Last ounce of Pride

I went into a big box store to get a flat tyre repaired.

Turns out there is a nail in the sidewall, it cannot be repaired.

They ordered a new tyre, installed my spare and sent me on my way.

My new tyre, should arrive Friday, if not this one then the next.

I would rather have kept the old one and simply inflate it daily as I have been doing.

Pulling out of the parking lot I could feel all the eyes gazing at the vast emptiness in my wheel well.

Laughing at the circus quality proportions of the inadequate spare nestled in a cavernous void.

I press the accelerator. "Low Traction", on flat black asphalt, in dry September weather, on a flat grade, at 30 kilometers per hour.

Driving along. The low traction indicator laughing at me.

Three BMW motorcycles are parallel to me. I rarely care about vehicles. Yet, I can't stop ogling the middle bike. Is he looking back, wondering how long I've been driving on that tyre ? Wondering perhaps I can't afford a new one ? I still can't stop staring at the beautiful machine. I wonder if they're doctors.

Driving the highway stretch I make sure not to exceed the maximum speed of the tyre; 80 km/h.

As I pull into my driveway, the though occurs, perhaps nobody cares that I'm driving on a spare and most people even glance to notice.

As I'm unlocking my front door, I hear a child on a bicycle yell.

"Daddy, Daddy, Come see this funny little tire"