Stand beside the bicycle rack. You may sit if the bench is free.
At the first minute, listen for the chain settling against the frame. If there is no sound, notice the space where you expected one.
At the second minute, look at the workshop door. Do not decide that the door is slow. It may be doing something you cannot see.
At the third minute, shift your weight from one foot to the other. Or keep still. Both actions count as waiting, although one may make you feel more involved.
At the fourth minute, notice the sound from inside the workshop. It may be a tool, a door, or a chair moved across the floor. Do not decide that the sound is about your bicycle.
If you have brought a receipt, take it out. Read the line that names the repair. Fold the paper along a crease you have already made, or leave it flat. The words do not make the mechanic finish sooner.
At the fifth minute, the person beside you checks the shop window. You may ask whether they are waiting for the same thing. They may say no. They may be waiting for a phone call, a wheel, a person who has gone in to ask a question. Let the answer remain the size it was given.
When the workshop door opens, listen for the name that is called. If it is not yours, look at the ground or keep looking at the door. You do not need to applaud the person who leaves with a working bicycle.
At the sixth minute, inspect the rack. A lock loops through one frame; a second bicycle leans on its stand; the spaces between them are not a queue. If your own bicycle is still behind the door, keep your hands where they are.
At the seventh minute, if you hear a tool stop, count to three before deciding what the pause means. It may be a change of tool, a question, or someone going to wash their hands. You do not need to choose among them.
You may rehearse what you will ask about the repair. You may not know the right technical word. Ask what has been replaced, what has been adjusted, or what still needs attention. The mechanic can show you the part. The part can remain a part.
If the wait extends, begin again at the first minute, or stop reading. This score does not require you to keep time. A watch may help you decide when to leave; it cannot tell you what the workshop has finished.
When a person leaves the shop carrying a wheel, let them pass without assigning the wheel a future.
At any minute, you may check your phone. You may also choose not to. Neither choice reveals your character.
If a bicycle bell rings, identify the direction. Do not look for the bicycle unless you want to.
When your name is called, you may answer at once or allow the syllables to finish crossing the room.
Take the bicycle by the handlebars. Test the brakes before you leave. This instruction is not optional.
Outside, the front wheel turns once before you mount. Watch it, if you like. The circle is the same size as before; your attention has changed its position.
No published comments yet.