By Melik
I met her a few years ago. It was quite by accident. I definitely was not looking. I was bored and browsing Craigslist when I saw her ad, I cannot tell you what exactly it was that made her ad different than the others. When I saw her picture I remember having a sense of excitement. The thought of being free with someone like her was exhilarating. With nervous fingers I composed an E-mail expressing my interest in trying to set up a time to meet her and inquired if she was still available. A sense of relief blanketed me when I received a response that she was still available for an introduction although she had received other requests in addition to mine. With reckless abandon I stated that I would like to meet that evening. I hoped that I did not seem too anxious but I would forever wonder what may have come if I did not do all that I could do to try to make this meeting come to fruition.
As I drove to the house to meet her I got increasingly nervous. I was hoping I would not be disappointed. On the other hand I was hoping I would not seem too eager, if that was not already perceived. The house was not difficult to find, but because I was aflutter, I drove by the house a couple of times before I realized which one was the correct house. I parked my car. My palms were sweaty. My heart was throbbing in my chest. My stomach felt like I had just taken an acrobatic trip in a stunt plane. As I got out of the car my knees were weak. I was having trouble breathing. The crisp November air shocked my lungs as I choked in shallow breaths. I wanted to run back to my car, drive home and forget I ever saw that ad.
I saw her in the garage of the house. She was long, lean, black and beautiful. Her name means a large strong, aggressive or domineering woman. She looked all that and more, simply amazing to me. I mustered my composure and met this woman that I knew in my gut would change my life forever. I knew just by being with her she would make me look good.
Her name is Virago. Or as my registration says she is a 1981 Yamaha Virago XV750 motorcycle cruiser. She is a solid workhorse of Japanese engineering. For the most part she is an original with few after market modifications. When I met her she was black with enough chrome to make her distinctive without being gaudy. I have since painted her a deep purple. I added some lights so that her engine glows when I take her out at night.
I took her for a ride this last Saturday when it was unseasonably 50 degrees. I think taking her out in February in Michigan made the trip just a little more elating. Hearing her engine thrum at around 1200 RPMs and feel her slightly vibrate made summer memories flood into my mind. Nothing else mattered other than regaining that sense of being free.
Riding with her gives me a sense of flying without leaving the ground. Being able to manipulate her with my body as well as my hands makes it feel like a dance. To feel her follow my lead makes it seem like we have been dance partners for years. Cruising along back roads enjoying the stunning panoramic beauty of nature is almost mesmerizing. Then being able to jump onto the highway and take her to the limit with the full rush of the wind whipping around my body is a thrill unmatched by few things in life. Knowing that as long as I am good to her, even as stubborn as her name may suggest, she will be faithful and true to me for many years of stimulating excitement. I love her. Just don’t tell my girlfriend how much I am fond of her, okay? She might not understand.
~Melik – melik_2001 @ yahoo.com