During a conversation with my manager, I learnt that one of my colleagues and her husband met with a minor accident. Immediately I said that's why I'm super scared to get on a two-wheeler, especially as a pillion. I always fall whenever I ride. She raised an eyebrow and asked, how is it possible for somebody to fall every time they get on a two-wheeler??
The memory of my father and myself as a kid flashed. I could see his disappointed and stern face looking back at me. I got the same hopeless and helpless feeling that I got back then.
I replied to my manager that as a kid, I used to make my father fall most of the time, and I rode with him.
Now that the memory got triggered, I could not get it out of my system for a long time. I just could not avoid my dad's stare. So here I am sharing 31-year-old memory. Please don't judge the characters of the story.
I remember it was a yellow pale chetak. Dad was waiting for me to get on; he had already honked twice. I came running and climbed, but I slipped. Dad also lost his balance when I slipped. He looked at me angrily. I tried again, but this time, instead of using my left leg first, I climbed the small leg support below the pinion seat with my right leg. Now I got confused about how to swing my right leg across. In this confused state of mind, I slipped again, making my dad lose balance. Again he didn't say anything but gave a disappointed and angry look. I got so scared that I made the same mistake. This time, he just drove away without me.
After a few days, we all were going out. I guess I forgot the incident. This time I climbed properly with a minor slip in swinging my right leg, but I sat successfully, followed by my mom. Time passed, but the fear remained.
Now even after marriage, it sounds like a death threat to me if I have to ride as a pinion.
---------------------------------------
Coming back to the present, this story is like a reminder to every parent including me on the various impressions we make on our kids.
