Saturday, July 15, 2006

Abandoned


Was it once propped up, this epitome of efficient transport, its pedal resting resolutely upon the kerb?

Then did a truck pass, or perhaps the 551 to Evesham (via Fladbury), the gently swirling summer zephyr swelling to a mighty gale, the cycle buffeted, lurching, plummeting?

The plastic bag, a poor companion to its sturdier cousin, might have swayed the balance. We can only guess what it contains - five pound of spuds, a library book, a can of paint, a pair of resoled shoes? Such weighty things could easily disturb the precious equilibrium.

Or was the bike abandoned, flung down, wilfully cast aside, its rider running up the street, spying a long-lost love, a thief, some bargain knitwear? Did the mirror bounce dangerously upon the unforgiving pavement, flex, twist, compress, think shattering thoughts?

We cannot tell. We did not witness this transitory event, not I, nor my fellow traveller, behatted, sun-starved, lurking coolly beneath the shadowing tree.

It just happened, one warm summer’s morning, in a market town, somewhere in England. No earths were shattered. Beyond, at home and abroad, in other sunny climes, much darker tragedies unfolded.

8 comments:

Flea said...

No Dave, they just ran into the bakery for some fresh french stick, right there on the right is the shop, can't you smell the fresh baked bread? And then off course the heavy thick novel in the bag pulled it off balance when the truck passed it (driving over the speed limit - deliveries are late) and the shock wave of the after draft pushed it over...you should've aksed earlier and I could have told you all about it :)

Peter Bryenton said...

Very neat cycling duo, top left of frame, Dave.

Pauline said...

An inadvertent three - the two visible cyclists and the missing one! Even when you don't try...

It must be as Hannelie says - I'd ditch my bike for warm, fresh bread, too.

Josephine said...

I love this imagination! 'darker tragedies unfolded'...indeed.

Susan Lucente said...

Are you sure the poor guy wasn't hit by a speeding motorist? I think that's him laying way over there across the sidewalk!

Canbush said...

Hannelie - how did you know, were you there. There is a bakery on the right, in fact two, I should have realised.

Peter - I couldn't fit them in the narrative and thought of giving them the crop but it would have been too cruel.

Pauline - so would I, anytime

Thanks, Josephine. I sat down to write last night with silliness in my head and out it came. Today I have nothing. That's life.

Canbush said...

Susan - let's not get carried away!!

Flea said...

LOL, it was a wild guess!