Vin glanced up at the clock and prepared to leave for the day.
"See you tomorrow, JD?"
"Bright and early!"
"Just be awake when I get there. You still on, Josiah?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
Buck perked up. "What's goin' on?"
JD smiled. "'Bike to Work' Week. We're gonna give it a try tomorrow
morning."
Buck smirked. "Don't think I need to ask about Ezra. Nathan and Chris
joinin' you?"
JD shook his head. "Chris has an early meeting."
"And Nathan," Vin added, "stretched a tendon last night, so
he ain't goin'."
"You didn't ask me," Buck said petulantly.
Vin shrugged. "Didn't think you'd be up for it. After all, ain't you
got another birthday comin' up?"
"You suggestin' I'm old?"
Vin scratched his chin absently. "Didn't say a word."
"Well, then, I'll just see you in the mornin'...Boy," Buck added
teasingly.
The morning was cold but not intolerable. Buck didn't recall the last time
he'd rolled out of bed this early but, if he had, it had to be a time when the
building was on fire, because he was more certain than ever that he was not
a morning person.
"Buck, what the hell are you wearin'?" JD looked at him in
surprise as the ladies man pulled a Giant hybrid bicycle from the back of his
car.
"I got my clothes in my locker at work. 'Sides...Aincha never seen
bike shorts afore?"
"Sure," grinned Vin from his Trek, "but that's usually when
it's above 50 degrees."
"It'll warm up later."
"We ain't ridin' that long," pointed out Josiah as he mounted up
his Specialized and started to pedal into the street. JD followed behind on a
GT.
They made the first 3 miles without incident, even though Buck had a habit
of slowing down. Vin dropped back beside him.
"Havin' trouble?"
"Not at all."
"Mind speedin' up so the rest of us can get to work while we still
have our youth?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Vin Tanner, I'm wearin' bike shorts.
Spandex ones. I'm just givin' the ladies time to admire the view."
Vin sighed and shook his head. "Whatever you say," he said,
pedaling to catch up to the others.
Suddenly Buck stopped with a loud curse. The others braked sharply.
"Somethin' wrong?" JD asked, and immediately knew the answer.
Buck's rear tire was flat as a pancake.
Vin came over with a patch kit and started to help, but Buck waved him off
in exasperation.
"I'm not old and I'm not helpless," he cried. "I can do
this. Just...gimme room."
Josiah smiled. "Buckley, ya gotta take a Zen-like attitude toward this
whole thing. Just do what needs doing because you can't change what is."
Buck loosened the safety catch on his quick-release rear wheel and began to
tug at the rim.
"Damn thing won't come off," he grunted.
"Um...Buck..." JD suppressed a grin. "You have to take the
brake off, too. You know how to change a tire, right?"
Buck paused to look at him. "I know that! Don't you think I know that?
I was going to that NEXT."
He glared at them a moment, then loosened the brake and removed the tire,
giving them all a look of triumph. "Now, Mr. Smarty, I use this here
QuikStick thingy to loosen the tire, take out the old tube, put on a new tube
and voila!"
The others looked away, trying to conceal their laughter, as Buck pulled a
coiled-inner tube and CO2 cartridges out of his seat pack.
They watched patiently as Buck loosed the tire from the rim and pulled out
the ruined tube. "Prob'ly a snake bite," he said, as he pushed the
new tube into the tire.
He attached the CO2 cartridge and quickly began to inflate the tire.
"Probably," JD agreed. "But you'd want to check it to make
sure. Could be a piece of glass or a nail--"
"If it was, I'm sure I'd a' seen it in the tire by now, JD--" He
stopped short when he noticed the tube had suddenly stopped inflating. He
squinted closely at the tire. "A THORN??"
Vin smiled. "And you inflated the tube right onto it, didn't ya?"
Buck cursed again and pulled the popped tube out of the tire. He felt an
overwhelming urge to fling the rim as far as he could.
"Here. Take mine." Josiah handed him another tube. "You
know, Buck, the Zen masters would say that getting angry over it won't do you
any good. You'll just bend that rim, and then you'll REALLY be out of luck.
Perspective, Buck, perspective."
"You and your Zen masters," groused Buck, as he put on the new
tube. He was in a hurry now. They were getting later and later and the later
they arrived at work, the less understanding Chris was going to be.
He attached a second CO2 cartridge and began to inflate the second tire.
"See? All I needed was a little practice. Ain't had to do this in
awhile--"
"Watch it, Buck--!"
Vin's warning came too late. The tire wasn't all the way on and the black
tube was squeezing its way out like a fat sausage.
Before Buck could let air out of the valve, there was a loud POP and the
tube deflated.
JD sighed, watching Vin give up his spare inner tube. "You're sure
you've done this before?"
"YES!"
Josiah looked doubtful. "Like this?"
Buck fumed but pulled out the ruined tube with more force than was
necessary.
"Remember, Buck," offered Josiah. "Zen. Be mindful. Getting
angry will just cause you to make mistakes." He shot a warning look at
Vin and JD, both of whom looked tempted to add "Like now."
Buck took a deep breath, and stared hard at the tire, concentrating on what
he was doing. At last the tube and tire were on.
"Anyone got another CO2 cartridge?"
Vin, JD, and Josiah looked at each other and shook their heads. Finally
Josiah handed Buck a collapsible pump.
"Sorry, Brother, best I got."
Buck sighed. Why NOT. He sat down and began to pump vigorously until as
last the tube was inflated and they were ready to roll.
Buck tested his tires with a triumphant smile. "There!"
"We are so late," Vin muttered as the four of them began to pedal
hell for leather.
"And so dead," added JD.
Buck threw a glance at Josiah as he pedalled alongside. "Told you I
knew what I was doing. What would your Zen masters say to that?"
Josiah looked at Buck, covered in dirt, road dust, and bicycle grease and
just shook his head.
"I think at this point, they'd say to just give it up and take the
car."
The End
