Grade-A Gawker

Today then, I will walk my bike for fifteen minutes, out the compound and down the road to get my tire fixed.  It’s been flat all winter.  It’s late afternoon but the little man, who usually takes care of these things, should be there. He should be on duty.  But he’s inconsistent and I have my doubts and it will be rather unfortunate to walk back home, still flat. 

I catch the eye of one of the security guards who has the hapless job of having to stand on the corner for eight hours, just in case.  He has a walkie-talkie and I ask him if he’ll call out to the guard who is on the outside corner within eyeshot of the bike man to see if he’s there, on duty.  He is willing to try and calls out commands into the walkie-talkie once, and then twice.  “He’s new.”  He explains.  “He’s not picking up.”  “Oh.  Ok.”

I arrive and spy the lady, not a fellow, indeed, she must be new, I don’t recognize her, who was supposed to pick up.  And I spy my bike man.  He points out that the rear tire is worn through. You’ll need more than a tube patch.  I ask and he confirms that he has a new tire.  First he patches the tube.  The tire will be more cash than I have on me.  I’m a bit surprsied but he isn’t interested in a ‘gladly-pay-you-Tuesday’ plan.  They lady who didn’t much understand walkie-talkies is grade-A gawker and she leaves her post and stares at the progress for the entire process, completely ignoring her ‘just-in-case’ post.

Later when I return from the gym, I have cash and he puts on a new tire.  Biking off its clear that he hasn’t set the wheel straight.  He fixes it.  Biking off again it becomes clear that the other tube he patched isn’t holding.  We’ll need a new inner tube on that one as well.  These are things he should have checked.  Usually he’s quite crisp.  I wonder why he was so sloppy today.  I ride off a third time, expecting surely, something to go wrong, once again. 

Saturday 6/02/18