The Bike in the Park

Where'd the owner go?

For two days now, Samuel walked by the kid’s bike laying by the gigantic City Park sign. One tire was white rimmed and the other black, and the bike seemed to be in working order. There it was, turned over on its side as if a kid had gotten off it, let it drop, and jumped in the lake, never to be heard from again.

“Kids these days,” Samuel said to himself, but it bothered him. “Pfft.”

He first thought of taking the bike home and putting it up for sale on a local classified ads site, but there were too many unknowns for that to happen.

What if the kid just forgot it and reported it stolen?

What if something nefarious happened to the kid and the police reviewed local surveillance coverage of the area to discover Samuel took it home?

So, Samuel did the only logical thing in his mind, he called 9-1-1.

“What is the nature of your emergency?” the operator asked.

“I’d like to report a missing kid.”

“May I have your name, and the name and description of your child?”

“I don’t know what the kid looks like, but I think it’s a boy.”

The operator paused and said, “You mean, he’s not your child?”

“No, you don’t understand. I’m looking at his bike right now, but he’s nowhere to be found. I’ve seen it here for two days now. Bikes just don’t come to the park and drop themselves off.”

“So,” the operator said. “You don’t even know that there’s someone missing?”

“Yeah, that’s about it. Tragic, isn’t it?” said Samuel.

“Then what are you calling about?”

“Well, if someone reported someone missing, you could let them know the kid dropped off his bike at the Shadow Heights Park.”

“As far as I can tell, sir, nobody’s been reported missing these last three days.”

“How do you propose we solve this, Ma’am?”

“I don’t think it’s up to us to solve, sir. I will note that a bike has been found and…”

“O, o, o wait a second,” said Samuel. “Here comes a boy now with a man who looks like he may be his father. He’s got a tent and sleeping bags with him. Hey, I didn’t know you could camp here. That’s news to me.”

“And to me as well,” said the operator.

“Yep, he’s making a beeline right to the bike – must be his.”

“That’s good to hear, I think.”

“Yeah, takes a load of worry off my mind, that’s for sure.”

The operator said, “And mine.”

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