Drew wanted to learn to drive a motorcycle. He’d been wanting to for a long time. He’d kept his grades up, and stayed out of trouble. He’d also saved his allowance for several years. He’d done well enough, that Mom and Dad had raised his allowance several times. He had also worked a few odd jobs over the years and saved that money. He had saved a total of three thousand four hundred ninety-eight dollars. Not enough to buy the most inexpensive motorcycle, but it was getting close, and his seventeenth birthday had just passed. He and Dria were told that they each could have anything up to five hundred dollars for both their seventeenth and eighteenth birthdays. Perhaps, he could arrange for the last thousand dollars for his bike be paid for by his parents. Getting the last thousand dollars to pay for a motorcycle as the only gift for both your seventeenth and eighteenth birthdays was highly acceptable in his eyes.
His plan was to approach them together. It was the best way, no manipulating, no one parent decision leaving the other out, no tension. He decided to ask at dinner, when there was a pause. However, instead his parents had other plans. As they sat down to dinner, Mom asked them, “So have the two of you figured out what you want for your birthday?”
Dria hadn’t decided yet, so immediately, Drew spoke up. “Um, Mom, Dad?” He paused, nervous. Everyone looked at him. “I was wondering, if…” now he was choking up. “Well?” Dad prompted him. Drew took a deep breath. “I’d like to get my motorcycle learner’s permit,” he sort of squeaked. Mom and Dad looked at each other. Aunt Dia commented, “Wouldn’t you need a motorcycle for a motorcycle learner’s permit?” Drew nodded sheepishly. Dria and Dani stayed quiet.
The three adults looked at each other, communicating silently. Dad stroked his chin with an odd look on his face. “So, you’re really asking for a motorcycle. But you’ll need more than that. A helmet, and gear maybe. Training classes, and then there’s the learning permit, the test and the license themselves, quite a pretty penny, if you ask me. Oh, and you can’t forget insurance.” His mother spoke to his father and aunt, “I think he’s asking us for all that for his birthday, and I thought five hundred dollars was the limi-”
Here Drew found his voice. “I’ve saved up money for the few years, allowances as well as odd jobs-” Aunt Dia interrupted him. “Just how much do you have saved up, Drew?” “Three thousand, four hundred and ninety-eight dollars.” Everyone was flabbergasted. Aunt Dia spoke again, “A lot, but still not enough for all that; I believe the most inexpensive motorcycle cost, over four thousand dollars Drew.” “I know. I was hoping that, I could combine both birthdays’ money and um get a job to pay for the rest.” There, he asked. There was silence.
The adults pulled away from the table to discuss it. After a few minutes of whispers, they returned to the table. “Tomorrow is not a school day.” Dad announced. “You will show up at Bones Engineering, prepared to apply for basic personal assistant. We will discuss this business then.” Drew’s heart leapt with joy.