Together Or Apart

10. Awkward Encounter

"Stay on this side Londy, you're veering over onto the other side of the path too much." I say whilst grabbing onto her handle bars and steering the bike towards the left. 

In Australia, it is common courtesy for each person to stick to the left side of the path. When somebody wants to overtake you, they can walk around you from the right-hand side. The right side is also where people walk/run/ride/etc from the opposite direction. It generally avoids collisions unless someone doesn't abide to the rules. 

Sydney is at home with my Dad whilst I have taken London for a bike ride. She is getting better each day. I wanted to take off one of her training wheels, but she wasn't feeling confident enough for that today. When she first got on the bike, it was too wobbly and it frightened her. So I fixed the wheel back onto the bike. 

"Mummy let go, I can do it on my own."

"You are still going onto the other side. Be careful of this man coming with his dog." I grab onto her handle bars again, but as I do so, London makes a sharp turn to the left and ends up riding off the track and into the grass. She pulls me along with her and I jump over the back wheel to stop myself from falling. 

"That was a close one." The middle aged man says as he passes by. 

I pull London's bike back onto the path while laughing at the man. "Thanks. My life flashed before my eyes for a split second."

We continue on our way up towards Salt where we had dinner last week. Each time we come past I have to talk myself out of getting a chocolate croissant. I have been eating pretty well since starting back at the gym. I'm not going to lie, I hate waking up every morning but I feel so much better after it. It helps when you have a great personal trainer who is with you every step of the way. 

Just before we reach Salt, London gets a little too impatient and tries to speed up, rather than slow down in front of the small crowd of people gathering outside the restaurant. I grab onto her shoulder to slow her down and this results in her getting cross with me. 

"Mum stop, I am going past."

"No, you are going to hit somebody. You need to slow down until we pass by them all. Ride beside me please." I walk a little faster so that I am beside her, rather than behind her. She lets out a scoff and I can't see her face but I know that they are rolling backwards. 

"They are going so slow and are in my way." She says dramatically and one of the women overhear her. She turns around and glances down at London before her eyes drift upwards to me. 

"Sorry." I apologise and immediately look away from the woman, not wanting this conversation to go any further. She looked like a Karen and was 0.2 seconds away from lecturing me about my daughter. 

"Kids are so spoilt these days." I overhear her say to the man beside her. "I'd hate to see how this generation of children end up."

Glancing over my shoulder, I cant help but send a smart remark her way. "Hopefully not like you." 

Eventually we pass by the crowd of people, but the drama is far from over. Just when I thought that Karen was going to be at the peak of our worries, London decides to pick up the pace at the most unfortunate time. She speeds ahead and I run after her. 

"London slow down." I call out to her, but she refuses to listen. "London Anne Styles, I said slow down!"

"Mum, I can go fast. See, I am okay."

"Yeah, but your unfit mother isn't." I whisper breathlessly whilst I start to sprint. A man who is walking towards us, catches onto what is happening. With a takeaway cup in hand, the man steps onto our side of the path which blocks London's path ahead. She tries to dodge him, but he reaches out and grabs onto her handlebars. This forces her to come to a stop and the mans coffee to tumble out of his hand.