Page 70 of Theo of Golden

Lena was finally able to unleash her laughter. It joined with Theo’s — a duet — as he slid back to the center of the bench. He removed his hat and placed it, along with the portrait, on the just-vacated seat.

“Well, well. I don’t think he was having a very good day. But Ms. Lena, where were we? You were telling me that you moved to Golden eight years ago. Tell me more.”

CHAPTER 40

Ellen, you might recall, had told Theo she would take him for a bicycle ride on the Riverwalk someday. He assured her that he knew how to ride a bike, had grown up riding one, and would be happy to be her guest whenever she was ready. He was not convinced she actually intended to make good on the promise, but after several mentions of it, she finally gave him a day and an hour.

“Tomorrow at seven. I know that’s early, but if we wait till later, it’ll be too hot. Jason is going to have a bike ready for you at his shop. We’ll walk it down to the river and then ride. I don’t want you to run over somebody on the sidewalk before we get down there. You know what Jason told me? He said he’s got a special bicycle for old people like you. The tires are kind of fat, there’s no gears, and the seat is plus size. That’s what they call it. Plus size. Isn’t that a hoot?”

She cackled with laughter.

Theo accepted the invitation. The summer days of late had been predictably hot and dry, but early mornings were tolerable and sometimes even pleasant.

Her instructions to Theo were minimal but clear. “Don’t bring anything with you. I want you to be able to keep both hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the trail. The last thing I need is a casualty. I’ll bring some water for us in my basket.”

Theo was confident his old legs were up to a bike ride, and he looked forward to the prospect of seeing new stretches of the river, especially in the company of his eccentric acquaintance.

After accepting Ellen’s invitation, he went straight to the RiverRides Bike Shop, introduced himself to Jason, the owner, and familiarized himself with the bicycle he would be riding the next day. Jason gave a quick orientation, helped him on and off it, let him ride in an open lot behind the shop, and assured Theo that all would be well.

“Ellen told me all about you, Mr. Theo. I’ve known her for a couple of years. She brings her bike to me when it needs work and I check her tires and put air in them every week. That thing is like a child to her. I’ve never seen her ride with another person before, so you should take it as a compliment that she invited you. She doesn’t trust many people.”

“You are very kind to help her, Mr. Jason. I appreciate what you do for her.”

The next morning, Theo put on his most casual pair of pants, his lightest and most comfortable shirt, his favorite walking shoes, and his flat cap (which he would turn backwards once their ride began). At six fifty-five, he crossed the Promenade and walked north to the bike shop. Ellen and the Noble Invention were waiting for him at the bench in front of the shop. She was wearing a blue T-shirt, untucked, a pair of pistachio-green pants, a red bandanna, a baseball cap, white socks, and white tennis shoes.

Already, the air was muggy, but the sun was low in the sky, and the temperature was comfortable.

“Good morning, Ellen,” Theo said. “I could hardly sleep last night thinking about our ride.”

“Well, don’t be afraid! There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid. I’m excited about the adventure. You picked a perfect morning for a ride.”

“Your bicycle is inside,” Ellen said. “Here’s a water bottle for you. Jason gave it to me. It has his company name on it, and he says it’s good advertising, so if you’re ever with people and you’re drinking out of it, make sure you hold it so they can see his name, like this.”

Ellen demonstrated, placing her fingers carefully around the bottle so as not to obscure the logo and printed text. To prove that he had been listening and was capable of product placement, Theo held his bottle with proper form and took a sip.

“Now, rule number one for the day. We need to hydrate. Jason taught me that. Especially on days like today. Drink a lot of water. You know what else he taught me? ‘Motion is lotion.’ Old people need to move around, so they don’t get stiff. That’s why this will be good for you. Motion is lotion for your joints. It’s a good thing you walk a lot.”

She removed something from the basket on her bicycle but held it out of Theo’s view. “Now, Mr. Theo,” she said, lowering her voice, “I need to say something to you, and I don’t want you to be embarrassed or upset. I think it might be a good idea to use this today. I asked Jason to put this on your bike. I’m just trying to be careful, so we don’t get sued.”

Ellen unfolded a small cardboard placard, homemade and hand lettered (all caps, black text on yellow background). It read, “STUDENT DRIVER.”

Theo chuckled, a long chuckle that morphed into a full laugh.

Ellen had no idea why this was so funny to Theo, but she could not help but smile.

“Well, you are a student, aren’t you?”

“I’m always a student, dear girl. And I suppose that makes you my professor. Professor Ellen, instructor in human propulsion.”

Jason arrived with Theo’s bike. They exchanged greetings, and Jason attached Ellen’s sign to the seat post of the bicycle. She inspected his work.

“Jason, do you think we should put on some emergency flashers too?” she asked. “Those ones that flash on and off?” She opened and closed her hand like a sock puppet to illustrate her point. “You know, so people will notice the sign?”

“I think this’ll do fine, Ellen. If it were night time, that would be a good idea, but I think you’re safe without them this morning.”

Theo and Ellen walked their bikes to the waterfront. When they arrived, only a single jogger was visible in the distance.