Notions of a Bicycle (part four)

The vibrating noise has finally stopped. Everything is still and quiet now. Questions begin to rise silently from the others.

Jostling again. A tossing about. A yell and a shout.

A lone object moves among us. It travels hurriedly, and it strongly desires to be at a far-away location. The being acts impatient and uncaring.

Six of us are transported by this object for a short distance. It activates its sticks, forcing us along to a staging area. It wants nothing more than to be done with this assigned task.

As the frail sticks labor together, its thoughts drift elsewhere. The entity is desperate to score some illicit item. Another strange idea, and a stranger thing it wishes for. I have much to learn.

One of the brothers next to me agrees, yet we all smile in anticipation: we know that our release is eminent.

Motions cease. I hear another world slide by me, and then a muffled thump. A sister is laid on one side. A brother is roughly placed above her. Then another, and then two more.

I am the last and put on top.

The object picks up a tool…no, a weapon, as he imagines, and then it hurriedly begins to slice through my outer wrap. An end flap of my world then opens up, allowing light to stream in. Fresh cool air follows the light. An unseen force grabs my front foot, and I am jerked forward, wrestled and pulled. My shoulder rubs hard against the sides of my inner world, and then suddenly I am extracted by the strange-looking component. It sets me on a hard surface, kicks my third leg into position, and then stands me aside.

My front foot is out of kilter with my shoulders, which swing about loosely. Connections have lost all of their tightness. One of my feet has gone flat. My disarray doesn’t seem to bother the object.

My Old World is tossed aside. The tool then slashes into the next sister’s outer barrier. Light rudely invades her cradle, and then she too is removed and stood up. Her fears immediately climb to new heights while I try to focus on wonders the future might hold. The thing continues to work fast and without any regard.

As it stands the last of us up, another object arrives on scene. This one advances on its own set of sticks and it acts unruffled. A near-by sister begins to moan softly.

The first object wants to leave here. It has no idea that I know about the weapon it concealed. It hid the device moments ago in a slit where the walking sticks connect, and now it attempts to obscure the fact by applauding the other one with loud sounds from its fluctuating gap, as well as making motions with its two upper sticks.

Deception; a feigned interest in the other – I see through this ploy so easily and wonder why the pleasant one does not. Then I feel the focus of its attention on me: it was not even listening to the dishonest unit.

Continuing to demonstrate the most meticulous care, it fastens and adjusts and tightens me just where I need it. My shoulders feel right again. An ample hiss from a long tube, and then my foot feels firm once more. It takes time and shows attention to detail for not only its duty, but for us as well. It gains our respect. It is repeatedly called Juan by the gesticulating object.

Suddenly the Juan surprises me with an over-powering wish. It want the other object to go jump into what appears to be a large body of water. What is the significance of that, I wonder?

Yes, these objects are very odd, indeed, and I anticipate learning more about them in the future, for us bicycles are a curious lot, and keenly aware.