Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter Six: The Cherry Bomb Date & The Smell of Gasoline
The three-day wait for the Cherry Red Widowmaker 1200 felt interminable, despite the success of the Permit Party and getting Cassidy's number. Finally, the bike is ready for pickup. Dad, Patrick, insists on riding the powerful muscle cruiser home himself, citing Bruce's learner's permit restrictions, much to Bruce's disappointment.
At The Iron Horse, the Widowmaker 1200, dubbed "The Cherry Bomb," is a glorious sight. Dad, looking highly inappropriate in his sensible khakis, swings his leg over the seat. The engine roars to life—a sound of "freedom, danger, and exactly six thousand dollars worth of sheer cool." Dad pilots the majestic bike away with a jerky lurch, leaving Bruce to drive the sensible family sedan home.
The bike is parked in the garage, looking like a "majestic beast trapped in a suburban spa," while Mom lovingly dusts it with gardening gloves. After an hour of meticulous, supervised practice in an empty elementary school parking lot, Bruce gains a basic handle on the clutch.
That evening, Bruce messages Cassidy, who immediately agrees to a date. The next day, Bruce uses the fine print of his learner's permit—which he had memorized while rewriting the reflector chapter—to successfully counter Dad's "no passengers" rule, arguing his recent parking lot drills qualified him.
Bruce, feeling like a real Shadow Rider with Cassidy on the back in her black leather jacket, takes her on a meticulously slow, speed-limit-obeying ride to the cinema and a diner for ice cream waffles. Riding the Widowmaker 1200 with Cassidy provides an unparalleled feeling of joy and adrenaline. By the time he drops her off, his life has transformed. He speeds home just before curfew, realizing he hasn't just bought a motorcycle; he's bought a "whole new life" that is "fast, loud, and brilliantly, beautifully red."
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter Five: The Bureaucratic Barrier & The Brightening Horizon
The bureaucratic delay for Bruce's written learner's permit test extends to almost two months, which Dad, Patrick, views as government inefficiency and Mom, Jill, views as a "divine blessing" for safety and cognitive reinforcement. To cope with the wait and pad his funds for accessories, Bruce returns to The Scooping Shack with the zeal of a monk doing penance.
The real struggle is the Fettles Family Study System. Dad treats the DMV manual like a military operation, color-coding sections and requiring force vector diagrams for skidding, while Mom creates fear-based flashcards focused on hypothetical near-death scenarios and insurance coverage. Despite the excessive and stressful methods, Bruce internalizes the manual, passing fifty practice tests and finally conquering the two-month wait.
On the test day, Bruce breezes through the questions, fueled by his parents' over-preparation. The screen flashes "CONGRATULATIONS!" and Dad, ecstatic, throws an immediate, over-the-top "Permit Party," complete with traffic light decorations and a motorcycle helmet cake.
At the party, Bruce spots Cassidy, a cool new girl from the West Coast. When she learns he not only passed the "super-hard test" but is getting a Cherry Red Widowmaker 1200, she is genuinely impressed. She tells him that earning a bike is "pretty awesome," instantly making the six months of painful labor worthwhile.
The moment is, of course, interrupted by Dad, who is eager to share Bruce’s "study efficiency" breakdown. However, the connection is made: Bruce has the permit, the money, the bike on layaway, and now, the attention of the coolest girl in school. The motorcycle, even before he rides it, has already initiated the exhilarating next chapter of his life.
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter Four: The Cherry Red Widowmaker & The Permit Problem
The drive to the final dealer, "The Iron Horse," is fraught with tension as Dad nervously monitors the National Golf Open. The shop, unlike the pristine corporate showrooms, is a greasy, metallic sanctuary that smells of power and oil. Stepping inside, Bruce immediately spots his destiny: the Widowmaker 1200. It's not the matte black of the movie, but a stunning, aggressive Cherry Red custom model that the mechanic calls "The Cherry Bomb."
Bruce is devastated, realizing his hard-earned money has only bought him a very expensive "garage ornament." His father, however, remains calm, viewing the required documentation as just "another small, bureaucratic mountain to climb."
Back at home, even Mom sees the delay as a positive, giving her time to order protective gear and forcing Bruce to study traffic laws. Bruce, no longer distracted by ice cream or video games, immediately books the written test for Tuesday morning. The six months of scooping concrete has been replaced by the task of proving he is "smarter than a stop sign." The focus shifts from physical labor to passing the legal requirement for his "Cherry Bomb."
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter Three: The Search for the Holy Grail of Chrome
Three Disappointing Shop Stops
The Two-Wheel Trust: This dealer is "everything I secretly dreaded." The lead bike, the 'Reliant Rider 400,' is a "pure, unadventurous dependability" cruiser, offered in the soul-crushing sand dune beige. Dad loves the low-speed touring capacity and high safety rating, while Bruce is miserable, seeing only a leaf blower's engine.
Chrome City Customs: A stark contrast, this shop is loud and filled with bikes plated in chrome or covered in flames. Bruce spots a gorgeous, terrifying cherry red 'Road Reaper,' but it costs seventeen thousand dollars, far exceeding their budget and maturity level. The only affordable option is a solid cruiser painted an unappealing 'Neon Puke Green.'
Big Bob's Big Bike Emporium: Overwhelmed and pressed for time due to the National Golf Open, Dad gives Bruce 30 minutes to look. Bruce is momentarily excited by a sporty, metallic emerald green bike, but the only "red one" in stock turns out to be a tiny, embarrassing scooter called the 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah 125.'
The Last-Ditch Effort
Frustrated by the beige, neon, and scooter options, and desperate to catch the golf tournament, Dad is ready to quit. However, Bruce begs for "just one more" stop at a dealer called 'The Iron Horse,' which he saw on the way. Dad agrees, making Bruce promise a major parental sacrifice—taking up synchronized swimming—if he misses the final golf putt. Bruce is willing to risk anything for one more chance at two-wheeled redemption.
Would you like to hear about Bruce's visit to the final dealer, 'The Iron Horse'?
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter Two: The Six-Month Freeze & The Sweet Smell of Freedom
Bruce is immediately hired by the perpetually sticky Mr. Henderson, who introduces him to the job's main enemy: the "Concrete Scoop," the physically demanding act of scooping frozen, hard ice cream flavors. Despite the "shame" of the teal polo, the paper hat, and the pervasive smell of vanilla, Bruce views every painful scoop as a deposit toward his dream bike, the Widowmaker 1200.
Over the next six months, Bruce endures the monotonous routine and the eccentric customers, viewing the work as "character-building" and "grit." He develops extreme fiscal discipline, saving every paycheck, duct-taping his worn shoes instead of buying new ones, and even walking to work to save on gas. His parents watch with a mix of pride and horror at his newfound minimalist genius.
Finally, after half a year of hard work, Bruce hits his goal, earning $3,000.17. He excitedly shares the news with his parents. His father, Patrick, is overcome with paternal pride, declaring Bruce has "earned his freedom." His mother, Jill, immediately shifts from fear to action, planning safety gear. The chapter concludes as Bruce and his father head out to the dealership to buy a sensible, pre-owned Japanese bike, with Bruce ready to "trade in the scoop for the throttle."
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Chapter One: The Widowmaker 1200 & The Parental Contract
The chapter establishes the dynamics of the Fettles family: a home filled with Dad's overly complex brewing projects and Mom's excessive baking, all underscoring their boundless, though often overwhelming, parental aspiration. Bruce's desire for the cherry-red, chrome-plated Widowmaker represents everything the tranquil suburb is not—freedom, speed, and rebellion.
At dinner, Bruce cautiously drops the "M-bomb," asking for a motorcycle. Predictably, his mother instantly fears the danger, while his father views the request as a perfect opportunity to instill the value of hard work. Instead of the full-scale war Bruce expected, his parents present a surprisingly generous "Parental Contract."
They propose a fifty-fifty deal: they will pay for half the cost of a "sensible" motorcycle, and Bruce must earn the other half of the money by getting a proper job. They immediately promise to deposit their share—three thousand dollars—into a new savings account to show the goal is real.
Overwhelmed but thrilled, Bruce accepts the challenge. He sees the motorcycle as tangibly achievable, a dream half-funded and waiting for him to catch up. Despite the inevitable parental oversight and the need to find a job that meets his mother's safety criteria, Bruce is determined to earn his $3,000, motivated by the exhilarating image of the motorcycle soaring through the air.
Book Title: The Widowmaker 1200 Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-widowmaker-1200-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV3V1ZLH
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Widowmaker-1200-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FVT2YK47
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Summory:
Fifteen-year-old Lilly Shetlar just wanted to spend the summer online, but her cheerfully clueless, middle-class parents had other plans: a month-long, forced "cultural immersion" across Europe with her annoying five-year-old brother, Freddie. The adventure begins in disastrous fashion in cold, judgmental Paris, where frustrating language barriers and a crushing digital blackout send Lilly into a spiraling existential crisis.
The family's strained journey finds a temporary reprieve in Spain, offering warmer weather, friendlier locals, and a tenuous lifeline of slow Wi-Fi. But it's in sparkling Italy that Lilly’s entire perspective shifts. Granted the sanctuary of a private hotel room and blessed with high-speed internet, she is finally free-and then she meets Marco. Charming, charismatic, and cruising on a vintage Vespa, the Italian boy utterly captivates Lilly's heart.
Their whirlwind three days together, sealed with a tender kiss and promises of forever, transforms the trip from a prison sentence into the best month of her life. Back home and completely smitten, Lilly is obsessed with bridging the Atlantic divide, only for her newly "relaxed" parents to drop one last bombshell: Mom is pregnant. Lilly's life just went from chaotic to completely uncontrollable, and all she can think about is Marco.
Books › Teen & Young Adult › Literature & Fiction › Social & Family Issues › Family
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-italian-kiss-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0DCLJB73X
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV1SR61M
Just back from a month-long European tour with her family, Lilly is readjusting to life stateside. The trip was a whirlwind of highs and lows: from the crushing boredom of Paris to a life-changing encounter in Italy. After nine hours of a miserable plane ride home, she is ready to spill all the details of her transformative trip to her best friends, Sarah and Maria.
In this episode, Lilly recounts her disastrous time in Paris, a city she describes as a "digital death sentence," and a more tolerable, albeit uneventful, stay in Spain. The real turning point of her trip, however, was Italy. There, she not only found a decent Wi-Fi connection but also a charming Italian boy named Marco, complete with a vintage Vespa and a kiss that felt straight out of a movie.
But the drama doesn't end there. Just as Lilly begins to settle back into her routine, her parents drop a bombshell that will change everything. Tune in to hear about Lilly's European adventure, her budding transatlantic romance, and the big family news that leaves her reeling.
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-italian-kiss-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0DCLJB73X
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV1SR61M
Welcome back to The Shetlar Family European Disaster Tour: The Podcast. If Paris was a frown and Spain was a shrug, Italy is a full-blown cinematic experience—complete with perfect lighting, rolling green hills, and a soundtrack that swells every time I step outside.
The upgrade is instant: a gorgeous hotel with a terrace overlooking the sea, a private room (a miracle!), and the holy grail of travel: 98 Mbps Wi-Fi! Forget cultural exchange; this is a digital rebirth. I’m back online, uploading everything, and no longer feeling like a castaway.
But all of that is just setting the stage for Marco.
I spot him sitting on a vintage Vespa in a tiny village—dark, messy hair, a mischievous smile, and an accent that makes the word “ciao” sound like a love song. My cynical, band-hoodie-wearing teenage heart officially short-circuits. He invites me to see "the real Italy," and against all middle-class parental logic, Mom and Dad actually agree (after an intense background check, of course).
Join me as I trade my stained athletic shorts for cool denim, hop on the back of his Vespa, and experience the pure, wind-in-my-hair freedom of a hidden beach. We talk, we laugh, and in a perfect, golden-lit moment outside my heavenly hotel room, the Italian rom-com reaches its climax with a soft, gentle, heart-stopping kiss.
I’m no longer just surviving the family vacation; I’m living the dream. But with only three days of perfection and a transatlantic distance ahead, will the fast Wi-Fi be enough to keep a forever promise alive?
Tune in to find out if I make it home—or if I’m already planning my next flight back.
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-italian-kiss-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0DCLJB73X
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV1SR61M
Welcome to The Shetlar Family European Disaster Tour: The Podcast, where one perpetually misunderstood teenager documents her parents' questionable taste in travel and the slow descent into middle-class chaos.
After escaping the "Tiny Parisian Box of Germs," the next leg of our forced cultural education takes us to the sun-baked, salt-scented glory of Spain. The air is warm, the people are genuinely friendly, and I have actual space to deploy my 'I Survived Paris' band hoodie. It's almost... enjoyable.
Almost.
The universe (which clearly has it out for the Shetlar family) immediately reminds us we can't have nice things by losing Mom's entire suitcase—the one with her sensible skirts and her high-end SPF. This forced minimalism is a catastrophe for her, but for me? It's hilarious. For the first time ever, my control-freak mom is forced to live on the edge, rationing concealer and wearing Dad's ridiculously oversized vacation T-shirt.
But the real miracle of this chapter isn't the sunshine or the tapas; it's the Wi-Fi. It’s agonizingly slow—dial-up slow, the kind of speed where you can age waiting for an image to load—but it’s unlimited. This digital lifeline, stretched thin and constantly buffering, restores my connection to the outside world, making me an international traveler with slightly laggy social media access.
Join me as we navigate lost luggage, a semi-luxury boat tour with surprisingly good tapas, and the quiet, nightly ritual of reading Jack: The Dentist to my little brother, all of which somehow turns my initial horror into a lukewarm, almost pleasant acceptance.
The dread is gone. I’m surviving. But will Italy deliver the holy grail of family travel: high-speed fibre optic?
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-italian-kiss-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0DCLJB73X
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV1SR61M
A nine-hour flight that felt like 80,000, a suffocatingly small hotel room, and the utter betrayal of slow Wi-Fi. Fourteen-year-old Lilly is not having the Parisian adventure her parents, Elizabeth and Bob, promised. From the moment they touch down in France, the trip is a masterclass in middle-class travel disappointment.
Join us as Lilly navigates the cultural minefield of her family's ambitions. Listen in as Dad, in "The Intrepid Explorer" mode, attempts a seizure-like mime to get a taxi, Mom struggles to maintain a polite veneer in the face of a "Petite Chambre Familiale" the size of a walk-in closet, and Lilly grapples with the agonizing reality of being digitally banished with a tragic 0.5 Mbps Wi-Fi connection.
This week, we recount the saga of The Louvre Debacle (where the Mona Lisa is judged for not smiling), the Eiffel Tower Washout (where they pay to stand inside a cloud), and the Unfriendly Locals who confirm Lilly's hypothesis that Europeans are just too cool for them. Trapped in a tiny, slightly damp room with a snoring father and a suitcase privacy partition, Lilly starts a countdown to freedom. Paris isn't beautiful enough to forgive. Next stop: Spain.
Book Title: The Italian Kiss Short Story
Author: Warren M. Walker
Publisher: V & W Publishing
https://publishing.irishknights.co.za/the-italian-kiss-short-story/
Available on Amazon.com:
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0DCLJB73X
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Italian-Kiss-Short-Story-By-Warren-Walker/dp/B0FV1SR61M