The Time Machine

My days were often the same: going to school, playing the guitar, doing homework. I was very comfortable with that routine, but one day something incredible and marvelous happened that changed my life forever.
It was a regular day. I was walking back home thinking about all the things I had to do, when suddenly I remembered that the next day I had to bring to school something that I liked or that interested me to talk about it, and I couldn’t think of anything.
When I got home, I looked for something interesting to present, but I didn´t have anything in my room. So I looked into the other rooms with the same result. Disappointed, I went into the attic and between lots of boxes I found an old, dirty bicycle. I took it out and showed it to my parents.
“It´s from your granddad” said Father “Where did you find it?”
“I found it in the attic between some boxes” I answered quickly.
“Your granddad rode it to deliver newspapers when he was five years older than you are now” he explained.
“Can I take it to my class to talk about it?” I asked happily.
“In this conditions? I don´t think so” said dad.” Let me clean it and fix it so it will look as good as new”
After four hours, the job was done. The bicycle was in perfect conditions to be presented in front of a class
“Thanks a lot, dad”. I said “Now I have something to show at school.”
“I´m going to try it” I decided. “When I’m back I’ll tell you if it works well or not.” I told him.
The first five blocks, I rode that bike without any problems. But when I took a descending slope and accelerated, a beam of light came out from the wheel and I closed my eyes.
When it stopped, I opened them slowly; the first thing I saw was a beautiful park with a lot of young kids playing races with flying toy cars. The bike had taken me twenty years into the future.
“Awesome! This bicycle is a time machine!” I exclaimed. “I´ll take a look at the city and I’ll try to find myself”
I cycled around the City Centre looking at the modern buildings and how they were made in five seconds and with no people working on them. I also looked at the people’s clothes, made of brilliant colors.
I found my street and when I´ve arrived I saw a huge man with a white suit coming out of my house. When he got to the street he saw me and got astonished.
“What´s your name?” he asked me.
“My name is Jonathan” I answered calmly.
“Are you coming from the past?” he asked.
“Yes, but how do you know that I’m coming from the past?” I asked him interested.
“I know that because I’m you.” he said.
“Amazing!” I exclaimed “I found myself in the future too.”
“Yes, but you must go back to the past because your father, or better say, our father awaits you to tell him how the bicycle works” he told me.
“If I tell father that I traveled into the future, will he believe me?” I asked
“Maybe” he said “But you´ll never know if you don´t try.”
“O.K.; I’ll go back but I have two questions.” I said. “Am I going to marry my girlfriend, Susan? And How can I go back in time?”
“First, you´ll know that in your future, I don´t want to ruin the surprise, and second, you´ll go back in time pedaling backwards.” He said.
I started pedaling backwards after saying goodbye to my future. The same light appeared and I couldn`t keep my eyes open, like the first time. When I opened them I was in front of my house in the present time. I went in and told Father the story and, surprisingly, he believed me. Then I went to my room to rest after that great adventure and to think what was going to happen to me in the future.
The next day, I was happy but worried. I couldn’t decide if it was good to tell the whole story in my presentation at school. Finally, I decided I would do it.
When my turn to speak came, I took the bike and put it next to the teacher’s desk. Then I started to tell my story, and everybody believed me! “It’s very strange” I thought, but it is also very nice that they do not take me for a liar!
Now my life is different and exciting, thanks to the bike. When I come back from school, I always go for a ride on my magic bike.

Category B Pen name: Matelate