Chapter Three PEDAL POWER

Ava stood astride her new red bike in the farm courtyard. Her palms felt sweaty on the black rubber handles. Heat prickled across her back, and Ava knew it wasn’t the autumn sunshine that was making her hot. She tried to swallow down her nerves as she stared at Tom a few metres in front of her.

‘Honestly. It’s dead easy, Ava. You just have to go for it,’ encouraged Tom.

Ava took a deep breath before breathing out again, slowly and evenly, trying to calm herself.

‘Just keep your eyes on me and pedal. Simple as that.’

Ava nodded.

‘But what if I can’t stop? What if the brakes don’t work? What if I run you over? What if I fall off!’

‘It’ll be fine!’ said Tom with a smile. ‘You can stop – you have brakes! Dad checked them when he got the bike, so we know they work. I’m also very capable of jumping out of the way before you crash into me. And, if you actually do fall off… well, you’ll just get back on and try again.’

Ava nodded again. How difficult could it be? Little kids rode bikes. They probably didn’t worry about every little thing that could go wrong either. Ava could feel her heart racing in her chest. She had to do it – days of adventure lay in front of her if she could learn to ride the beautiful bike they’d given her. She adjusted her helmet and looked down at the tyres. They were chunky with deep treads running across them and looked sturdy enough. She tried the brakes. They responded instantly to her fingers squeezing them. Ava took another deep breath and forced her shoulders to relax. She had to do it. Tom believed in her, so it was about time she started believing in herself.

‘Here I go!’ she called, trying to sound confident and determined.

She pressed down with her right foot on the pedal and wobbled forward. Ava fixed her eyes on Tom ahead and pedalled slowly towards him. The bike swayed precariously underneath her.

‘Faster, Ava!’ called Tom. ‘Get your balance and just pedal! It’s easier if you go a bit faster!’

Ava’s heart thumped in her chest and up into her head as she willed her feet to pedal faster. She smiled a little as she realized Tom was right: she did wobble less if she was quicker. Ava squeezed the brakes between her fingers and planted her feet on the ground as she squeaked to a halt. She could feel her breaths coming thick and fast and her heart still speeding like a train – but she’d done it! It may only have been a few metres on flat concrete, in the safety of the courtyard, but it was riding a bike, nonetheless.

‘See!’ said Tom, appearing at her side. ‘Nothing to it! Why don’t we try it out on a longer stretch?’

Ava nodded. Elation fizzed inside her – she still couldn’t believe she hadn’t fallen off.

Tom and Ava made their way round to the front of the farm. Ava stood astride her bike while Tom gripped the back of her seat. She looked at the farm track in front of her. It wasn’t as flat as the courtyard and was littered with small stones, twigs and wayward strands of hay here and there. It was much, much longer too.

‘It’s no different to the courtyard,’ said Tom softly. ‘Just relax and react to the track. If you hit any bobbly bits, just adjust your balance.’

Ava’s mouth felt dry, but she had to do this. She really wanted to be able to hop on her lovely new bike whenever she wanted to and go on the adventures Tom had talked about. To do that, she had to learn to stay upright on it, whatever the terrain.

Ava tightened the chin strap on her helmet and readied her foot on the pedal. She could feel Tom holding her seat steady.

‘I’ll be here,’ he encouraged. ‘I’ll keep you stable this time until you get your confidence. I know you can do it – it’s just like the courtyard.’

Ava pushed down hard with her foot. The bike definitely felt more unstable underneath her on the uneven ground, but she felt Tom steady her like he said he would as he jogged along beside her. She continued to pedal, looking ahead and trying to avoid the worst of the stones and mini obstacles in her way. Ava felt her shoulders relax as she navigated the bend in the farm track. Even the pick-up in speed as she directed her bike down the gentle incline felt natural. The fresh morning air hit her smiling cheeks as she continued to the bottom of the hill.

As she reached the farm gate, she suddenly realized Tom was no longer beside her. At some point, he’d let go and she’d been cycling all on her own! A wave of panic washed over her for a moment before she pushed it aside and focused on the rush of air that whizzed by her. She felt like she was flying as she coasted a few more metres beyond the gate. Her brakes squeaked as she came to a stop, and the tyres kicked up a puff of dust from the track. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Tom, Aunt Kitty and Uncle John standing outside the farmhouse waving at her. Ava grinned. She was already loving being back at Whistledown Farm.