KARSTEN MIRANDA
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There’s been a gentle buzz in Nuvem these past few days, the kind that starts with a faint sound and a few curious glances before settling into lo cal conversation. It began with a soft hum moving along the village lanes, followed by the sight of a boy on what looked like a regular Hercules bicy cle. Only a closer look revealed the surprise: a tidy, bright red two-stroke weed-cutter en gine fitted to the frame, giv ing the cycle an unmistakable powered glide. People began to take notice. Not crowds, not onlookers gath ering, just everyday passersby pausing long enough to ask what they were seeing. Commut ers slowing for a second look, walkers turning their heads, drivers pulling over briefly out of curiosity. One such passerby hap pened to be Larson D’Sa, a well known name in the ship and solar industry, who was driving through when the unusual ma chine zipped past. Intrigued, he stopped to speak with the boy and later said it was “wonderful to see a youngster with such tal ent and initiative.” His reaction added a small but meaningful spark to the story, recognition from someone who understands innovation. The young creator is Waren Antonio Fernandes, a Class 9 student of Fr Angel Multipurpose High School, Verna. Waren lives with his parents, Roque Carmo Fernandes and Williana Sequeira, in the Nuvem–Guirim area of Sal cete. Soft-spoken and matter-of-fact, he explains that the motorised bicycle began as his entry for the school’s au tomobile project. “I decided to convert a normal bicycle into an engine-assisted one,” he says, describing how he wanted to build something that actually worked on the road. “I felt a weed-cutter engine would fit the cycle best,” he adds, recalling how he and his father looked at pictures on line before deciding on the parts. “We ordered all the parts online,” he says. The assembling happened at home, where his father, an AC and refrigeration technician, assisted him and later credited his son for coming up with the idea and taking the lead on the build. Waren has been riding the bicycle around the area, and those who happen to cross his path often stop him to ask how it works or how he built it. “My neighbours and friends liked it a lot,” he says. “They asked me and my Dada many questions.” What began as a school assignment has quietly turned into something more personal, a modest project that has sparked curiosity, encouraged conversations, and hinted at the kind of creativity that grows when a young mind is giv en the freedom to experiment. Waren already has plans for what comes next. He hopes to upgrade to a 100cc engine and explore what else he can improve. For now, though, his bright red engine and his quiet confidence have added an unexpected note of inven tion to Nuvem, the sort of buzz that begins with one teen ager, one idea, and one modified bicycle humming down a familiar road.
