Text version for 'Amir's story'
Morning TV. What a load of...Tch. There's nothing on. Nothing... and I'm still not allowed out. How rubbish is that? I'd rather be doing a geography test. Joke, by the way. Nah, I'd be out on my bike wouldn't I? Tch. That's not gonna happen... Not for a while, anyway.
You haven't seen my bike, have you? You wait. It's the business. Alloy wheels, all-terrain mountain bike with ten gears. And it’s got go-faster stripes on the forks. It's ace. I got it for my birthday because I've out-grown the old one, yeah. They even put a bell on it that lights up when you hit it.
I got a helmet and my uncle gave me some wicked gloves and a set of lights. Lights are really important cos drivers need to see you when it's dark. Dead important that is. But I was kind of hoping someone would get me a cool new game like, I dunno, Zombie Attack IV? Yeah. It’s just come out. It’s got wicked graphics and you can go all over the city. I mean the bike's great but I could really use a new game now... I haven’t used my bike since my birthday... Two weeks and counting.
That evening I was going to the pictures with my best mate Jordan and some of the lads from my class. What Storms May Come. Have you seen it? It's dead good they reckon. It’s all about this guy – Johnny Hazard – who's got these amazing, cool super powers, but can't control them because of an evil professor who controls everything he does. BUT – He escapes and then goes after the baddie. Crash! Bang! He runs wicked fast, you know?
After I'd opened up all they presents – they wanted to get the birthday cake ready – so I decided to go over to Jordan's to show him the bike. I was sorted. I had my helmet, my trainers with the reflective strips and I even clipped on the lights and made sure the batteries worked before I set off. Well, it'd be dark by the time I was coming back, you see. You need to be seen by other road users. That's really important. Be Bright, Be Seen. They're always saying that in school. I was only going to Jordan's so I didn't bother with the pads or the gloves.
The road was quite quiet but there were loads and loads cars parked all the way along. Anyway, I'm going up and down gears, testing the brakes.
Then, just as I looked up, this car door suddenly opened - right in front of me. I tried to brake but it was too late. It knocked the wind right out of me. Banged my chin, broke my nose and cut all my hands up too. Good job I had my new helmet on.
I just stood there staring at all this blood. The bloke in the car was all panicky. He just kept saying he never saw me coming. Over and over... All I could think of was how Mum would go crazy when she saw the rips in my jeans. And there was something else. I couldn't stop shaking... Scary.
I've got ten stitches down this knee and a massive bruise down that one. Really sore. Did my shoulder in as well...
Everyone in the Mosque stares at me. They do. I have to sit with the old men who can't even kneel. It doesn’t bother me... except I don't get to see me cousins. So that's boring. In hospital they had to get all the bits of grit and dirt out of my cut. Trust me. You do not want to know how they do that. I almost ended up losing my two front teeth as well. They managed to save them but there was lots of blood, man, and they had to X-ray my teeth and my jaw.
We never made it to the cinema. It really shook me up. I know now I should have kept my eyes peeled. Left more space between me and the cars. Looking around all the time and stuff... He wasn't looking but neither was I.
Next time I'll be ready for it. Amir Hazard: always on the ball... Crash! Bang! Only there won't be a next time. No chance I'm going through this again. Jordan's going to be well jealous of these, though.
It's not put me off my bike though. No chance. But I'll be a lot more careful in the future. Deffo. Just as soon as I'm better... Two weeks and counting.
