A story in which our hero has bike stolen, reported, and replaced in record time

i bike to the train station every day to get to work. as i am not a morning person, this often entails me pedaling like a madwoman, chucking my bike into the bike lot, paying the attendant the 100 yen fee, and dashing to the platform. today was one such day, and as occasionally happens, i was in such a rush i left my bike keys in the bike.

i realized this on the train ride home. no biggie, i thought, the key will be there in the lot when i arrive.

accept it wasn't there. and neither was my bike.

after giving the whole lot the twice and thrice over, i walk over to the police box by the station. i tell the tv-watching officer on duty i believe my bike's been stolen. he tells me to go talk to the station folks. i can tell he just doesn't want to deal with me. still, i go over to the ticket booth at the station and explain again what's happened. this gentleman tells me the parking lot is the town's, and i'll have to talk to someone who works for the town.

exasperated sigh.

rather than running in any more circles, i call my Board of Education. my supervisor isn't in, but Azumi-san, who went on the ski trip to Nagano, talks to me. i explain about my bike, and he says start walking home, he'll call me back.

frustrated and upset, i start walking home. i'm thinking i'll probably be spending the better part of the evening trying to explain this to other people at my B.o.E, possibly even the police. tears don't fall, but there's a sting at the back of my eyes as i start to think about having to walk to the station for the next week or so at the very least.

before i even get all the way home, Nakatsuka-san, the B.o.E. chief, calls me. he asks where i am, and i tell him i'm walking home still. he asks me what i'm near and to wait there. alright.

after leaning on the wall of Uni Qlo for no more than 5 minutes, Azumi and Nakatsuka show up in a van together. With a bicycle in the back.

i'm in total disbelief as they pull it out of the van, explain that this is just an old bike the B.o.E. has, but it's mine to use for now. if it weren't a strange and probably discomforting thing for them, i would have hugged them both. i can't believe how generous and how fast they are. a B.o.E. i often complain about for its slowness and inefficiency. total shock.

i bow and bow and bow, say my osewaninarimashitas, and they humbly accept my thanks, saying how it's just an old bike, no big deal. then they get back into the van, and ride my new bike the rest of the way home.

and that's another one for the "only in Japan" book.