Bicycle Love (Or: What China Does to You After a Year)

I first noticed him about a month ago when I was biking home from school. I was making my best stab at getting up the hill on my one-speed bike and he came flying over the hill in my direction on a multi-speed bike. I did a double take - Another laowai on DongFang Lu on a bike?! Impossible!

Then I saw him a week later and knew it was love. We were biking laowais. It was clearly meant to be. I pictured our wedding, the kids we would have, how we would take them to China and show them where we met one fateful day... and then I almost ran into a poll. I focused back on the road.

Lately, I haven't seen him around. I was beginning to think he had been seeing another bicycle. He had clearly forgotten about me and moved on. I was sad but I knew there would be new bikers in my future.

Then, today, I saw him again. I was taking the easy route on the road and he went up over the bridge. He was clearly trying to play it cool and show off his bike. He wanted me back and was trying not to show it. I looked his way to let him know I'd consider it. We are meant to be together, afterall.