
you have a crash
tyre went
no fun
roy felt her eyes watching him as she
spoke
well
she said
talking about it won’t get us home
sure said roy
his ears were getting hot under his
crash helmet
he climbed up behind her and they were
off
she rode fast from the beginning
this was a real bike and a real rider
roy felt good about it
good to be on wheels again
good that somebody cared enough to stop
close to his face the girl asked
what kind of bike mister
norton
500cc
front wheel or back
back
not so bad she said
better back than front any day
sure roy said
he wanted to talk to this girl
but he could not get the words out
they rode on in silence in the dark
she knew about bikes all right
with a guy it’s easy roy thought
you have a crash
you get a ride
you climb on the bike
you don’t even notice that he can ride
it well
but this is a girl
and she knows what she’s doing
that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to her
he told himself
you’ve seen girls before man
her voice came back to him
where have you come from mr
pukatia valley
yes
how was the fishing
not bad
roy said before he had time to wonder at
her question
nice water by the old bridge
what were they taking
black gnat he said
and there was more than wonder
he felt that hot pain behind his eyes
wet or dry
wet
said roy
and his voice shook a little with the
wonder of it
and in his heart
he felt an ache that came from a kind of
longing
this was the girl he’d been longing for
all his life
a tall
leggy girl who rode a
750 cc suzuki
and knew about fly fishing
for a while they rode and did not speak
then
back on straight road
the girl said close to his face
my brother caught a six pound fish under
that bridge one year
really
roy was beginning to understand
how long ago was that
maybe five years ago
ross played him for half an hour before
he pulled him in
sounds like he’s a good fisherman your
brother
roy said
he was
she said
and that was all
and roy
guessing what she meant
knew it was not the kind of thing you
could shout about above the noise of the
wind and the engine
after a few miles
the girl said
my name’s k mister
roy said his own name
it sounded strange to him
well roy
you’re going to buy me a cup of coffee
when we get to the next town
sure
roy said
sure thing k
they dropped their speed and rode into
the town
it was quiet on a sunday evening
they found the place they wanted and got
off the bike
her hair was long and fair and blown
about by the wind
in the coffee shop he saw her face for
the first time
and he felt that kind of longing from
way back
and he sat down beside her knowing what
it was
how long were you walking back there
her voice was soft and pleasant
after the shouted conversation on the
road
perhaps five or six miles roy said
nobody was interested
they never are
it’s not the kind of thing you worry
about
he said
no
they sat drinking their coffee watching
and listening
getting the idea of each other
you go fishing a lot
she said
sure
fishing
moving around
always travel alone
my friend got killed
roy said
it came out
like that
there was not much else that he could
say
he felt a kind of softness in her eyes
that took him by the heart
what about you
he said
what about me
i mean
you can tell me about your brother
he saw her eyes
their softness
the quiet hurt as his words hit her
ross got killed in the army
she said
it was his first week
just a stupid accident
he was only 20.
he fell off the back of a truck and hit
his head
he used to do wild crazy things all the
time
but then what killed him
was just a stupid accident
he played with his spoon in the coffee
what about your friend
she asked after a while
plain
roy said
another thing that just couldn’t happen
he saw it in his mind
the broken plane
that moment he could never forget for
the rest of his life
this was something they both knew
he and this girl
a death that you couldn’t believe
and that feeling was always with you
everywhere
like a voice that whispers in your ear
there will never be enough road anymore
enough water
enough air
but beyond the feelings of hurt
old and new
he knew that they were telling each
other the truth about themselves
not hiding things
was he choosing the right words
it didn’t matter
now he asked
where have you been today then on your
big bike
taronga
stay the weekend
down this morning
it’s only 260 miles there and back she
said
my father’s in a kind of hospital down
there
i don’t stay because one visit each time
is all i can do
i’m sorry
roy said
it was all in her eyes
in his mind
roy saw a strong man broken
the father who would never get old
never die
how could you believe it
live with it
maybe he taught them to fish roy thought
this girl and her brother dead at 20
from his accident
maybe he taught them all those good
things
and they all had fun together
and then suddenly she looked around
and she was the only one left
maybe that’s why she rides the big bike
the time was starting to get heavy now
what to say we get on the road
sure
they went out
and roy felt the heaviness going
it was all right if you knew when to get
up and go
they put on their crash helmets
and the tall leggy girl started her bike
roy climbed on behind her
and they went away laughing
they rode gently out of the sleepy town
then they reached the highway
and the bike roared away into the night
roy felt all right about riding on the
back
sometimes if you weren’t sure about the
rider
you weren’t happy when he went fast
but this girl was okay
they rode
not talking
enjoying the night ride on their big
fast machine
roy thought about the things they were
passing
the cattle in the fields the night
sounds of the farms
lights appeared and cars sped past
and he thought about all the people
going places
he felt kaye close to him
with her long friendly shoulders and her
fair hair flying back from under her
helmet
he could go on
and on
he didn’t care about the people who
hated you before they saw you
or enjoyed watching you in trouble on
the road
or let you walk because they didn’t want
to think about you
he felt that none of it could touch him
now
or ever
that all the hurt had gone
and the shock from the deaths of friends
and the bad feelings that came from
people’s unkind words
a notice
warned of bends in the road
and k cut their speed
and they rode the big bike down into the
first bend
cars came up from down below
their lights showing the narrow road and
the banks on each side
most of the cars seem to be in too much
of a hurry roy thought
they reached the bottom of the narrow
valley where he knew the river ran close
to the road
he thought about that clear mountain
water among the trees
then they started to climb
they rode up the hill
and into the first bend
and death came down to meet them
on the wrong side of the road
the lights of the car were right in
front of them they had nowhere to go
and not enough time to hate the guy who
was killing them
roy put his arms around k
he felt his face against her shoulder
their helmets close together
then they were off the road and into the
ditch as the car went past moving too
late to its own side of the road
they went on and on fighting the ditch
crashing into the bank and then they
were over the bank and sailing
a moment’s space before the hurt that
was coming
they crashed down the bank
and roy hill tight decay
and they were off the bike and dying
together
and the ground came up to knock the life
out of his body and he reached for k as
he fell
impossibly
he was still alive
but as he fell crashed broke
he didn’t care
he only reached for k
longed for her
he came to rest
there was a taste of blood
and a whisper of pain through the shock
and he felt cold water around him
he lay in the icy water of the ditch and
knew he was still alive
then he was moving along the ditch on
hands and knees searching for k through
the pain and shock
he pulled himself along the ditch
until he found her
she was lying face down
he touched her
and turned her over as gently as he
could
time had stopped
it was like a bad dream
made of all the deaths that had gone
before
he said her name and it came thick and
strange through his painful lips
she looked at him
and he waited for an impossible moment
and then she began to cry as the shock
hit her
and that was all the hope he needed
he took off her helmet
and gently pushed her hair back
and somewhere above them he heard voices
and a crushing sound as help came
the pain in his legs began to come alive
he put his arm around k
loving the life that returned as she
cried life and pain coming together
and that was all the hope he needed
he guessed it must be all the hope in
the world
because for all the time that it lasted
they would have it together
[Music]
[Music]
true
you