Bring Something Broken

Bianca has an old radio. It makes no sound. On Saturday morning, she takes it to the repair café. The café is in the town library. It has long tables and many tools. Volunteers fix things for free. People wait with tea and small cakes.

A tall man waves at her. "Hello. I am Cyrus. Please sit here." Bianca puts the radio on the table.

"It was my father's," she says.

"It is very old."

Cyrus opens the back. He looks inside for a long time. "One wire is loose," he says.

"This is easy."

"Easy?" Bianca says.

"I tried for a week."

Cyrus smiles. "Everything is hard until you see it." He holds the wire with a small tool. Then he turns a knob. The radio gives a loud noise. Then soft music fills the room.

Bianca laughs. "It works! Thank you!"

"Come back any time," Cyrus says.

"We are here every Saturday."

The next Saturday, Bianca comes again. She has a wobbly stool. Cyrus fixes it in ten minutes. They talk about stools and radios and the town. He likes jazz. She likes old songs. They both like strong tea.

Next, she brings a music box with no music. Cyrus finds a bent pin inside. Soon the box plays a slow tune. An older volunteer looks at them and smiles. She says nothing.

The week after that, Bianca brings a bicycle bell. It does not ring. Cyrus fixes it with one drop of oil. Bianca rings it three times. People at the next table laugh.

"You bring many broken things," the older volunteer says.

"Is your house full of them?"

"Yes," Bianca says. Her face goes red.

"Very full."

On Friday night, Bianca walks around her flat. She looks in every room. She wants one more broken thing. But the lamp works. The clock works. The door, the chairs, the window, the shoes, everything works. She sits on the bed. She feels a little silly.

On Saturday, she goes to the café with empty hands. She only takes her father's radio. It still plays well. Cyrus sees her and stands up. "Hello, Bianca. What is broken today?"

"Nothing," she says.

"I looked everywhere."

"Then why are you here?"

"For the tea," Bianca says.

"The tea is bad," says Cyrus. "Everyone knows that." They both laugh. Then Cyrus looks at his hands. He is quiet for a moment.

"Today I have a problem," he says.

"It is not a small one."

"Show me," Bianca says.

"I want to have dinner with you. But I do not have a plan. I do not know the place or the day."

Bianca looks at him. Then she looks at the older volunteer. The woman pretends to read a book. Bianca puts the radio on the table. She takes a pen from her bag. She writes a restaurant name on a paper napkin. Under it, she writes Sunday, seven o'clock.

"Is that a good plan?" Cyrus asks.

"It is an easy one," Bianca says.

"Everything is hard until you see it."