The Most Expensive Bike I Never Owned

Motherhood, although a wonderful thing and I wouldn't trade it for the world, has moments where I want to lock a child out of the house and not let them back in. Jihad was my child of the day and will be the child the next four months.

I stayed in Bahrain this weekend in part because Jihad gets so bored at the apartment. I figured if once a month at least I can keep him here in Bahain it would be a treat for him. Mr. Man was to have all of the girls and the nanny go with him to Saudi and it would be me and the boys along with the maid here in Bahrain. It didn't go as planned when last night Hannah had a complete anxiety attack and refused to go. She has major melt downs when it comes to put distance between me and herself I'm not sure what it stems from but there is no reasoning with her on it. When we finally realized what her outbursts was about I smiled at Mr. Man telling him "If I ever leave you she is coming with me"

Today I thought it would be nice to get out for some lunch, just me and the three kiddos and do some shopping for Umar. I have a list of things I need to get from his new therapist (a post on that tomorrow). We had a nice lunch at chilli's and than we headed to a shoe store trying to find 'proper' shoes for Umar. When I priced the proper shoes at 300 SR (80 USD) and up I realized why I don't care all of my children grew up bare foot.

Than it was off to a toy store where I was pricing certain learning toys for Umar to use only during therapy time at home. Jihad went off, as he usually does, and came back with some toy he wanted. "NO" I wasn't there for him and he wasn't getting anything. He decided to act 2 and throw a fit that included a refusal to leave the store.

He didn't leave but I sure did over to the next toy store in search of what I wanted. This is a trick that never worked for him so I don't know why he keeps doing it. There he is having a clear out tantrum in public and I look like a loon threatening him to get out of the store and move along. After that he pouts and has an attitude that includes fighting with his sister. I'm just so tired of this and gave him a lecture in the car. It covered issues of him being spoiled, ungrateful, childish, and being cut off from me buying him anything.

I than drove over to Toys R Us and found several things for Umar. Hannah was helpful pushing a cart, picking up Umars socks as he pulled them off his feet continuously (another reason why my children go bare foot) and being an overall good girl. Jihad on the other hand, spoiled and bratty pulling the same stunt he did in the previous store. I had all I could take and a migraine was coming on I wanted to leave and lie down for an hour.

I drove home and quickly ran out again with Hannah to the store to pick up a few items. Before I pulled off a short boy with long hair showed up with his dog. He asked about Jihad having some red bike from last night and I wasn't at the house (Mama got out with no kids and socialized) so I told him to find Jihad and ask. Turned out that as soon as I got in the car Jihad took off out of the side door to the park. Which he didn't ask to do so I made a mental note to remind him of the house rules once again.

I returned to the house and could barely keep my eyes open I wanted nothing more than to lay down. Door bell rings and it is now the long haired boy with his dog and his mother.

"Hello" she says and before I could respond "I recognize you from the gym (curves)"

Having no idea who she was I smiled and said "Oh ok"

She continues "Your son Jahad borrowed a bike from my son last night and he left it at the park. The bike is no where to be found on the compound and it cost 180 BD (1800 SR 480 USD)"

I stood there and wondered if she noticed my jaw just fell to the floor as I said "OH, well Jihad is at the park I'll find him and talk with him and if we can't locate the bike we will give you the money"

"That is what I would do" She says and continues with "I'm sorry to come to you like this but it was a Christmas present and expensive"

Damn right it is expensive who in their right mind pays 480 USD for a flippen bicycle and than lets their child lend it to someone. "No problem" I say through a half smile as my mind conjured up images of ways to torture my son. "I'll go look for Jihad now"

My search for Jihad was a 45 minute frustrating event that included me getting lost on this compound and cold with a migraine that felt like it was splitting my head in two. I also had to deal with the back and forth of Mr. Man and his threats over Jihad and comments that left me feeling like a mother bear wanting to protect her cubs but at the same time thought how it would be ideal just to eat him myself and get it over with. I went back to the house steaming and questioning myself on why I thought mothering was the right choice.

Finally after Jihad arrived at the house the first thing I did was take his 1800 SR cell phone that Mr. Man bought for him. Yea, what parent buys their 9 almost 10 year old an 450 USD cell phone? Who is the boy going to call that he needs a phone with more features than his mothers? He was informed it was no longer his in between the story of this expensive bike.

Story goes this boy felt sorry for Jihad who is constantly on foot as all the other boys are on their bikes or in line skates. So the boy lent Jihad the bike while they were at the boys house. Jihad when he was finished with the bike left it at the park. He didn't give it to the boy nor take it back to the boys house, which he wouldn't do anyway between the dark walk and the barking dogs he'd rather walk over hot coals. The boy went home with no bike and didn't ask for it until the next day and at that point Jihad had no idea where it went.

As I visited the mother and painfully handed over 180 BD for a bike that I didn't even own she went on to tell me this is the 2nd bike that was stolen. Yes last year she had a bike of one of her son's that was stolen from the compound. So it makes perfect sense she would A- spend 480 USD on a kids bike B- Not ensure that the bike was at the house at night C- let her son lend it out. None of these issues however negate the responsibility of Jihad to return an item that he willfully borrowed.

So 480 USD down for the week which I'm sure Mr. Man will calculate as my expenditure for a bike I never owned. Jihad however will be reminded every single day of the next four months of his punishment of what it cost for a bike I'll never own. Eventually I'll forgive him and remember all of the goodness of mothering. But right now every other word to him is "1800 SR that is why!!"