A Spider Goes Missing

By Ilyas. K. P.A

We had gone for Badminton. Papa and I.
The trip was actually more about riding the new bicycle Papa brought me.

Badminton coach Imty was strict today also and I got scared again today.
Every step should be as he says. You have to hold the racquet the way he commands. You have to smash the way he showed you.

On our way back, one minute into our ride home, I noticed a little, tiny spider sitting on the front carrier of my cycle.
I got scared and stopped the cycle abruptly and showed the brown little moron to papa.
Papa told me he is no moron but a sweet little thing and would do no harm.
And asked me to ride on, which I did hesitantly.

He was immobile, clinging on stil,l as if he( or she? I don't know- I know how to check if a kitten is boy or girl but not a baby spider) was scared too. Then I realised he might have fallen from the roof of the porch of the Indoor Sports Complex onto my cycle. Or got on to my cycle to explore the features of my new cycle. In any case his mamma will be looking for him and he must also be thinking of his mom by now.

I told this to papa but he laughed at such thought.That was reckless of him to neglect this tragedy and I told him we should go back and put the child back to his Mamma's care. He laughed again and rode on.

When we reached home, a good one kilometre away from the Sports Complex, I realised his mamma has no way of travelling this far and find him. Nor he would know the route back to Sports Complex and we will definitely cry now.

I looked at him just to see if he is crying or not. He is sitting still, unmoved.Very likely sobbing. I decided I should go back, and told papa this is no joke and we must put him back. As I turned around the cycle, in one quick move the little brown fellow jumped off my cycle and dashed over the road and into the bush nearby.

However I tried, I could not catch him and he disappeared completely without a trace. Papa did help me as I searched for him and told me that this was sad indeed.

Mamma is calling me for breakfast, School bus will come shortly and I have to rush. Rushed did I, but the little spider and his agonised mamma kept haunting me. I searched quietly if there is any mom spider moving around the porch of the Sports Complex looking for her baby next day, but there was none.

I now ensure no ant or spider is anywhere on my bicycle whenever I start on a ride.

© Hasan Wadud