The Pink Bike and the Kindness of Strangers

Nour was having second thoughts about going to pick up the bike for Amal later that morning — a surprise for her seventh birthday. Since arriving in Montreal, she had been begging Nour to get her one. A few days earlier, Nour had put “pink child bike” in the search box and there it was, one offered for sale in Outremont. What were the chances of finding a pink bike? It was meant to be. After a few exchanges of messages with Mrs Sarah Greenberg, she struck a deal.

Now she wondered if she could afford it? Where would they store it? Where would she get a helmet? Was Amal old enough to ride it? Would she find the address in Outremont? Nour missed Ahmed achingly every day but it was times like these that she needed him; he would have known what was best.

That morning was also Amal’s first day at her new school. Amal had gotten up early and was dressed in a pink hoodie and jeans and she asked her mother to put her hair in a braid instead of the usual ponytail. She had her father’s thick curly hair, brushing it took time and it was best to be gentle or she would scream. When Nour finished, she placed her hands on her daughter’s head and give her a quick kiss.

They walked the few blocks to the school, arriving at the appointed time and proceeding to the principal’s office, as instructed by the woman who had called her phone…