from the book A double Irish and a Dutch
The next morning Avoka takes her bike that she had picked up the week before in the city store, a second-hand bike. She gets ready and opens the door, looking down into the big brown eyes of a young pony that is standing in front of her door. She thinks aloud, “What is this?” Somehow the pony must have been running away as there was a horse farm next to the huge park. Actually, the little pony got frightened when Avoka came with her bike and turned around.
Avoka gets on the bike and now the pony is running in front of her on the street. Of course, the traffic lights and any signs are of no interest to the pony, but it keeps the lanes quite well. At some point, the pony stops and she can get hold of it near the supermarket. Some people know the owners, giving them a call and taking care of it so Avoka can continue her trip to her workplace.
She passed the Busaras, the main bus station and toward the big corner suddenly her bike locks. The chain has dropped and Avoka is in the middle of a double lane street and a truck is moving toward her. She quickly gets off the bike, which is still locked; the wheel doesn’t spin. She quickly grabs the bike, running off the street as the truck is coming closer and closer. The truck rushes by. Safe at the boardwalk, Avoka tries to get the chain on again, but it seems hopeless. Her hands, meanwhile, are total black from the chain’s oil. She decides to leave the bike at the nearby bus stop and then walk the rest of the route. Of course, she is more than late and that is absolute not the impression she wanted to give. But taking a cab would cost too much and she thought it was not worth it, the way they acted on her, trying to get rid of her anyway.
At ten she arrived, walking in with her deep black hands, her colleagues, including the two new German guys, staring at her and shaking their heads like how could she do that, allowing her to come in late and then showing up with black hands.
She just laughs, passing the guys, her team leader looking at her. Avoka, while passing him and walking towards the toilet, lifts up her hands, hollering in a loud voice, “The bike chain dropped. I’m so sorry for the delay, but I could not call in.” Flashing her hands, covered with big oil bits, toward the team-leader, she adds, “I’m sure you understand.”
A bright smile rises on the team-leader’s face. The delay seemed to amuse him. Of course, this was playing into his hands, and seeing her with black hands was an extra, too. Okay, Avoka’s ‘business outfit’ is like John Fairchild says: “Style is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma.” She is dressed in an expensive silk business blouse, a bright pink rain jacket which Avoka puts on for not getting overlooked on the bike in the morning traffic, together with deep black oily hands and her long blond hair–one must confess this really looks kind of funny.
She washes the oil off and goes over to get a coffee in the well-equipped coffee corner, the best part in this office, giving her a little Starbucks feeling. The main company, the Internet guru, really is exceptional on that; there is everything from fresh fruits, muesli, cornflakes, muffins, fresh sandwiches, pancakes, fruit juices, sweets and coffee types including comfortable seating along the corridor.
Cavern comes over to Avoka. “Oh, I see you said your bike chain dropped?” He can’t hide his smile and continues, “There is actually a station in this area where they repair bikes.”
Avoka replies, “Thanks, Cavern, but I left the bike at the bus stop. I will bring it to the shop where I bought it. They know best probably; it’s halfway, anyway.”
Cavern says, “Yes, just for you to know they have a place to fix it, in case it happens again.”
He adds, “For the delay, I will not make a note.”
Avoka again apologizes and thanks him for making no official note, which of course was not necessary as they had already set their plan to make her fail the exam results and then kick her.
Office talks
Avoka walks over to her place, starting the system. Her new colleagues, who had had the training for the last two weeks and who had badly complained on Friday about how crap it was….
to be continued….
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Natalie Hush 