Bike riding or not, Drinking and talking

Nastia invited me to go bike riding with her on Sunday. I've wanted to bike ride to exercise for a while now. A few years ago I want to get a bike, but never did. The weather on Sunday, a very late Winter day, felt almostlike a spring day. The temperature was warm and bike riding seemed like a good idea. Nastia and I go out and uncover the bike. It's been two years since anyone went bike riding. Hard to believe COVID has stolen two years from everyones life. Little things you didn't realize had been taken. Comfort, a bike ride on a warm late winter day. Too much has been lost. A few things have changed over the last two years and some have not. Alot of things are like riding a bike, you just get on and pedal, except I've never been this old before. We clean off the bikes, put air in the tires and I adjust the seat and hand tighten the loose brake pads on the bike. It's time to go riding. Nastia asks if Elena's bike will be big enough for me. Always over confident when riding a bike (you know just get on and pedal) I say of course. I sit on the seat, then a strange thing happens, I have to jam my foot onto the upper pedal. I'm thinking, ok, all I have to do is push down and get going and all will be fine, no I'm pushing with my bad knee and biking is

over. I tell Nastia I'm sorry and go inside. Nastia calls Elena to invite her biking when she gets home.Some how when Elena gets home she goes bike riding without Nastia. She then in the dark and cold decides to wash the two years of dust and grime off her bike. It's early, the first day of Spring and it is cold outside at this hour. Nastia decides to go to a comedy club in Nyack with her friend JJ. She asks Elena if she wants to join them after her automotive class is over. She agrees. I'm asked to drive them there. It's ok, I enjoy listening to them talk, or if there is no talking, just being with them. Nastia was introduced to Nyack by Amanda. Nyack isn't the sweet, comfortable downtown I remember back when Teri and I lived there. Alot of people have discovered the town and ruined it. Even more builders have discovered it and have changed it forever. I'm thinking of you building on the corner of Midland and Main. It shades the street like never before and it's too close to the road. I wonder how much the pay off was? Elena gets home around 8:30, class was shortened because the teacher was not feeling well. Even now everyone's first thought is still is it COVID? Nastia is at JJ's in New City off of New Hempstead Road. I pick them up and miss the Palisades entrance, so again we go the long way. It's almost nine by the time I drop them off. On the ride over, Nastia is all goofy acting and as they get out of the car I tell Elena to keep an eye on the wasted one. I thought I could smell it on her. She says she will. Nastia has class at ten and JJ work at 9:30 the next day. I offer to pick them up, I don't remember if there was an answer. I'm home before 9:30, but it's late, Teri's tired and before I know it I'm watching repeats of Better call Saul, while anticipating the last season of it in April. Around quarter to eleven or so I text Elena and Nastia asking them if they have any opions about leaving. Elena says she'll ask. It goes back and forth for a little while and it looks like I'll get Elena, the other two are staying. Then suddenly all three are leaving with me. It turns out that Nastia's boyfriend, who works the late shift, this night, I think can't pick them up. So I go pick them up. Nastia gets in and says, " You told Elena to look after me, The way she was drinking, I should have been looking after her." Elena doesn't argue, I let it go. There's talk among th egirls about the comedians, one good, two bad, they saw. How one guy described by Elena and Nastia as I homeless guy who goes around begging for money wanted to take Elena to a motel room and how she shut it down immediately. I drop Nastia and JJ off at JJ's house and Elena gets in the fron seat. I don't remember how it started, but alcohol loosens lips and Elena goes and opens the book of Elena wide. The open book lands on her relationship with Matt and how she has trouble being in a relationship with anyone for more then a year. She talks about hte ups and downs of the relationship. How they met in school, were friends, dated, then were friends and finally they were dating again up until recently. She goes on into some more detail about their relationship and I feel I can't write it down. There was not big eye opening secrets revealed. It's just that I was allowed to see into her private world. I feel a little special, even if it was drunk talk and if I write about it, I'd be doing something wrong. We back into the new driveway and she comments how she hates how muddy it is and I tell her I'd meant to widen it and get more stone last summer, but I was working on her bedroom. I promised I'd take care of it this summer. We get out of the car quietly trying to not disturb the dogs.It's quarter to twelve, past curfew and Teri is asleep. We go in the back door, closing it very quietly. We are walking through the kitchen toward the dining room and the stairs near the front door when first one dog, Athena barks then a second dog, Misha start to bark. Teri's awake and not to happy. They quit down Elena goes to bed, I go to shower. Everyone is safe and I'm at peace. They went out drinking and have arived somewhere where they are safe. /