30 paintings in 30 Days
Day 23
I won a bicycle when I was nine years old. I won by getting the most subscriptions in our district for my Toronto Star paper route. You had to get five of them.
It was my Dad's idea. The paper route. He had to sign saying he'd be responsible because I was younger than most paper boys and I was a girl to boot.
I'd wanted a bicycle and the cash had to come from somewhere. So I wound up with a paper route. My dad helped me and encouraged me to go after the subscriptions if I wanted that bike.
And I did want that bike. My father wanted me to get it because it had three gears. I had no idea what that meant. But if Dad said jump I always asked how high. He said it would make it easier to pedal uphill.
Me? I wanted it because it was blue.
I did win the blue bike. I was so happy when they delivered it. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
About three weeks after I got it, it was stolen right off our front porch. My mother called the police but ... well you know how that went.
I did go on to win other things quite regularly. My father said I could sell anybody anything.
But that blue bike ...
Eventually, I won another bike. This one was red. In my heart of hearts I wished someone would steal it. Nobody did.
Guess they didn't like red either.
Here's todays treasure
Alice Edwards 1949 --
The Red Bike
9" x 7"
oil on canvas covered board
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