Freedom Rider
an excerpt

The spoked rear tire spun endlessly as the wide-glide lay crippled on it’s right side against the hard concrete barrier, which now had an exaggerated crack where the edge of the tire pressed against it. The aged asphalt felt extremely cold and twisted as Mike lay there, trembling and shaking. He was fading in and out of consciousness. His jaw felt like it had been split in two, the right half pressing against the pavement, and the other half embedded in the roof of his mouth. He could taste the blood that was draining down his throat. Momentarily, he knew he was in rough shape and was unable to say anything. The asphalt felt rugged under his jaw and cheek, yet warm from the moisture. The pressure felt like lying on a bed of pebbles, but only mixed with shards of glass. It stung … suddenly his vision started to diminish … then, everything went black.

One of the other bikers, Mark, removed and laid his worn-out leather jacket over Mike to keep him warm but they left his helmet on his head, in fear of possible head injuries.

It was mid-summer, around 1:00 in the afternoon. In Saskatchewan, the weather is very dry and hot at this time of year. The ride had commenced on the outskirts of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The group had been heading out to one of their normal destinations, so the roads were well-known to the riding club. But, as we all know, anything can happen, any time, any day to anyone. Mike was a seasoned rider and had many years of riding experience under his belt. But all it takes is one wrong move by someone, for a biker to go down. Luckily, Mike was still breathing. After he went down, the whole bike group, twelve bikes in total, pulled over to the edge of the road and dismounted their rides. A couple of the riders had first-aid training, which was a huge asset to the club and to this accident. Another member had called 911 immediately, even before he got off his bike. Jodie, a woman in her mid-forties was also a member of this riding club called “Wings of the World”. Wings of the World was a family-oriented riding club, with chapters right across North and South America. It didn’t matter what happened, they were always looking out for each other, even when they weren’t out on a ride. Jodie joined the club a couple of years ago with her husband, Mark Granger. They had witnessed a couple of their bikers go down over the last couple of years, but they decided to stay with the group regardless. They were now family to them. Jodie’s biological family was living in British Columbia, so she wasn’t able to see them very often. She often wondered though, why Mark never talked about his family.