My ol man was a honda dealer, back in the early 70's. He rode and i didn't..he and my mom slpit when I was a little snapper of about 4...My mom moved back to the big smoke and of course i went too. I started school at 5, and basically lived the life of a grandkid at my grannies house..with my mom and two uncles..and this grandpa dude.. he didn';t like me my mom or one of my uncles much...seems we weren't really his blood. So I was pretty much left to my own devices. My dad used to show up in his truck..that was about the only time i ever seen my Grandpa happy..My dad was driving a fish truck..and of course I got free fish...So the night my dad showed I would tossed into the back of a semi all tarped up with ice and fish...with grandpa calling out grab a snapper.
My dad stopped driving trucks and started his own Panel shop..i never saw much cause he worked alot. When I did, he used to kick my ass alot...cause i always got into trouble. Around the time I was 10, my dad was in the big time...he owned a panel shop and this honda dealership, He also owned a small Car yard..where he sold of all things Ramblers...who in the hell sells Ramblers..and jeeps....My dad thats who...big tanks of things they were. Except his own personal company car a Hornet...that flew. By this time i had some brothers, as well...well half brothers anyways.
About this time i would be farmed out to my Aunty further down the coast, she cultivated oysters with her sons and grandkids..so i was given a crash course on Oyster harvesting..well not really I painted tar on sticks the worst job...I'd have tar on me in my hair all over my face and still managed to get some on the sticks...One Friday night down throiugh the bush i heard a rumblin.. then alot of cursing and swearing . Yep my dad had come down for the weekend. i ran over and opened the gate for him...and was surprised to see this shiny green Honda Sl100 strapped in the back of my dads Vanguard utility.
Here boy help me get this thing outa the back...So i helped out...whats it for? I asked him...Its for you boy. I'm going to teach you how to ride a motorbike. I'd rather a horse dad....that comment got me a kick in the ass.....So my dad taught me to ride a Honda 100 in 1st gear....that was the only gear i was allowed to use. So i rode all weekend in 1st gear. Sunday arfternoon...when my dad left he told me to stay in 1st gear for the whole week then next weekend He would show me how to change gears into 2nd....then I could go faster. I said i would....i parked it and he left. So i worked oysters with my cousins, and rode till dark for 3 days...I fell off alot...by thursday afternoon...I had caught the attention of one of the other Oyster farmers, he watched me zooming around in first gear for about an hour...thn he decided to tell me something...Waving me over, he told me i was doing the riding all wrong...being 10 I listened, within 15 minutes I could go from 1st to 4th and back down again...I was a rider!...Oyster farmers finish work at 12 midday Friday...so we can meet the truck with bagged oysters for market... Since I was deemed to small to load i was given time off..
Bike time.... I rode all afternoon...I practised real hard to show my dad what i had achieved....I heard my dad coming down through the bush honkin his horn..I rode over and opened the gate....My Dad smiled and waved and proceeded to the house parking outfront...Ishut the gate..and waited till he got out...I then rode down the hill changing gears and rode past him and turned in a big circle and pulled up right next too him...I was so proud...My dad just stood there looking at me...He didn't say a word, for ages I was so animated i blurted everything out at once...including what Alan Hambly told me, and how he showed me where i was going wrong , and now i was riding the bike properly....My dad still didn't say anything...he turned on his heel and walked into the house...Not realising anything i jumped on the bike and roared off down into the field.....Around 5pm I was signalled to come back....i roared up the path to house and pulled in around the back,...the tail gate was down on the vanguard...Gimme a hand son...I was holding the bike level, my dad took hold of the front and lifted the front wheel up into the tray..Jump up here and hold the stupid thing straight while i load it up...The bike was put into the tray..and tied down....Son i gotta go this bikes been sold... I'll be back next weekend..Sorry....He jumped in and took off. i stood there just looking at him.....my father never came back....for 2 weeks. i never saw Alan Hambly for 2 weeks....The saturday my father came back, the bike didn't...I didn't ask cause it had been sold. He told me to pack my stuff i was heading home the next day...But dad i got a week left...Nah son..your booked on a flight tomorrow. We drove home in silence...50 miles....My dad remembered something and had to drice to his workshop...he got out and went inside through the door..The bike shop was adjacent to the panel shop..So i got out and walked up the side and looked in the window...brand new bikes sat gleaming on the wood floor...over by the front window sat a green sl 100 trail bike....with a for sale sign on it. My eyes went wide....I knew he was standing behind me....Why?.......
I flew out the next morning at 10am.....still i had no idea what had gone so wrong...that took 2 more years....to discover...Alan Hambly received a broken nose for his interference...something was stolen from my father that could never be undone...2years later i was riding trails with my father on 185 Suzuki...6 months after that at my boarding school..I was riding a Kawasaki 100 that was mine....
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