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The Borrowed Bicycle

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Ben looks at a fallen bicycle outside a cafe while an apologetic delivery driver stands beside a heavy cardboard box.

Ben borrowed his friend Oliver's bicycle for a weekend trip. Oliver had spent months repairing it, and he asked Ben to be careful. Ben promised that he would.

On Saturday afternoon, Ben left the bicycle outside a cafe. When he returned, it was lying on the ground. A delivery driver said that a heavy box had fallen against it. The driver apologised and offered to pay for the damage.

The wheel was bent. Ben took the bicycle to a repair shop, where the mechanic offered to replace it with a newer one. The replacement would cost less than repairing the original wheel. Ben almost agreed. Oliver might never notice the difference.

Instead, he phoned his friend and explained what had happened. There was a short silence. Then Oliver asked him to keep the damaged wheel.

"My father taught me to repair bicycles with that one," Oliver said. "I'd rather try fixing it."

On Sunday, Ben helped Oliver in his garage. The wheel still needed more work when they finished, but Oliver thanked him for calling. Ben realised that he had borrowed more than a way to get around.

Words in paragraphs you spend time reading are added to Seen, once per text per UTC day. This estimates exposure, not understanding.

Check your understanding

1. Why does Oliver want to keep the damaged wheel?
2. What does Ben consider doing before he calls Oliver?
3. What does Ben understand by the end?

Original AI-assisted fiction. CEFR levels are estimates.

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