It was just a small piece of metal, lost among the pebbles on the front drive.
It was aware of a break. Only just aware, as it now took on a new and most separate life, and whatever its old life was, it was gone. Being hidden by earth and stones it was not likely to move around very much. Having thought that, the tiny item wondered why such a notion should occur to it. Maybe it had once been a part of something that moved. It knew it was small, not quite square and made of metal. Not that it really mattered now; what it was or what it had been. It would just lie here now, getting used to its new existence; although, it was curious…
Time passed, as time is apt to do, even for an apparently irrelevant bit of something. The day was losing its sun and there were comings and goings at the house. At the front door, looking out, the man called over his shoulder, “Is the lad home?” The woman inside, busy unpacking her weekend shopping replied. “No. Still out on his bike. He said he wouldn’t be late.”
None of this was of any interest to the piece of broken metal. In fact, the mere fact that it was just lying on the ground with little prospect of moving was taking on an annoying aspect regarding its current situation.
A short time later the boy returned, bringing with him a sound. A repetitive clicking, becoming louder as he approached. For the tiny piece on the ground this brought about a revelation. In an instant it realised that it was a metal tooth broken off the bike’s chain cog. It was thrilled with the newly found knowledge of where it came from, but at the same time saddened by the thought that it had been separated.
The boy knocked and his father came out. “My bike isn’t working properly,” was his glum greeting. His father looked the bike over. “There’s your problem’ he said, pointing to where the tooth was missing. “Can we fix it?” said the boy. His father shook his head. “Not really son, it’s pretty old. I think we need to get you a new bike, don’t you?” The boy clapped and grinned. His father went on. “We’ll take it to the recycling plant and buy you a new one at the same time.
The bike itself, being the larger of the two things separated, and with a greater sense of discovery, wondered where the other part was. It began taking in the other’s presence. Fortunately it was close. It could be managed…
When the time came, the bike was wheeled out to the front of the house where the utility vehicle sat. Quite naturally, it happened that the front tyre ran over the broken tooth, snagging it in its tread. Hence, it was all loaded into the back of the vehicle. They were happily together again.
Needless to say, the humans involved knew absolutely nothing of any of this. This sort of thing had always been, and will continue to be, totally beyond their understanding. There is little doubt that they will remain forever utterly oblivious to such things.