Touching The Ton

[toddyboy]

Chapter 2.

 

I was still dazed and confused as I walked back into the Café. The place was empty save for that old boy still washing glasses behind the counter.

 

“They’re all outside gawking at that machine o’ yours,” he said.

 

I peered out through the window. By now there were at least forty people surrounding the TDM. I took a few deep breaths and walked towards the door but the girl grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back. “Wossup? I can tell you’re sad about something.”

 

Sad? I didn't know what I was feeling actually. So many things were whirling through my head. The only connection with this pseudo reality I found myself encapsulated in was this petulant little bird standing next to me. I reached out and touched her face again, just to make sure she was real. She gave me a coy smile. She seemed to enjoy the attention.

 

“See! There you go. Life’s not so bad is it,” she said swiping my jacket gently with her hand.

 

This little bird had dark green eyes, pert lips, and under that leather jacket she had other pert other things as well. Then it began to dawn on me that somehow, someway, based on the reflection that I’d seen in that broken mirror in the bathroom that I must be about the same age as her. I also realized I had a hard on. I’d need to watch myself here, I mused. Not only was she that guy outside's girlfriend but I was also hornier than I'd felt in a long time. Anyway, better not dwell on that I thought or I’d be for it if my missus found out I was flirting with a teenage biker babe at the Busy Bee Cafe. Then another thought crossed my mind; my missus didn’t even exist yet. She wouldn’t even be born for another fifteen years! This was definitely a bizarre turn of events. How the hell was I going to get myself out of this mess?

 

Somehow, someway, me and my trusty steed had been catapulted back into the mid-fifties and not only that, forty years or so had been shaved off my age in the bargain. To be honest, there was a part of me, the bonkers part that is, that got a bit of a kick out of that. The other part, the sensible side of me, was wondering if I’d ever get back to my own time and if I’d ever see my wife, kids and grandchildren again. With that conundrum sloshing about in my head I steeled myself and walked outside.

 

There was an excited buzz in the air. The TDM was the star attraction of course. Not surprising really. Japanese bikes were unheard of in England in 1954 let alone something as technically advanced and radical looking as this. It would probably be another two decades or more before it was even a twinkle in its designer’s eye and as I approached the motley crew of bikers surrounding it an uneasy silence descended and they parted to let me through. I figured that if this was a dream I’d wake up soon enough, so while I was in it I might as well have some fun. I pulled the keys out of my pocket and straddled the bike.

 

“Who’s up for a race then?” I asked.

 

That broke the ice! With no further encouragement needed a dozen or so wannabe racers made for their bikes and moments later the air was filled with the roar of British twins and singles thumping into life.

 

I donned my helmet, flicked the ignition key on and pressed the starter button. That alone caused a sensation amongst those watching. Electric start on a motorbike! Holy shit! The big twin fired up. Clicking it into first gear I spun the bike round and faced the entrance to the road.

 

Mr Gangly pulled up alongside me on his Triumph and pointed up the road. “Up to the Elstree roundabout and back again,” he yelled over the noise of his revving engine, and with that he was off.

 

A few others followed hot on his heels. I waited a few seconds then I let her rip. Within a few seconds I was into third and tearing past them. By the time I’d reached the roundabout they were several seconds behind me. Leaning her over as far as I dared I got safely round and was heading back before any of them had even reached it and I almost popped a wheelie as I roared past them going in the opposite direction. Then I hammered the TDM down the straight towards the Bee. I must have hit 130 at full tilt. By the time they’d all arrived back I was standing by my bike, helmet off and tapping my toes.

 

Mr Gangly got off his bike and walked over to me. As he did so Tina sidled up and hooked her arm around his. She was his girlfriend but I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she had other ideas about that.

 

“Jed’s the name,” he said holding out his hand.

 

“Tod. Nice to meet you Jed,” I replied, and shook his hand.

 

Apparently, I’d set the fastest time on record for what they called “looping the loop” i.e. making it to the Elstree roundabout and back. After that I was considered one of the boys and I spent the next half hour or so fending off questions about the TDM such as “What cc is it?” – How come it’s so quick?” - “Why’s it’s got all that plastic on it?” – “How come it’s got no kickstart lever?” – “What exactly is a Yamaha?” etc. etc. They wanted to know all about me and what I was wearing too, where I got my weird looking helmet and how they could get one? Where I lived? all that kind of stuff but as you can imagine  I was a bit stumped there. What was I going to say? ‘Oh, I was hit by a bolt of lightning and was transported here from the future and oh by the way, I’m not actually even born yet.’ That’d go down well wouldn’t it! So I lied. I told them I was a road tester for a new motorbike company. I didn’t let on that the TDM was Japanese. I figured that might not be too well received seeing as the Second World War had only ended a few years back. It wasn’t exactly a very watertight story but it would do for now and they seemed to accept it.

 

During all this excitement I'd forgotten that I was a mere mortal. My stomach was rumbling. I’d puked up everything I had in the bog and this time warp shit was energy sapping. I needed some grub so I ordered a burger and chips but he didn't know what a burger was so I ordered a bacon butty. When I pulled out a tenner and gave it to the old boy behind the counter he just looked at it and scowled, muttering something about Monopoly money. Then I realized, of course my money was no good here. It was way ahead of its time. I quickly snatched the note back before he had time to get a good look at it and was trying to figure out what to say next when Tina came to my rescue. She paid for the food. It cost sixpence! She said I could pay her back later. When I sat down to eat it she sat next to me and as I scoffed down the food she just sat there looking at me.

 

“Where you really from, Tod?” she said.

 

I stopped eating and just gawped at her. She knew I'd been telling porkies to the guys out there. This girl was obviously fascinated by me, by my bike and the fact that it was quirkier and quicker than anything anyone had ever seen before but she was also a woman, and women know when a bloke’s lying through his teeth.

 

“You really want to know?” I replied hesitantly.

 

“Yeah, I really do,” she said.

 

I took my attention off her for a moment and looked around me. It was getting late and the Café was emptying out. Bikes were firing up and heading off into the night. The motley crew (that was my nickname for this gaggle of teenage bikers) were a friendly bunch and a few of them said their goodbyes to me as they left, many of them asking if I’d be here tomorrow, but I was in a quandary. What exactly was tomorrow? That would be over forty years ago by rights! I shouldn’t even be here at all and not only that, this girl sitting next to me knew it! She knew there was something odd going on, which of course there was and then I had another daunting concept to ponder. I had no money, well no money that would be accepted here and to make matters worse no home to go to either. If my memory served me right my house hadn’t even been built yet. I was a lost soul in a strange world that once was.

 

Tina jolted out of my reverie.

 

“So you gonna tell me then or what?” she asked.

 

I looked up and for a moment I was mesmerized by those inquisitive sparkling green eyes staring back at me. How the hell was I going to explain to her that I’d come back from the future and that I was really 59 years old with a wife, four kids and two grandchildren?

 

“Well?” she urged.

 

I was about to open my mouth when there was a commotion at the entrance door and Jed rushed in with a worried look on his face. “Oi Tod, there’s a couple of Rozzers outside eyeing up your bike,” he warned.

 

 

To be continued ………………………….

This post was last modified: 12-09-2018, 10:22 AM by toddyboy.