[Essay] RACE

[yumphilip]

“Not so fast Lewis!” My immature ten-year-old voice yelled out at the fast disappearing figure before me. I knew the additional two wheels of my glittering silver-tinted bicycle had given me a disadvantage rather the advantage I thought I would have. I pedaled with all the force my undeveloped leg muscles could generate, but it only proved to be futile. I could not win this race.
I had never beaten my brother, Lewis, in any bicycle race after that. He always seemed to be one step ahead of me, no matter how hard I tried. Lewis was a caring and understanding brother, but equally so was he competitive and determined. He was my role model and the person I respected most, but he was also my main rival. Our parents too supported our healthy competition. Races with Lewis were never short of passion and excitement, and soon I found myself getting more into cycling, determined to beat Lewis at our favourite sport.
The years had gradually passed, and the both of us had found a new love, motorcycle racing. We had worked hard to make our mark in the sport, and both of us had succeeded thus far, winning respective races in different parts of the world. Yet, he had won many more titles than me. I could never surpass him, it seemed. Our rivalry was a race.
Now, it was time for us to compete once more. Both of us had entered the widely-acclaimed “MotoGP” competition, and a showdown would be inevitable. We had not raced together for many years, leaving this race down to the tremendous amounts of hard work we had put in. The press had written countless articles about our coming race, and it was finally time for the big clash.
I turned my head towards him, and I could see his eyes through the visors of our helmets. Eyes filled with a colourful mixture of nostalgia, happiness and determination. Then, the horn blared. We raced, neck to neck from the start. It stayed that way for the next seventeen laps, before the final lap. He sped in front of me, stretching his engine to the limit. It would be extremely difficult to attempt to rival his pace, and I tried my very best to reduce the gap as much as I could. As I saw him riding in front of me, I was gripped by a sense of déjà vu.
“Not so fast Lewis!” I mouthed, for the sake of reliving our very first race. Only this time, I would not let history repeat itself. I flicked my wrist back, accelerating my vehicle. I concentrated on the figure in front of me. I could feel the effect of pushing my engine to its limits. My gloved hands were feeling the heat from the overheating engine.
We approached the last hundred metres. I was only half a motorcycle’s length behind him. With a final flick, we crossed the finish line.
We looked up at the giant screen. A camera replay was being shown. It was too close to call a winner.
“And the winner is Will!” the commentator boomed through the sound system.
I felt immense relief and a massive sense of achievement. I had finally done it. I had won the cup. I had won a race against my brother. I had won the race to surpass my brother.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by yumphilip

I had never beaten my brother, Lewis, in any bicycle race after that.

You thought you could beat him in a bicycle race even though you couldn't beat him in a footrace?