The blue paint caught our eyes and we wandered closer, wondering at the story behind the bike. Lonely, maybe forgotten, the bike stood next to a tree in a patch of forest, far from the nearest house. Someone had wrapped a chain around the frame and tree, securing the bike.
The knobby tires were sound, meant to be ripping through rough terrain. The paint unmarred by scratches and dents. No sign of identification or the reason the bike had been left. If you’re like me, you have questions! Why was the bike placed here? Could it have belonged to a homeless camper? Or was someone playing a rotten joke on the owner, stealing the bike and leaving it abandoned? Would they come back?
Two winters the bike stood next to the tree. The third year it disappeared just as silently as it arrived. Our questions remained unanswered.