«Lena! Leeeena!» A lad on a bike yells up at the windows of a five-storey block of flats with a door that barely hangs on its hinges, swinging wildly.
«Lenaaa! Len»
«I swear Ill throttle someone in a minute,» growls a bloke in a blue vest, leaning out of one window. «Piss off, will ya?»
«I wasnt calling you! Lenkaaa»
«Honestly, whats the racket?» A woman in a nightie and rollers pokes her head out another window. «Its Saturday morning, people are trying to sleep!»
«Shut it, the lot of you!» barks a tall, bald man. «I was up all night, just nodded off, and now»
«Lenkaaa, you coming or what?»
The front door groans, then slams open, and out steps a girl in a light summer dress, clutching a tote bag with something wrapped in parchment inside.
«Alright, took you long enough. You oversleep?»
«Nah, was making sandwiches,» she says matter-of-factly, stuffing the bag into the bikes basket before perching on the crossbar. The boy kicks off, swerving sharply as angry shouts follow them.
«Bloody hooligan!»
«Let us sleep, for heavens sake!»
«Sleep then!» the boy shouts back, laughing as they pedal away. «Its Saturday morningwhats your excuse?»
Theyre out of the estate in no time, speeding down a dirt track through open fields.
«Len, you tired?»
«Nah. You?»
«Not a bit.» He pedals harder.
They collapse laughing into the grass when the bikes tyre gives out, sending them skidding sideways.
«Blimey, what now, Alex?»
«Dunno,» he grins, sprawled in the grass. «Might just live here forever.»
«Oh, come off it.»
«Why not? Well build a shack. Rivers closeIll catch fish, grill em over a fire.»
«And how do we start the fire?»
«Rub sticks together. Or nick matches off fishermen.»
«Right.»
They dissolve into giggles.
«Alex, lookthat clouds like a teapot.»
«Yeah, and now its a dog.»
They lie there forever, naming clouds.
«Fancy a swim?»
«Go on, then.»
They race to the river, dry off on sun-warmed sand, and talk about the future.
«Len, what dyou wanna do when youre older?»
«Finish school, go to uni, get a job. You?»
«Marry you, get richor the other way round. Either way, those two things.»
«Dont be daft.»
«Fair. Might need to squeeze in the army and a trade first, fore you run off with someone else.»
«Like who?»
«DunnoVinnie, maybe. Saw you giggling with him, heads together like you were sharing secrets.»
«We were making a poster, you plank!»
«Whatever. Ill still steal you back, no matter who it is.»
***
Years later, another Saturday dawns, the summer quiet shattered by a motorbikes roar.
«Lenaaa! Leen!»
«Little terror!» a woman shouts from a window.
«Let us sleep!»
«Keep it down!»
«Lenkaaanot you lot! Its Saturday, for pitys sake!»
The same wobbly door creaks open, and out steps Lena, now a woman.
«Alright. You oversleep?»
«Nah. Made us butties.»
«Some of us are trying to rest!» a voice snaps.
Alex hands her a helmet. She slips it on, climbs onto the bikeits back wheel raised highand wraps her arms around him.
«Disgraceful!» yells a sleep-deprived man.
Alex revs the engine, shouts at the whole block to go back to bed, and off they go.
They speed through town, hit the motorway, then bump down a country lane.
«You holding up?» he calls over the wind.
«Course!» She presses closer.
Her hair whips free of the helmet, tears pricked by the wind. When they stop, she stretches her stiff legs, and they flop into the grass, staring at the sky.
«Look, Alexthat ones two cats curled up!»
«Yeah, and thats a motorbike. Swimming?»
«Go on, then.»
They swim, bake on the sand, kiss till theyre dizzy
«Lenka»
«Mm?»
«Ive been called up. Army. Youll wait for me?»
«What? When?»
«Tomorrow. Got the papers.»
«Youwhy didnt you say?!»
«Didnt know myself.» He shrugs. «Hey, dont cry. Ill go to uni after, like we said. Then Ill marry you. Youre not gonna run off with Vinnie, are you? Len?»
***
Lena waits on the platform, heart hammering. Soldiers spill from the train.
«Alex! Oh, my boy!» His mum clings to him, weeping. His dad grips his shoulder, his little sister sobs into his neck. Then his eyes find Lena, standing apart, hands clasped to her chest. He pushes through the crowd.
«Lenka you crying?»
«Happy tears, Alex.»
«Plenty more where that came from.»
His sister scowls, his mum purses her lips, his dad huffsbut right now, none of them matter. Just her.
***
«Son, its too soon! Youve barely been backwhat about uni? You were set on it!»
«Sorted, Mum. And Im getting married.» He says it gently. «Dont fuss. I love Lena. She loves me.»
«Alex, shes just keen to tie you down! You should be out living, meeting other girls»
«Mum, shes nineteen. I dont want anyone else. Get that?»
«Its too soon!»
«Christ, Mum, when I got back, you were the one nagging me to settle before I went off the rails with my mates!»
«We were saving you!»
Alex just smiles and slips out, door clicking shut behind him.
***
«Its a boy! A son!» Alex bursts into his parents house, radiant. «MumDadIve got a son!»
His mum weeps; his dad blinks hard. His sister whoops. Five years later, a daughter arrivestheir little princess.
***
«Alex, love, your dad says you quit your job? How will you manage?»
«Had enough of working for pennies, Mum. Well sort it.»
«And Lena agreed? This place at least put food on the table!»
«Mum I want my kids to have more than splitting one chocolate bar with a knife. I want them to live proper.»
«Alex, we got by without all that»
«That was then. Well be fine.»
And they were. Not straight offthere were wobbles, moments he wanted to scream, chuck it all in. But there was Lenka, steady as ever, buttering bread.
One night, she hands him a guitar.
«Len, what?» Hes seconds from snapping.
«Alex. Sing. It always helps.»
Softly, they start: *»Ill ride my bicycle far stop in quiet meadows pick flowers, give them to the girl I love»*
She cries when hes not looking. He knows. He pretends not to. He works harder.
They make it. A house in the country, a flat in town, kids set for life, parents cared for. Holidays by the sea.
But Alex starts itching. Lifes stagnant. A mate drags him to a sauna. «Not just a sauna, mate. Trust me.»
He lies to Lena for the first time ever*»Work thing»*and hates himself for it. The saunas grim. Then a woman sits beside him. Polished. Out of place.
«Lets get out of here.»
«Whyd you come, then?»
«Needed the money.» Outside, she explains: a kid, a deadbeat ex, no choice. «Ill save up, leave. Or meet someone decent. Like you.»
Shes sharp, funny. They talk all night. He walks home dazed.
He sees her again. And again. For a month, he lives two lives.
Then one day, he comes home to silence. Emptiness.
He calls the kids, his parentsno ones seen Lena. Finally, he meets the other woman.
«Im sorry. I love my wife. You were fresh air. I hope you find your way.»
«Thank you, Alex. I realised this wasnt it. I envy your wife. But youre rightgo fix things.»
«Should I tell her? We never even»
«Ill do it.»
***
Lenas in her childhood kitchen, four days gone, making sandwiches like always.
«Lenkaaa! Leeeen!» A motorbike roars below.
«For Gods sake!»
«Give it a rest!»
«People are sleeping!»
Alex starts singing under her window: *»Ill ride my bicycle far»*
The door bangs. She walks out, takes the helmet, climbs on behind him, arms tight around his waist.
They speed through town, down country lanes, into flower-filled fieldsjust like before.
«Len, you tired?»
«No.»
They lie in the grass, fingers laced.
«Lookthat clouds a ship.»
«Yeah, and those two are old folks having tea.»
«Len»
«Mm?»
«Forgive me?»
«What for?»
«I hurt you. Im sorry.»
«Alright.»
«It wont happen again.»
«What wont?»
«You singing alone. You were, werent you?»
«Yeah.»
«Me too. Lets do it together.»
«Alright.»
*»Ill ride my bicycle far»*
