Abandoned Bicycles

By: Nasir Fethi

Translator: Kurdistan Hajebi

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I’ve always been wondered where those bicycles came from, here and there, on the side of streets and roads of this city, tied, punctured and rusty, abandoned without any owner!

what happened to their owner? finally I found the answer today.

yesterday in the evening, when I got to the market and tied my bicycle to a bar, a beautiful gentle German woman, unfamiliar came to me and held my hand and told: “let’s go”.

this morning when I came to my bicycle I saw both of its ring were beaten and wheels were punctured, then its chain and lights were taken out.

inevitably, I had to come back home by bus, in the bus and on the way back of home, people were looking at me oddly. their faces were full of curiosity and doubt as if I was the only refugee in this city or maybe a famous person and I haven’t know!

when I got home, entered the key into the door and went into home, I saw except my desk and writing, the home design and furniture had been changed totally. Neither my wife nor my little daughter weren’t home.

there was a book on the desk which had my photo on its cover.

The name of the book was “Abandoned Bicycles”. my name was written as the author and my daughter as a collector of my books.

I turned the pages. The first story was begun as this: “the short story of [abandoned bicycles]”. ve always been wondered where those bicycles came from, here and there, on the side of streets and roads of this city, tied, punctured and rusty, abandoned without any owner! 

when I got to the end of the story, I remembered that yesterday was going to end my story, I’ll end it in a different way tomorrow; not such as today!