Scott Blue POV
Peter Ofgrace sold bikes to fill in the last ten or so years he has left to live. He has sons, I think two of them. They were in their early forties, but lived in difficult states, and have their own lives. Peter Ofgrace couldn't tell me exactly what his sons are like, or if they're married, or have kids. I think it's unfair that he still tries to ask me questions about my family.
One morning in early May, I came down stairs to microwave myself oatmeal in a can. This was part of the mornings now. Peter Ofgrace usually sits on the couch, watching the news while cutting up his Slim Jim into his scrambled eggs. "Good morning, kid!" He yells.
"Oh, yeah. Good morning, Peter Ofgrace." I answer as I watch the oatmeal spin in the microwave. I take it out and grab a glass of cranberry juice.
"Hey, kid?"
"Yeah?"
"What's the date?"
I look at the calendar and tell Peter Ofgrace, "It's May 5th."
"Ahhhh sh*t!" He swears. I quickly look back at him as he springs off of the couch.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"I have to call up my shipping partner. You could head off on the bike if you want." He explains while grabbing the phone.
"Okay. I'll be on the bike." I lied. Was I going to miss this chance? No! There's a reason that Peter Ofgrace doesn't want me in the room during his special phone calls. I was a minor. I bet you his phone calls are full of secret gossip, forbidden from a ten year old's ears.
It's also Mr Malute. If my cousins in Tennessee exposed Mr Malute's secrets, then anything could happen.
I listen outside the door as Mr Malute says, "Hiiii. You never called. I was beginning to worry."
"I'm sorry? What was that?"
"No, no, no, no, Calter! How far are you moving away?"
"But you're popular with the kids! The kids.... the kids loved you! You let them... you let them find out?!"
I place the bike against the wall and lean closer to the door quietly. What did Henry and Roy do?
"You can't give up on me, Calter! No! Please! Calter Malute! No!" Peter Ofgrace kept the phone to his ear.
Mr Malute betrayed him!
The kids from Ashtray Elementary must be so heartbroken that the popular teacher is leaving! He has only been a teacher for two years! I sure hope that Henry and Roy are happy with themselves.
I wasn't paying attention so I didn't know the bike was on a bad angle. It collapsed loudly, so in a panic, I took it and rolled away.
I return around noon when the bike shop was running, but as I go through the garage to get inside, I can see the amount of bikes were decreasing.
"You used to have a lot of bikes." I tell Peter Ofgrace later that day while we went out to the flea market to shop for antiques, as Peter Ofgrace likes doing.
"I used to?" He questions obliviously while he peaks around at old landscape paintings.
"There were so many when I first saw your garage." I watch in anticipation for him to talk about how Mr Malute used to steal bikes for him. Even if he doesn't know that I know Mr Malute, he still might talk about him. You never know.
Nothing about that really happened though. Peter Ofgrace was really angry today, but tried to act normal and nice because he has a secret.
As the days fly by, I go for a spin on the bike, as I come back to the garage to sneak past Peter Ofgrace while he charges kids for stolen bicycles, I can't help but to think how he doesn't know that I caused Mr Malute to betray him, and so that means the bike shortage is my fault?
