The Ride She Refused
1. Title
The Ride She Refused
2. FULL STORY — PART 1
Ten-year-old Emily was walking home from school one warm afternoon, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders as she hurried along the familiar road.
She had already turned down the last street toward home when she heard the rumble of a motorcycle approaching behind her.
A big bike pulled up beside her.
The rider wore a helmet and a jacket, and he slowed down until he was moving at exactly the same pace as Emily.
“Wanna go for a ride?” he called.
Emily didn’t even look at him.
“No!” she replied firmly, keeping her eyes ahead.
The motorcycle continued beside her for another few seconds.
Emily quickened her pace.
The rider followed.
Then he called out again.
“I’ll give you ten dollars if you hop on.”
Emily shook her head.
“No!”
This time, she walked even faster.
The motorcycle kept pace.
Emily was beginning to get annoyed.
She knew exactly what her parents had taught her about accepting rides from strangers, and she had no intention of changing her mind just because someone offered her money.
The rider apparently wasn’t giving up.
“All right!” he shouted. “Final offer!”
Emily finally slowed down enough to hear him.
“Twenty dollars,” he called, “plus a whole bag of candy!”
Emily stopped.
For a moment, the rider seemed to think his offer had finally worked.
But instead of walking toward the motorcycle, Emily turned around.
She looked directly at the rider.
Then she threw her hands into the air and yelled:
“LOOK, DAD!”
3. FULL STORY — PART 2
The rider froze.
Emily pointed accusingly at the motorcycle.
“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO BOUGHT A HONDA INSTEAD OF A HARLEY!”
The man stared at his daughter through his helmet.
Emily folded her arms.
“I told you that motorcycle was too embarrassing!”
Her father sighed.
“You’re still upset about that?”
“Yes!”
“I thought you liked the Honda.”
“I liked the Harley!”
Her father looked down at his motorcycle as though seeing it for the first time.
“It’s a perfectly good bike.”
Emily rolled her eyes.
“Then ride it yourself!”
A couple of people walking nearby had stopped to watch the strange exchange.
Her father finally removed his helmet.
“Emily, I’ve been trying to pick you up from school for ten minutes!”
“You could have just said that!”
“I did!”
“No, you didn’t. You asked if I wanted a ride!”
Her father blinked.
“Well… technically, yes.”
“And then you offered me ten dollars.”
“I was joking.”
“Then you offered twenty dollars and candy!”
Her father shrugged.
“I was desperate.”
Emily pointed toward the motorcycle.
“And now everyone thinks some strange man is trying to bribe a kid onto his motorcycle!”
Her father looked around.
A passerby quickly looked away.
He cleared his throat.
“Okay. Maybe that wasn’t my best plan.”
4. FULL STORY — PART 3
Emily walked over to the motorcycle, still shaking her head.
Her father handed her the spare helmet.
“Come on. Your mother is waiting for us.”
Emily took the helmet but wasn’t finished complaining.
“She told you to buy the Harley too, didn’t she?”
Her father smiled.
“Actually, yes.”
Emily nodded knowingly.
“I knew it.”
“But your mother also said we needed to save money.”
Emily paused.
“That sounds like something Mom would say.”
Her father started the engine.
Emily climbed on behind him and adjusted her helmet.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll ride home.”
Then she added, “But I’m still telling Mom you tried to bribe me with candy.”
Her father laughed.
“Fair enough.”
As they headed home, Emily finally began to smile.
She had spent the entire walk convinced she was dealing with a stranger who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Instead, it had turned out to be the world’s most ridiculous attempt by her own father to pick her up from school.
And apparently, the real crime wasn’t offering candy.
It was buying a Honda.
5. ENDING
When they arrived home, Emily jumped off the motorcycle and ran inside.
“Mom!”
Her father immediately knew he was in trouble.
Emily’s mother came into the hallway.
“What happened?”
Emily pointed dramatically toward the front door.
“Dad tried to bribe me with twenty dollars and a whole bag of candy so I’d get on his motorcycle!”
Her mother looked at her husband.
He raised both hands.
“In my defense, she wouldn’t stop walking.”
Emily added, “And he bought a Honda instead of a Harley!”
Her mother stared at him.
There was a long silence.
Then she shook her head.
“I told you to buy the Harley.”
Her father sighed.
Emily grinned.
For once, she and her mother were completely on the same side.
And her father finally understood that when it came to motorcycles, his family had very strong opinions.
Honda or Harley, at least he had finally gotten his daughter home safely.
