B is for Bandit…

The Bandit is Wonderful Guy’s motorcycle. This is no ‘mid-life crisis’ object. He has been on ‘motorbikes’ (as he calls them) since he was a little guy. This Bandit is his second Bandit, and he’s had it just about as long as I have been keeping him company.

The first time he took me for a ride, we were still ‘just friends’. I had been for rides on motorcycles before, but only little, short rides, around a couple of blocks, or a mile or two, around town. Wonderful Guy took me out for a couple of hours, into the mountains.

It. Was. Exhilarating. I had a wide open view of the mountains in September like I had not ever had before. And with the helmet on, I was alone to contemplate…whatever needed contemplating. The next time he took me for a ride, about 6 weeks later, it was October. The afternoon drew to a close sooner, and was much cooler. By the time we got back home, I was a more experienced rider where cooler temperatures were concerned. Boy, was I chilly. All I could think of was getting home and a hot shower!

We had grown closer in our friendship over the previous weeks, and had been eating dinner together regularly. After a quick mental inventory of my pantry, I offered a gourmet meal of…spaghetti ! .....after I had a chance to warm up. So we shared some spaghetti, and garlic bread, and a bottle of wine. We sat and talked about stuff….how hard it was to trust and share, and not have someone to hold hands with. Then he took my hand, and said something like ‘will mine do for now?’

Uh, yeah…..and I pretty much haven’t let go since….