Last year I got a bike.
The pedaling kind.
It began as nostalgia.
An activity that would be less wear and tear on the bones.
I got a pump for my tires just in case I’d get a flat.
A few weeks back the weather turned gorgeous.
The heat and humidity of the summer had disappeared.
A friend and I were on the last leg of bike ride with only two miles left.
What seemed to be less then a second or a cartoon moment,
I heard a buzz and a zap!!!
My mouth had been open as I was chatting.
A bee was flying looking for pollen I think.
We collided.. unfortunately.
The bee flew in my mouth and with a quick jerk I stopped it from flying on my lower lip.
I then spit it out and felt the sting.
For a brief moment I wanted to identify what had just got me.
But then I realized, although I’m not allergic, my lip will swell.
My friend looked surprised but not in a good way.
Your lip! she replied..
It is starting to swell!
I quickly said goodbye to her and rode home.
Called both my sister and husband.
They said to try and relax and keep the heart rate down and if I start to have trouble breathing call 911.
Okay, thanks I said.
What seemed to be an eternity of just 10 minutes..
I rode my bike home and got to my car and went to get Benadryl.
I wasn’t sure if I needed the quick kid melt in your mouth kind or adult pink pill version.
So I got both.
The line was full of people getting cold meds and whipped cream in the can.
This was at 10 am.
Drugstores are always open.
The line seemed so slow.
I purchased the meds and quickly took the benadryl in my car and came back to two teenagers at the house.
They both looked and said wow, its swollen and looks like I had received an unequal amount of botox on my lip.
Thanks for the sympathy, I had said.
The rest of the day was a blur with a trip to get a milkshake for relief.
With all the dangers of riding, like cars and dogs and people.
The most dangerous thing for me this year was a small flying bee.
As a precaution I now take benadryl on the ride with me.
You just never know when you are going to collide with a bug that stings.
And I now have the history to prove it.