I was seven years old. My life was going on; I was struggling with my classes. If I could get a five, which is the highest score at primary school, my father had promised me that he would buy me a bicycle at the end of the year. In those days, a bicycle was the most valuable thing in my life. My father was not well paid, and a bicycle was quite an expense for us. Therefore, it would be somewhat difficult for him to get one. However, I was sure that he would keep his promise. He had never disappointed me before. The expected day came and my teacher handed me my school report. When I saw that I had got a five in all my classes, I jumped up and rushed home to show my grades to my father.

I got home and looked everywhere for my father, but he was not at home. I waited for him until midnight , but there was no sight of him, so I went to bed. During the same night, I saw lots of bicycles in my dream. The next morning, my mother woke me up for breakfast. After washing my face, I saw my daddy sitting in his chair. My heart started beating faster than it usually does, and I began sweating. The bicycles I saw in my dream were pictured in front of me. All this made me shout Daddy! I sprinted over to hug him and remind him of his promise. He told me something that made me almost faint, as if I had lost one of my relatives . He said, I was not big enough to ride a bicycle because it was too dangerous for me. “You should wait a few more years,” he said. I burst out crying, and accused him of saying this to me so he would not have to spend the money on a bike. I did not talk to him for a month.

I sat on a curb everyday and watched other children riding their bicycles. One day, I was again watching them; they were intentionally riding near me to upset me. One of them rushed past at a high speed. Suddenly, a truck turned the corner and hit the child. The ground was covered with blood that was overflowing from his body. My father, who had seen the scene through the window, ran out to help the child. The child was taken to the hospital. He was paralyzed. I slowly but surely came to understand my father and his wisdom. The next morning, my father and mother approached me and we all embraced each other. My father asked if I could wait a few more years to get a bicycle. With watery-eyes, I said “yes”. Later, he told me a story that taught me a lesson: On a winter day, a bird was about to die freezing. A cow that was passing by it left its excrement on the bird; it covered its whole body and warmed it. If you look at the scene without considering the bird's situation, you would maybe think the cow's excrement made it dirty and awful. Some days later, a cat came and started cleaning off the excrement. You might think the cat is trying to help, but after uncovering the body of the bird, the cat began eating it.

After hearing this story, I realized my mistake. I then understood that, sometimes, things that seem good might be bad for us. And, sometimes, things that appear bad might actually be good for us. Several years later, my father fulfilled his pledge; interestingly, however, I did not desire the bicycle as much as I had in the past. I still remembered the lesson. Whenever we make a decision or endeavor to do something, we should try to see what might be hidden behind the curtain.