Flat tire

Right before English Welcoming Day I have a special trip to remember, maybe for a very long time. At first I still have no idea who will take me there. Would that be my mother or my brother or my father? My mother's workplace is very close to my campus, but that time she had so many things to do that she didn't came home from Friday to Saturday. My brother, although he studies in John de Britto I didn't want him to take me to the campus. Actually we often had so many quarrels and fights at home; beside I take a backpack with me and a mat. It was very difficult to carry those things on a motorbike. That's why I prefer my father to take me to campus because he always use a car to go to his workplace, too bad I had no choice that time but had my annoying brother took me to the campus.

Preparation needs time, that's why I woke up early to prepare the stuff for EWD. I put my clothes, my towel, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, underwear and so many other things in my backpack. I couldn't put it all in my backpack, therefore I slipped some of the things inside the mat; they were my jumper and my slippers. As I say, preparation needs time, but this preparation needed more than I thought. It was almost late when I finished pack all my stuff. I told my brother to warm up the motorbike while I finished my breakfast. I ate as fast as I could that time, but my brother told me to be faster. I yelled at him if he wanted me to get choked. It was 6.45 when he told me to get faster. No wonder, the bell rings at 6.55 at my brother's school.

I finished my breakfast and get out of the house not long after he told me to be faster. Right after I stepped out of my house I realized that he warmed up the wrong motorbike. It had to be my motorbike he warmed up but it was not mine. It was my mother's motorbike. It can't run fast especially with heavier load, while my bike can. I told my brother angrily, in Javanese of course, that the bike he warmed up can't run fast. But no other choice, it was the only ready-to-go bike we had. We rode it and get to the campus.

I had my brother to bring the mat. I rode it fast but safe. I love to play safe. I tried to get it faster but it couldn't. I twisted the gas handlebar to its maximum but the needle won't get more than 80 km per hour, I needed to get faster otherwise my brother will be late for school. We would be killing each other of our quarrel if we were late. Angrily I said in my mind, "See? It can't go faster can it?"

When we reached Blok O, something went terribly wrong. Right after the red light ended, I quickly accelerated my bike. When the needle reached 80 suddenly my rear tire got unstable. It drifted right. When I tried to stabilize it, it drifted left; I kept stabilize it on and on and on and it kept drift right and left. That time I realized, My rear tire bursted and it quickly became a flat tire and I knew that there will be more annoying things I would have that day. I slowed down and pulled over. Thank God we didn't slipped and fell. As you know, vehicles behind us were so many. If we fell the worst possibility is got crushed by those vehicles then our body would stick to the road, and those vehicles were not only motorbikes and cars, but also buses and trucks. Big buses and trucks.

I left my brother in the sidewalk then I stopped for a second to think. If I have it fixed it would spend more time and money, and the good news is I have no money at all. That was the second annoying thing. It was Saturday and I had already spent my allowance for that week. There was only one choice, got back home and take the other bike. I ask the house key to my brother, took a detour and slowly but sure I got back home with flat tire. It felt a bit weird riding a bike with flat tire. It felt like you car drifting on a slippery way all the way. Only this time I used motorbike instead of car. It got more challenging since I got to go fast otherwise we could be late, especially my brother. And if I go fast I might fell down and have scratch and bruise all over my body. But luckily I safely and quickly got back home. I opened the door with the key I asked from my brother. I put the flat-tired bike in and take my bike out. Good news, the fuel meter is on the red. I never could get it full since I had to buy so many things last week. I didn't care about it. Since within a second my brother would get late, I rushed back to where I left my brother. When I reach the spot where the first bike's tire bursted I remembered, I left the key hanging on the keyhole. Jesus Christ!!! It was almost late and I needed to get back home, it was half way through to the campus tough. That was another annoying thing. I have no choice but got back home to pick the key or my house would get burgled. Again I took a detour, and this time I rushed back home, not drifted.

Only five minute I arrived at my house around Kota Gede from Blok O. I picked the key and quickly rushed to the sidewalk where I left my brother to pick my brother up to school. He looked upset and said (again, in Javanese of course), "you take me to my school, leave the bike with me; you walk to your own campus!"

"What???" I yelled in my mind, "My brother just commanded me???". No other option, we rushed to his school, I got off the bike and walked from Southern gate of De Britto College to the inner hall of Sanata Dharma Univesity. Below the hot morning sun of Jogjakarta I walk with my backpack on my back and a mat in my right hand. Phew... finally I managed to the campus wet of sweat but not late. It was truly annoying but it's challenging.