As everyone knows from following me on Facebook and Twitter and Myspace, my little Chevy Blazer Bella is a pain in my ass. I've sunk more money into the truck than I paid for her a year ago by threefold. Why do I keep doing this you ask? 2 very simple reasons, 1. I don't have the upfront cash to buy another vehicle and 2. It's become my obsession to not let this truck beat me. I will own this truck for as long as I live because of that second reason and I'm not joking. It's become an all out cat fight between her and I and I haven't lost to another bitch yet! I don't plan on starting now.
I was having problems with her this summer and I brought Bella down to my friend Nate who in turn took me down the road to an auto shop owned by a friend of his family. Nate vouched for me and the owner took pity and worked out a payment plan to get my truck fixed. Since that day Bella has gone to no other auto shop.
The shop is called "Old Man's Garage". It's a small 2 bay shop with a tiny office/waiting area that's usually packed to capacity with customers, mechanics, friends of the shop and owner. There's always a fresh hot pot of coffee on and if you ask nicely and the guys like you they may just tell you where they hide the styrofoam coffee cups. At any given time you walk in, some of the guys are bickering and they are always throwing good natured jibes at each other, there are raunchy jokes being tossed back and forth about each others mom, wife, girlfriend or imaginary gay lover. There's always a conversation about racing, generally 1/4 mile drag but every now and again they'll fade into other types.
The owner is Shorty. A very literal nickname as he's roughly a foot shorter than anyone else at the shop however, a bigger man you have never encountered. No person that I have had the pleasure of meeting in this world has a bigger heart, is as honorable, loyal, loving, caring, sympathetic. I can't find the words to describe what a wonderful light Shorty has and is in this world. You see I'm nothing to Shorty, he doesn't know my family and I know none of his. I am a friend of his friends son, just any other girl off the street. He owes me nothing. Yet Shorty continually goes out of his way to make sure that my Bella is running tip top, he works with me on payments if I can't pay my bill all up front which is usually the case since the damn truck can't break when I get paid! He always makes me and Bella a priority because he knows that I have to wait for her and tries to ensure that the office is just a bit warmer when I'm there. He does little things like this to make it just a bit more comfy when I'm there and I think he hopes that no one notices because it would embarrass him for someone to see his little gestures of affection. He has to wear hearing aids and if you ask any man in that shop, it's selective hearing that he suffers from because he may not hear you talking if the shop is loud but damned if he can't hear you screwing up or screwing off over all that noise! And he can hear American Muscle coming from miles away in the Summer! He lives to race in the warmer months so don't try to bring your vehicle in on a Saturday or Sunday when it's nice because you won't find Shorty there, he's already at the track with his babies. Walk in to the shop office and look up on the walls and you will see his collection of pictures and some of his trophies. His heart and soul are in those pictures with him and in his trophies.
I don't know everyone's names, I'm horrible with names. There's always 5 guys or more just hanging out having coffee, smoking cigarettes and joking back and forth. Some before work but most are retired or self employed. At first glance they are an intimidating, gnarly group of roughnecks and their mere presence discourages any trouble from occurring on Shorty's property. The mechanics don't look any different than mechanics at any small neighborhood auto shop in any town or city but they go above and beyond expectations and always work their automotive magic on anything that comes in that lot. Every person there is hospitable and kind but it takes them seeing that your a regular, loyal customer before you truly get accepted and only after a nod of okay from "Dad" as they sometimes call Shorty.
I may bitch exceedingly about my truck having to go to get repaired but I love sitting in that little room. I love listening to the insults, the jokes, the stories. Just being in the presence of those men is an amazing feeling to me, watching them and listening to every thing happening. The feeling of camaraderie between them, the brotherhood and equality they have is enormous and fills the room even if there are only 2 people there. I love that they share their jokes with me and include me in on them, they feel comfortable enough to make jokes at my expense usually sexual in nature but never disrespectful or mean. They love to pick on me for being such a pain in the ass, trouble finding little girl. During the summer months it's a constant quest to see my tits, knowing that I won't give in and knowing that they can get away with it because it's me. Any other woman walks into that office and they all attempt to clean up their language and act with the highest level of respect as that woman is someone's mother, sister, wife. She will walk in and immediately be offered a seat on the couch and a cup of coffee (or not depending on the previous statement about the artfully hidden cups) the perfect example happening today as a woman and her small daughter came in and a seat was instantly found for them, the swearing was at a minimum and the smoking ceased. She was in and out in no time at all. I don't doubt for one second that if I were having a problem, in trouble or in any danger that any one of those guys wouldn't help me. I have the utmost respect for Shorty, his mechanics and his friends and for once I wish I had the words to give that feeling from me to them and not just these inadequate, every day words. I wish I could just show them inside my heart so that they would all know that they have my respect, love, friendship and gratitude. It's not easy being a single mom, working, taking care of my mom and everything else that falls on my small shoulders but these men take away the stress of my vehicles care off my shoulders and make me forget my troubles when I'm there. We all go to Shorty's Old Man's Garage for that reason I think, to relax and forget our troubles for just a moment in time.
So Thank You, Shorty. Thank you guy's in the garage and thank you to all that are sitting in the office. From the deepest part of my heart, Thank You for everything and for being you. Oh one more thing, damn it Shorty it's a 1997 Blazer not a 99!!!
BEX
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