Meatless Days and Sunday Markets

On weekends, I’d pull on my shorts, jump on my bicycle, and head out to see an older cousin who lived a few streets away. The midday sun would leave the pavement steaming, the heat would make the tyres on my bike smell acrid. I loved riding my bike, because it meant I wasn’t reliant on my parents driving me, but when I turned twelve and got my period, everything changed. I was no longer allowed to wear my shorts when going out, and I wasn’t allowed to cycle on my own as much. It seemed as if all the rules had changed.