Autism Vox

Saturday’s Appointed Rounds

by Kristina Chew, PhD on October 26th, 2008

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds—–that’s the unofficial creed of the US Postal Service, courtesy of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. I was thinking of it today while Charlie, with the wind picking up and a few drops of moisture fluttering around in the air, ran to get his bike.

He’d woken at 7.30, and ran around while Jim and I called out that we’d be “up soon.” Charlie waited on the couch, peering out the window, while Jim got him his favorite weekend breakfast at the (very excellent) local bagel store. After that, with the sky getting not only gray but dark, I mentioned a bike ride and Charlie first got his bike, then his helmet, and then came back inside and asked for Jim’s helmet.

It was nowhere to be found and Charlie was frowning as he pushed his bike out to the street. He likes his routines, but Charlie can be a lot more flexible than might be thought and off he and Jim (helmetless) went. I figured that the rain would start after a short while and kept expecting a call from Jim to meet them but they were gone almost 2 hours. Jim noted that he’d kept them riding in the vicinity of the train station of the next town over so they could duck into it for cover, but they didn’t have to. Instead, they explored some different and new streets and neighborhoods, with a stop at a 7-11 on the way back.

“Yellow rice!” Charlie was calling for this as he kicked down his bike’s kickstand. Jim had been talking about going out to dinner at a certain Spanish restaurant that serves a very nice paella; he noted that Charlie had turned down the offer a Golden Arches fast food lunch. It was only 2pm and, while talking about his dinner plans, Charlie fell sound asleep on the couch. Biking in a strong wind, with rain imminent and the sky all gray, can tire you out, and it was a 2-plus hour nap. (He wasn’t the only one who dozed off.)

Jim went out for a fast ride around the block at 5pm; Charlie got up slowly, grabbed his helmet, and asked again for Jim’s, and suddenly I sighted it, at the side of a table (piled high with numerous other items). Charlie ran out and gave Jim the helmet and pushed his bike into the street. It took a few seconds for Charlie to swing his left leg over the seat and to pull himself onto the bike, then off he and Jim went, just for a few spins round the corner, before the rain picked up.

The rain was coming down and, as we drove in the black car to the Spanish restaurant, it was hard to see out the windows. We made it, Charlie grinning hugely, and hungrily—-he scraped the metal bowl to get the last of the paella.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays this family from our appointed bike-riding and rice-eating rounds…….

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POSTED IN: Bike, Charlisms, Classics, Family, Food and Diet, Weather