WHEN THE MOON TOUCHED THE RIVER

Motorcycle

      Remember Sam from earlier? Well, this is not about him. This about another person. Let's call him Salim. Salim was my best friend.

Salim was like Sam, tall and skinny. He was an amazing person. He impacts to this day. He taught me what family was. One day, Salim decides to ride his motorcycle. He comes back and he hurt his ear. The bike fell on one side. The injury was minor.

One day, I was in the "kids room", watching television. I hear a knock on the wall. It's..guess who? SALIM. He started to talk to me. In the orphanage, there's an office with barely and chairs. He took me there and we talked. By the end of it, he gave me an English alphabet calendar with mint flavored lifesavers. I recall the distinct smell and taste of the white ring. The lifesaver was small. He was teaching me some of the English alphabet. But, the adventure didn't stop there.

We walked back outside. Salim was gone for a second and then was wearing a helmet. He was on his motorcycle. He waved his hand in a forward motion. He was calling me to go with him. There I was, holding on for dear life while observing the streets of India. Plastic covered the edges of sidewalks. People slept on the streets. Cows were everywhere. No, I mean moo moo Mr. Cow's were there. The cows looked malnourished. You could see their bones. As dirty as it was, India was never short on snack vendors. Salim stopped on occasion. He asked if I was hungry. I nodded my head.

Within 5 minutes, I had chai for the first time and roasted peanuts. The chai was tangy with a hint of spice. It was in a special glass, hot and steaming. The glass had a intricate pattern on it. It was like mountains going in a circle. The peanuts were in a newspaper cone. I've never been so happy and full at the same time.

As we drove on, Salim stopped to get jalebi. Jalebi was the sweeter version of onion rings. They had a orange hue. Man, my fingers were really sticky. I rubbed them on my shirt. The shirt was dark, so you could barely see the stain. Salim wore a polo with long pants. How he survived in that kind of heat was one thing I never understood.

It was about to get dark soon. We headed back home. India at night was an incredible sight. Rickshaws went from place to place. People lured the streets. Everybody was saying something. I did not want to get back to the orphanage, but I knew I had to. Although I had to, the thrill of being on motorcycle still hit me. I was afraid to fall because of how small I was, but I never did.

We went back home. Nothing changed. The people were the same, television still on, kids sleeping on the floor. We didn't have mattresses, so you either slept on the floor or the metal bed. I ended up doing both of them, eventually. It was not fun. The day was incredible. I hope I never forget it. That was the last I ever saw him.