“Get off of me”

“First she drops us and then sleeps on us?”

Sara lifted herself from the floor and looked at the boxes of cornflakes lying all around her. “Are you talking?”

“Yes. Of course we are talking. Now get off of us.”

“Wow! That’s incredible. Who else can talk?”

“Everyone and everything can. You wanted someone to talk to you. Here we are. Talk all you want.”

“It doesn’t feel safe over here. Can you park me over there?” Tangy (Sara’s bicycle) said pointing to a lonely spot in the distance.

“That far?” Sara was bewildered. “In fact that is a spot where you would most likely get stolen. You are safer here.”

“Can I get what I want?” Tangy replied firmly. “You and Rose always get to do whatever you want while I always miss out on the fun. Can you at least listen to me once?”

Rose (Sara’s flower) tried to warn her but Sara was in no mood to argue. She placed Rose in the pannier and climbed the bicycle to park it in the distance. No sooner had she done so than Tangy turned towards the store’s entrance door and said, “Sara, you have been anxious and worried too much and for far too long. You have stopped enjoying life and you have not let me enjoy either. Now we will end this. Prepare for fun.”

“No, no, no” screamed Sara but it was too late. Tangy had already started his mission. “What is wrong with you? Where are we going?”

“No questions. Just enjoy.” Tangy laughed.

And Tangy, with Rose in the pannier and Sara mounted on top, burst through the store’s entrance. The security personnel ran after Sara to catch her and get her to stop. What they didn’t know is that poor Sara wanted to do the same thing. She too wanted the bicycle to stop but Tangy was possessed. Tangy wanted his adventure.

Tangy drove through all the aisles of the store and crashed into several things as the guards helplessly chased after Sara. “Are you having fun?” Tangy asked as he picked up more pace.

“I can’t hear you.” Sara cried with the wind brushing wildly against her face. “What speed are we going at?”

Tangy laughed. Rose shook his head. Sara was busy apologising to all the other customers in the store as she drove past them at full speed.

“Stop, stop!” Sara screamed. “Please stop now!”

“You really want to stop? Aren’t you having fun?” Tangy said, hardly able to contain the fun he was having.

“Yes. Please stop.” Sara pleaded.

“As you wish, my lord.” And Tangy crashed into a rack full of cornflakes boxes as their exhilarating  ride came to an end. At that moment, as they were about to crash into the rack, Sara felt free and happy. She had no idea why.

“Mom, I’m going out,” Sara yelled from her room. “Is there anything you need?”

Her mom replied, “You should have told me. I just came home. I would have got your stuff. What is it that you are going out for?”

“Never mind.”

“Don’t forget to wear your mask.”

Sara grabbed her mask and her bicycle (Tangy) with her rose (Rose) in the pannier and off she went to buy a gift for Kai.

“Have you decided on something?” Rose inquired.

“Yes, I will get him chocolates,” answered Sara. “He loves chocolates more than anything and I am sure he will like my gift and then we can be friends again.”

Rose was delighted to hear that, “I am sure of that too. It sounds wonderful.”

“What do you think, Tangy?” Sara asked as they were slowly riding towards the store.

“Well I think you’ve gotten fat,” quipped Tangy. “You have been sitting at home and laying on bed all day. You have been munching because of your anxieties and you hardly get any exercise done. I can feel the extra weight of yours and I don’t like it.”

“I was talking about the gift idea, Tangy,” Sara retorted. “Anyway, I am happy with what we are about to do and nothing can spoil it.”

When they reached the store Sara parked Tangy along a row of other bicycles and said, “Tangy, you stay here. I’m taking Rose with me inside. We’ll be back soon.”

“No,” stomped Tangy. “I wanna go inside. I don’t want to stay here. Why does that stupid flower get to go inside?”

“Bicycles are not allowed inside the store,” Sara answered. “It’ll be just a couple of minutes. We’ll be back in no time.”

“She’s right, Tangy,” Rose added. “Rules are rules and I am not stupid. Nice flowers are not stupid.”

Tangy spoke in a tearful tone, “I never get to have fun. I get tied up like a monkey in a circus while Rose gets to fly around. This is so unfair.”

“Alright, I’ll untie you,” Sara took pity on him. “But you have to promise to stay here and be a good boy. You cannot come inside and we will be back quickly. Understand?”

“Poor Sara,” Tangy whispered to himself. “She doesn’t know what is going to happen to her.”

And Tangy gave an evil laugh. Sara was too happy to notice it but Rose did. Sara’s heart was going thump thump thump.