Don't Mess with A Jersey Girl

This is incredible and it boggles my mind even though I experienced it just 4 hours ago, so here goes. We got our son a new bike about 5 months ago to replace a bike that was stolen from our yard. It was upsetting needless to say, but you move on. This new bike was very nice and our son rode it to his new high school last month. It also got stolen when he forgot to lock it up on the bike rack. We were all upset and filed a police report with the school and our son was told to "keep an eye out for it". We were all pretty down about it (especially my son who felt anger, loss, upset with his actions, guilt, and what really stung my heart, the complete sense of the injustice and unfairness keenly felt by him.) I came to view it as an expensive lesson learned for all of us. Again! It really weighed on me for a few weeks and then finally, a couple weeks ago, I had to let it go. I never really stopped looking for my son's bikes and everytime someone would ride past I would look at the bike hoping to find one of ours. I was, however, resigned to the fact that both bikes were gone.

This afternoon, I had planned on making my son, D.walk to his soccer practice near our home. I changed my mind and decided to drive him since I had to run an errand. I dropped him off in front of the gate and then instead of making a U Turn on the street to return home, I decided to be a good citizen and stop at the stop sign and make a turn at a dead end street there. I made the stop and the left turn, and what Beholds My Eyes, but 4 teen boys about D.'s age of 14 and 15 y/o and One Of Them Is Sitting On My Son's Bike! (It is a very distinctive Neon Blue color and type bike.) I pulled over to the curb, jumped out of the car and said, "I'll give you a $50 reward, that's My Son's Bike Stolen from the High School over a month ago." The kid put up a lame protest saying that the bike was his. I told him I had the receipt with the serial number and a Police report had been filed. Another of his group started to mouth off to me, asking my name and threatening to call the cops. I told him, "Please do, and my name is Martha". I then, literally grabbed the bike out from under this kid and threw it in the back of the minivan. A couple of the kids started to mouth off with weak noises about Me Stealing the bike. After I started to pull away, I rolled down my window and looked the kid in the eye who relinquished the bike and told him, "You did the right thing. Go home and Thank your Mother."

I can't believe I literally grabbed the bike out from under this kid. I was that Pumped Up, it was GAME ON. I was like the Incredible Hulk crossed with a Momma Bear and those kids were like, Whoa, a Mom outta control. It's good to be from Jersey where you don't take crap. I thanked my Mom today when I recounted this story, she's from Brooklyn and you don't Ever Want to Mess with Her, Ever! Trust me on this.

I came home and my heart started to race, I thought, "What if it isn't D.'s bike?" Luckily I had the bike shop receipt with the serial number which matched. The bike is in good condition, even has a new wheel. I can't believe the stroke of luck, of timing, how incredible and infinitesimal the chance of ever seeing the bike again. Wow, just wow. Also, I am incredibly lucky that no physical harm came to me and I did not lay one hand on that child, just my son's bike.

My family is thrilled, especially D. He had thanked me profusely, hugged, high fived, and fist bumped me. He said tonight at dinner, he wants to be just like Us. (Me and his Dad.) Just doesn't get any better than this. Pretty cool. Wow. Thank you for allowing me to share in this.