Born to a loving home in 1993, Jamis was a simple bike, lacking the newfangled accoutrements such as front suspension or a lighter alloy frame. Her life was calm, traipsing around suburban streets to and from middle school. Tragedy struck first in 1995, when her front tire hit a patch of gravel while setting out on a normal school day. Her frame survived with minor injuries, though the occupant landed chin first, leaving the scar now concealed by facial hair. From then on, her use was limited, as her companion was distrustful of her stability. In 1997, she moved to hilly Gainesville, where the possibility of working her 18 gears was a possibility. Alas, it wasn't to be, as a nagging dérailleur injury kept her out of the big leagues. Bike pedals soon gave way to leather sandals and messenger bags.
She fell into disrepair over the next 10 years, battling alcoholism and a nasty addiction to aerosol lubricants. She moved on with her life, relocating to Arlington just this year. She got back in shape, and soon came out of retirement, returning to regular duty as an occasional grocery getter and library evening tripper. Her vigor for life seemed to have returned.
On March 30, she rode proudly in her longest trek, a 16-miler over the Washington & Old Dominion Rail Trail through Fairfax County and entering Loudoun. While resting on her haunches after her voyage, she was ripped cruelly from this world, likely by some suburban punk leaving soccer practice at Oakton H.S.
Bastard.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment