Good Business

To keep my bike business sustainable I play it safe, think of it like fishing, never overfishing any one pond; I stay around one campus for a while, blend in, then move on to another, never taking too much at any one time. Sitting on a bench or on library steps or against a tree in the lawn, I’m just another student studying for classes in the fall air, except I don’t go to classes- I’m in my work zone; I study the bike racks, assess the rolling stock, observe the people that leave their bikes there, philosophize at the temporary nature, the fallacy and futility, of ownership.

Here’s a bike of interest; it’s gorgeous, great paint, elegant lines, its beauty in its solid practicality, and already I am thinking that this Morgan horse of a bike might have to end up in my personal stable, already I’m noticing that the girl dismounting is about my size, I’m thinking this bike should be a good fit.

I say nice bike and she beams, obviously proud of it and tells me it’s the nicest thing she’s ever owned, that she saved and saved for it, figures this is her main means of transportation for a long while, around campus and to her three jobs that are putting her through college, tells me all this as she is securing her prize possession with a cable and padlock. It’s a solid padlock but it won’t take much to get through that cable, not much at all, so I go to another bike at the rack, unzip the handlebar bag and fish out the key for the u-lock, then give that u-lock and key to the girl, and I show her the best way to use them to discourage thieves.

She is so thankful and I just laugh and point out that the lock is more valuable than the bike it came from, then I disappear, knowing it has to be a catch and release day.

****

This Six Sentence Story is a continuation of Cutting Loose that originated from a Carrot Ranch prompt and was pushed further  by Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie . Link up and leave a six sentence story at GirlieOntheEdge’s blog. The prompt word is zone. Six sentences, no more, no less.