Old Hercules II

Old Hercules II

The old Hercules had started me thinking of the old time cycles which I was used to. There were few bi-cycles and was owned by the well to do only. The others had the facility of taking a bi-cycle on rent either on an hourly basis or for a whole night.

Time before that was childhood times where any body who had parents thinking of children, got a wooden toy cart on four little wheels. This wooden cart had a plat form on which the child can be seated and asked to hold on to the push stick. The push stick had a handle which the parent held and pushed. At other times the child if able to walk can hold on the push handle and push the empty vehicle with which the child became proficient in walking.

The next step is a little steel wheel run with a long hooked stick. After that came the little rubber wheels, cut out by the cobblers from discarded tyres of motor lorries which is as big as asix year old boy and run with a small stick. Next was the dream of the bi-cycle which was rare to come.

There was a shop in the local market dispensing the bi-cycles on rent and this time the owner had newly purchased a half cycle very cute and white in colour. This was a heart throb of the children who set eyes on them. It cost ten paise per hour and one rupee could get that little heart throb for ten hours. Our school had taught me bi-cycling somewhat....., as people, these days say 'Ya., I now driving and have a licence, but has to get the hands on for a while' . Here I was fond of cycling, knew who to cycle, but was not very sure to get on the bi-cycle in the initial tries which troubled me a lot.

My elder brother explained it to me that I have to hold on to the handle grips and look ahead, put my left leg on the pedal and push with the right leg on the ground. As it moved, I am to stand on the left leg on the left pedal, keep the balance and slowly throw the right leg from behind over the seat to the other side of the bi-cycle. I succeeded at times but not always. This was a sham. Sometimes when I threw the right leg over the seat, the bi-cycle first and me over it went to the ground..!

I found a way out for this by getting my friend and neighbour to hold the bicycle while I got on. This for a few times, and it worked. His being near me itself increased my confidence and slowly I was able to do it myself. The pay out for this was I had to give the bi-cycle to my neighbour friend for a few rounds whenever he pleased, which worked well for me. 

The whole episode was made possible by me elder brother giiving me or rather presenting me with a Rupee, one full Rupee, I mean, (it used to be a lot in those days, just for bi-cycling) and telling me that I can have the bi-cycle for as much time I wanted. In the early morning of next day I went alonng with my neighbour friend to the local cycle shop and got the brand new (You know, brand new) while Atlas 'Half' cycle! You should have heard the wheel turning making a fine 'ting..ting' sound when the free wheel is not turning along with the wheel..! We put the cycle on the stand and turned the pedal for a few times and brought the wheel to a high speed and then turned the pedal in the reverse to hear the sweet noise the combination made! Hilarious, indeed!

We took the bi-cycle from the stand and rode it to the house and to the adjoining the huge cashewnut tree orchard to have the fill of our rides. The orchard is full of dry cashew nut tree leaves and one has to be careful to see if they do not have snakes. Tropical snakes are at times dangerous as at time one may come across a cobra or crate as a matter of routine. Most of then the times, it may be rat snake but of good size which is good enough to frighten small boys. In a matter of a couple of hours the balancing and standing on the left pedal was well practised and my friend and I took turns to do a lot of rounds on the new bi-cycle.

Once we had the fill of riding, as there was still a lot of rented time, we bathed the bi-cycle in fresh water clean, put it in the sun to dry and took more rounds which gave us severe head ache as we were over doinbg the rounds in the hot tropical sun bright on our heads. By the evening we were blind with head ache and returned the bi-cycle, the brand new one to the shop owner and cleared his account. Now that we had our fill of the half bi-cycle we had other thoughts. I slept and slept on for a full night and another full day and got up only to have my meals whiich my mother so lovingly gave me awakening me from my sleep.

The day after, I related it to my friends in school, who said that this was not a big deal, as some of their friends used to ride only the big bi-cycles as a matter of course! I was curious..! How is that? May be..! Those who had a huge bi-cycle at home, perhaps..did..! Not me. My two elder brothers who used to bring rented bi-cycles home used to tell me to keep away from it as it may fall on me or so.

Some how these friends, or so called little friends of mine's dialogue made me uneasy and I could not rest until I mastered a big bi-cycle. I was carrying this thought in my mind for the next few days and one day came across a small child of seven or so really moving around on a big bi-cycle..!I was twelve if not more and heftier than that guy! The little fellow was controlling the bi-cycle like a circus man, clonging to it from a side! His one foot was on the left pedal and the other on the right which he had pushed in through the quadrilateral frame, holding the left handle with his left hand he held his right hand on the central bar of the bicycle...! I could not believe my eyes. He was moving around as if this was nothing and was concentrating on some thing quite far. What a fellow..! Now I can't wait. I was full of an untold desire to immediately ride a big bi-cycle.!

In every step I grew big and by the time I reached the bicycle shop, I had grown enough to demand a rental bi-cycle. The shop keeper was known and he was a good guy and sweet too, who had an eye for the little money we brought and believed in the fact 'it is a lot of little little moneys which made a big pool' He never disheartened any one who went to him, except that money should be there for the services offered. I demanded if I could have a bi-cycle and what could be the least rent! He looked at me, looked at the twenty or so odd bi-cycles on display and ultimately went in and brought a bi-cycle which was comparatively new in green pain and it was a Hercules..!

He said it would cost me ten paise for half hour which was readily agreed to and I rode home on it. My idea was to show off to my Mom what I have achieved that morning..! My Mom never let me down, as I knew and as soon as she found me on the big bicycle, she exclaimed: Ah...you riding a big bicycle...Good Heavens, be careful! Now that you have achieved the feat, I can have a support whenever I wanted to send some body to the shop..! I replied with great joy and mirth: “Oh you only have to tell me...any time of the day or night, rain on shine, this beauty works all the time” “Great machine”, indeed! Numberless times, I did errands for my mom on the bicycle and then of course did a lot of work or bicycling for my Dad too, who was a very good cyclist, himself..! -But when one attains age, they want to bi-cycle less and less and would always love some body else to do it for them, if that can be helped.

In those days, the local Police Sub Inspector and High School Headmaster had a new bi-cycle each. The Police Sub Inspector, normally called an 'Esseye' (short form for S.I.) uased to come on his brand new bi-cycle! He wore a khaki shorts and shirt with a belt and a leather cross belt. He had a flat officer type hat and befitting reddish brown shoes ..! As soon as he came, a waiting Police constable took charge of the bi-cycle and took it with great reverence to a corner of the courtyard of the Police Station and kept it on the stand and locked..! The inspector, very hefty in size, just got of the bi-cycle by breaking and putting back his right foot! He did not have to balance on the left pedal and that sort of thing which we children did. He just moved away from it with his baton (In those days they used to keep a small stick with them, only the Inspectors, called SI. The Policemen had huge sticks which they conveniently hang on this shoulder brass buttons and kept them to their back side).

But in the case of the Headmaster, that was not the case! He passed the central market area of the village town sharp at 8.30 A.M. and moved in the direction of the school without let or hindrance. People on the way, many a time, saluted him or 'namasthed' him wth great reverence and respect to which the master at times lifted his right hand or smiled with a little shake of his head. In the school, he got down from the by-cycle balancing and bringing the bicycle to the shady corner of the school courtyard and put it on stand and locked, took the key, looked around, took a few books which he always kept on the back carrier and walked up to his office, all the time, looking at the children coming from all directions! He always acted like a great Parent and was well loved by the students of the time and was looked at with awe and respect by all around and in the village! His bi-cycle was always spic and span and the children rumoured that he cleaned and polished it himself in his free time..!

The only motor cycle, a 'Harley Davidson' in the area which roared away once in a blue moon belonged to the Parish Priest in the town Cathedral, who went on to visit a sick parishner or an old person unable to move around, were lying in his sick bed and had asked for his presence for confession and ablusions..! The priest, though, elderly, was in his form, wore a kkhaki hat and had at times a cigar on his lips! His motor cycle had a huge glass in front which we were told were to protect him from the severe pressure of the air passing against him..!

The difference between the Hercules bicycles or other large bicycles and the motor cycle was that the second item used petrol fuel for its running and the father since he had to cover long tracts of road and non road, could not possible do it with the Hercules or Raliegh (which too was seen in those days).

Now that I have become very bold in bicycling and renting out the equipment on my own with the ten paise coins which I got from time to time,  slowly I acquired some expertise on the stuff.  Now I could jump over the seat without losing balance and also get down slowly on the left side of my bicycle.