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Buying a Bicycle


Returning to the subject of bicycles I pointed out to Joe that we would freeze to death trying to bicycle anywhere on night like this. He was thinking however of those long summer evenings we seemed to spend hanging around awful bus stations.

There was a long pause while we thought of the many hours spent in those somewhat soulless, drab and usually empty, bus depots.

I do not know if we just travelled at odd times but they always did seem empty. Except for that odd looking man in the dirty beige raincoat with a carrier bag who always seems to be lurking about at the far end of the building. I sometimes wondered if he was following us about or perhaps it is some kind of legal requirement bus stations have to provide, like fire extinguishers or the colour grey.

Joe started talking about cycling down country lanes, listening to the birds singing, the warm summer sunshine. I told Joe not to overplay it as he had got me a little interested and if he made it sound too good, I would think there must be some catch to it. Joe could not any problem but Joe never saw any problem about anything.

There was the small matter of sheer physical effort getting the thing going I said, also didn't you have to wear silly cloths.

" Gears." said Joe.

" What ever you call it, it is still silly gear you have to ware to ride a bike." I said.

" Gears on the bike." Joe pointed out. " There is not so much effort in it these days because of gears on the bike."

Half convinced I conceded.

Buying a bike is easy, you walk into a shop and say " I want to buy a bicycle " the assistant then says, " yes of course sir what colour " then you say " that colour " pointing to a bright red one. He then wraps it up and you take it away.

That is how you buy a bicycle, or that is how I thought you bought a bicycle, it turns out that life is not that easy. At least it was not that easy for us.


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Short Story Series - Abridged from the book - The Tatty Nickers © Tony on the Moon