I came out of Dick Scott’s bike shop and stood by the side of Michigan Avenue watching the continuous flow of cars and trucks. I liked the way they moved straight ahead maintaining their speed and their lanes. I liked the trucks better than the cars. All the Hondas, Toyotas and BMWs look alike and so are the GMC, Chrysler and Ford. My son may kill me for making this statement but that’s what I feel. The trucks look different from what we are used to seeing. They are powerful, colourful, shining, huge and they move fast. So, I took some pictures of the trucks.





I began my homeward journey and with in about a hundred meters saw a road to my right going perpendicular to the Michigan Avenue and the sign board at the junction read, “Lilly road”. This Lilly road was a familiar name. I had seen it many times while moving around in the car. Since it was running perpendicular to Michigan avenue I knew that it would intersect Sheldon road which was parallel to MA, probably with in a short distance. And if I reach Sheldon I am as good as home. So, instead of going along the MA in the sun inhaling carbon Monoxide, I could move along Lilly and Sheldon where traffic is very low and the sides are wooded. They would be shaded and pleasant.



I took a right turn and went along Lilly. It was really pleasant. After pedalling about a kilometer, I was surprised that I had not touched Sheldon but I was sure of reaching it shortly. I pedalled along. Another half a kilometer, I still did not reach Sheldon and I was getting doubts. May be the parallel roads diverged a little at some point. I went ahead. You know how it is when you know that you can’t go wrong. I had some difficulty in pedalling the bike but I saw the traffic lights at a distance and was happy to have reached Sheldon at last. I reached the intersection and looked up. The sign read “Palmer” road. At the same time I felt the front wheel wobble and looked down. The front tyre was flat.

It did not take long for realization. I had missed and did not have any idea where Sheldon Road was. (I had heard Vishwa complain that they close lanes and roads or divert traffic some times with out notice. Did they remove Sheldon and put Palmer in its place?) I was quite far from the house and may be was heading in the wrong direction and since the bicycle was punctured I either had to push it or carry it on my head all the way back. And all my geometry, memory and sense of direction were waiting to be put in to the trash bin.

I did not like what I realized. I had covered nearly ten kilometers by then and was tired. There was no chance of getting the puncture fixed. But first I had to know where I was. There was a strip mall at the junction with half a dozen shops and a few cars parked there. I kept the bike by the road side and crossed over. I met a gentleman walking from a shop to his car. I asked him if he could tell me which way was Sheldon road?

“Oh, I am new to this place but I think if you go about a mile down this road, you should be reaching Sheldon.”

He pointed in the direction in which Sheldon could positively not be. He was new to the place anyway. I went into one of the shops and asked the shop owner. “Sheldon?” he pointed in the same direction. I did not believe them. By then it occurred to me that since Bhanu was working from home, she would be able to take time off to come and collect me if only I could contact her. I asked the shop fellow if I there was a public phone around.

“Oh, not any where around here.” He turned to one of his customers and made it clear that I was wasting his time.

I came out and stood for a minute thinking what my next move should be. There seemed to be no other option other than pushing the bike in the direction shown by these two guys, whose sense of direction I was doubting. Their directions ‘might have been’ wrong but mine had been ‘proved to be’ wrong and they were a majority. If I could reach Sheldon at least I would be on the track again and may reach home at least by dinner time. I started to cross the road to get the bike and noticed that the first gentleman whom I had asked for directions was beckoning me. I went to him. He pointed to the bunch of catalogues and pictures of motor bikes in my hand.

“Are you interested in bikes?”

I narrated the story and how I happened to be at the junction of Palmer and Lilly, with a flat tyre.

“I am on a biking tour of Michigan right now. I ride a Harley Davidson. I have stopped in Canton for two days. Is yours a pedaling bike?”

“Yes”

“Put it in my van. I will drop you home”

Such sweet words! But I could not accept his offer just like that.

“Oh, I don’t want to bother you. If only I can find a phone I will call home and my sister would pick me up.”

He brushed aside my words. “Its OK. I will reach you home. Get your bike”

In my eagerness to get the bike and get into his van before he changed his mind, I dashed across the road with out bothering about the “Walk” signal and was almost ran over by a car. The driver, a lady, screeched to a halt and I jumped to the other side just snatching a glimpse of her face which loudly said “Stupid Idiot” with out bringing out any words. I pushed the bike to Mr. Good samaritan’s van and was wondering how am I going to put it in. He came over, took it from me, went to the back and easily fixed it to the cycle rack which was at the back. He asked me to get in, and we started.

Just at that moment a doubt crept in to my mind about his motives. Was he really a gentleman trying to help me? I had heard people here got bashed up just for the sake of few dollars. I did not look like I had any dollars on me but I had also heard that sometimes one got bashed up if no money was found on the person too. My heart started thumping and I brought up enough courage to ask him his name and profession.

“Oh, I am John and I am an officer of the Wayne county Sherrif. I belong to the rescue and relief section and am a diver. I am on my vacation going around the lakes in Michigan on my bike.” He took out his police badge and proffered it.



As I have mentioned earlier I have an awe for the US cop and it just doubled. He enquired about my country and my profession and we talked about this and that happily for twenty minutes it took to reach our place. He was extremely cordial and courteous. He stopped in front of the house, removed the bike, put it down by the side of the road and enquired.

“Are you OK sir? Make sure you have all your things with you. Those bike pictures and your camera? That’s fine. Have a good day.”

I asked him to pose for me and he obliged.



He also allowed me to take a picture of his badge. I was very much exited. My sense of direction and self esteem were in the trash bin but I had had a pleasant encounter with an un known American citizen. I kept repeating this story to all those who talked to me on the phone and only stopped after hearing half a dozen “You told me about it already”.

Now, back to a little bit of geometry to tell you how i got lost. At the junction of Geddes, Sheldon and Michigan Avenue, there is a sort of traffic island and you go around it. it makes you feel (rather fools fools like me) that you are taking a left turn from Geddes to MI, but MI is actually parallel to Geddes and perpendicular to Sheldon. Not the other way as i had beleived.

I may be making a mountain out of molehill and this could have been easily contained in – “I had gone on my bike for some work and missed my way. My bike got punctured. I was trying to get correct directions to my house when an off duty police officer helped me and dropped me home”. I always get carried away while narrating things. Because of this tendency I am still in the first fifteen days of my arrival here. I have stayed nearly six weeks and am scheduled to return in four days. I will try to be short and to the point in future. I hope I can reach at least half way before I leave. Thanks for your patience. Bye.