chapter 3

11.
What had compelled him to do this? Why had he noticed the lack of a chain connecting a child's dilapidated bike to the park bench it leaned upon? Why had he wanted to be certain no one was watching him? Why did he look around to make certain no one was watching him? Why did he approach the bike? Why did he climb aboard and tear his suit on the handlebar in the process? Why did he begin to peddle out of the park? Why was he asking himself these questions?

He arrived in front of his office building, pushed the bike through the doors and made an oddly affable grunting noise to the receptionist. She, as always, presented a huge synthetic smile which managed to leak the words,"Good morning Mr. Callahan," without breaking its deceptively smile-like shape. Callahan guided the bike (tassle only on the right handle)over the immaculate carpet, between the evenly spaced abstract paintings,and towards his distant office door. He was aware that this was the hour the janitor was in this wing of the building, and suddenly his purpose in life was to prevent the janitor from seeing the bike. He began running towards his door, looking over his shoulder, and searching for his office key simultaneously. By the time he arrived at the door he had conceded he had lost the key. But, not to be outdone by a door, he punched it, quite hard. The door, having been ajar, moved rapidly open until it drove into the janitor's face. The janitor fell to the ground clutching his injury. Callahan's first realization was that the janitor had yet to notice the bike at his side, his second was that there was some horribly jagged singing wafting from the street to his window, after that it was all instinct. He pushed the bike towards the glass sliding doors that led to the balcony. Of course, the janitor liked fresh air, so the doors where open, and, of course, the bike slid smoothly, perfectly upright out the doors and through the railing, at which point it began it's downward descent. Not very long later there was a surprisingly melodic crash, and with that as her cue, the woman had stopped singing.