A View From The Handlebars

Act 1

Scene 1

(The setting is a small apartment in Brooklyn. Eddie is sitting on a chair, lovingly polishing his fixed gear bike, Bianca. Catherine enters, carrying groceries.)

Catherine: Eddie, you’ve been spending all your time with that bike again.

Eddie: (Looking up, dreamily) Oh, Catherine, you wouldn’t understand. Bianca is not just a bike; she’s a work of art, a masterpiece of engineering.

Catherine: But Eddie, you haven’t even touched your dinner. You used to love my cooking.

Eddie: (Absentmindedly) Sorry, Catherine. I’m just not hungry. I’ve been thinking about taking Bianca out for a ride tonight.

Catherine: (Sighs) I just don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with that bike.

Eddie: (Passionately) Catherine, Bianca is more than just a bike to me. She’s my soulmate, my partner in crime. When I’m riding her, it’s like I’m flying.

Catherine: (Rolls her eyes) Flying? Eddie, you’re being ridiculous.

(Eddie goes back to polishing Bianca, ignoring Catherine’s protests.)

Scene 2

(Beatrice enters the room, carrying a laundry basket.)

Beatrice: What’s going on in here?

Catherine: It’s Eddie and his bike again.

Beatrice: Eddie, you need to come to dinner. You can’t keep neglecting your health like this.

Eddie: (Defensively) I’m fine, Beatrice. Bianca takes care of me.

Beatrice: (Sighs) Eddie, I’m worried about you. You’re not acting like yourself.

Eddie: (Gently) Beatrice, you don’t understand. Bianca is everything to me. She’s the only one who truly gets me.

Beatrice: (Exasperated) Eddie, Bianca is just a bike. You need to snap out of it before you lose sight of what’s really important.

(Eddie glares at Beatrice, but she stands her ground.)

Scene 3

(Marco and Rodolpho enter the apartment, carrying tools.)

Marco: Hey, Eddie, we heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with your bike.

Eddie: (Defensively) Yeah, so what?

Marco: (Shrugs) Nothing, just curious. I didn’t know you were into bikes.

Eddie: (Eagerly) Oh, Marco, let me show you Bianca. She’s the most beautiful bike you’ve ever seen.

(Marco and Rodolpho exchange confused glances as Eddie leads them over to Bianca.)

Rodolpho: (Politely) She’s… nice.

Eddie: Nice? Rodolpho, you don’t understand. Bianca is a fixed gear masterpiece. She’s sleek, she’s fast, she’s… perfect.

Marco: (Trying to change the subject) So, Eddie, you want to come over later and watch the game?

Eddie: (Shaking his head) Sorry, Marco. I’ve got plans with Bianca tonight.

(Marco and Rodolpho exchange worried looks as Eddie goes back to polishing his bike.)

Act 2

Scene 1

(The next day. Eddie is out for a ride on Bianca, revelling in the feeling of freedom. Suddenly, he hears a loud noise and sees a car swerving towards him.)

Eddie: (Panicked) Bianca, look out!

(He swerves to avoid the car but loses control and crashes to the ground. Bianca lies mangled on the pavement, her frame bent and her wheels twisted.)

Eddie: (Grieving) No, Bianca, no! How could this happen?

(He kneels beside Bianca, tears streaming down his face.)

Catherine: (Running over) Eddie, are you okay?

Eddie: (Choking back tears) No, Catherine. Bianca’s gone.

Catherine: (Hugging him) I’m so sorry, Eddie.

(Scene fades to black.)

Scene 2

(A few days later. Eddie is sitting in his apartment, staring at Bianca’s broken frame.)

Beatrice: Eddie, I know you’re hurting, but you must let Bianca go.

Eddie: (Tearfully) I can’t, Beatrice. She was everything to me.

Beatrice: (Gently) Eddie, Bianca was just a bike. You can’t let her death consume you like this.

Eddie: (Sobs) But she wasn’t just a bike to me, Beatrice. She was my love, my passion, my reason for living.

Beatrice: (Softly) Eddie, I think it’s time for you to get some help. You can’t go on like this.

(Eddie nods, tears still streaming down his face.)

Scene 3

(A few weeks later. Eddie is sitting in a support group for people who have lost loved ones.)

Eddie: (Speaking tearfully) I never realised how much Bianca meant to me until she was gone. I miss her every day, but I know I need to move on.

Group Leader: (Nods) That’s the first step, Eddie. You’re making progress.

(Eddie looks around at the other members of the group, feeling a sense of belonging for the first time in weeks.)

Eddie: (Smiling through tears) Thank you, everyone. I don’t know what I would do without you.

(Scene fades to black as the group embraces.)

The End.