Chapter 36: Good Egg
- DEX -
The neighborhood is not a great one. I can understand why Raya would be worried if her father is stranded out here alone on the side of the road without any protection. But what I am worried about is that she said he was on the way to her apartment. She lives around here? And she takes mass transit?
I roll up behind her father’s car, which still has yet to be picked up. He is standing alongside it with the hood up, staring blankly at the parts underneath. Based on the make and model, I think I already have an idea of what the problem might be.
"Dex," he says, holding out his hand as I walk up. "We met briefly last night. I’m Auraya’s dad, William Gray."
"Mr. Gray," I reply, shaking his hand with a firm grip like I’ve been taught all my life.
My own father always told me that a firm handshake is a sure sign of someone’s self-confidence, and it’s been ingrained so deeply in my mind that when people have a weak handshake, I tend to think of them differently. Raya’s dad seems to have this same belief, because his handshake is just as firm, and he smiles.
"You can call me Will. Thank you for coming. It was awfully kind of you. I’m sure there are plenty of other things you would rather be doing on a beautiful Friday night like tonight."
We both chuckle. I don’t tell him that I would just be unpacking at my parent’s house where no one is at the moment. It’s almost the last thing in the world that I want to be doing. I plan on finding a place of my own when I have time, because without my father there, that house is a depressing, empty shell compared to what it was when my mother was alive.
"It’s no problem at all. So the tow truck hasn’t gotten here yet?"
"No, not yet. They said they’d be here, oh..." he glances at his watch. "A few hours ago."
"What happened when you were driving?" I take a look under the hood. "Did it start smoking?"
"Yeah. Smoking. The engine light came on."
"Is it overheating?"
"Yeah. I’ll have to take it in." He stands next to me with his arms crossed, staring at the car.
"I think I know what’s causing it. This year Impala is notorious for it. Unfortunately, the coolant system has a plastic bypass right here," I point to the little black part. "It runs from the intake manifold to the belt tensioner, which is just a poor design. Over time, the plastic gets brittle, and it leaks. You can get an after market part made from aluminum that will prevent the problem from happening again in the future. But right now, I’m afraid we’re stuck waiting for the tow truck. Do you know where you want to take it?"
"I was just going to have it taken to the dealership," he shrugs.
"A buddy of mine who I grew up with has a garage. I bet I can get him to do it for you for almost nothing. I have a feeling that the dealership might say they have to flush your entire coolant system and do a leak-down check to see if you blew a head gasket driving on it." I look at him, offering the suggestion but not wanting to push.
There are a lot of men passionate about how their cars are cared for and who services them. If Raya’s dad is one of those men, then he probably won’t want any advice. And I don’t want to annoy him by acting like I know everything.
"Hmm. You seem to know a lot about cars."
"I know enough to get by. My buddy has a tow truck, too. Want me to give him a call?"
"If you think he’ll be able to get out here faster, sure. The other one is already on the way, but who knows how much longer it will be."
"Why don’t you call and cancel that tow, and I’ll call my guy? I’m sure he’ll have it done and ready for you by the morning."
"On the weekend?"
"Yeah. He’s a hard worker. Plus, he kind of owes me one."
"Great. If you’re sure..."
"I’m sure," I smile and pat him on the shoulder. "I’ll just grab my phone."
Within a half hour, Ronnie shows up with his tow truck. "I was just getting ready to leave for the day," he laughs and slaps my arm. "It’s good to see you, bro. When did you get into town?"
"Earlier this week. Dad is sick, so I’m helping out."
"Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that. But it’s good to have you back. It’s been... how many years?"
"Four?" I squint, thinking of when the last time was I saw Ronnie.
"Four years. That’s crazy. You look good. Have you been working out?"
We both laugh, and he slaps me on the shoulder this time.
"You look good too, Ronnie. Thank you so much for coming out to help us. This is William Gray," I say, extending my arm to introduce Raya’s dad.
"Hello, sir," Ronnie shakes his hand and then offers him a business card. "We’ll get this taken care of right away. You can pick it up tomorrow after 10. Will that be early enough?"
"That’s great. Thank you."
"Of course. Any friend of Dex’s is a friend of mine. And if there are unforeseen issues that will cause a delay, I’ll let you know."
After I help Ronnie load up the car, he waves and drives off.
"What a nice friend you have," Will says.
"He’s a good egg," I nod with my arms crossed, watching the brake lights of the tow truck fade into the distance.
"A good egg?" He laughs. "Do young people say that? That’s something my father used to say."
"It’s something my father says," I smile, turning toward him. "So where to, Mr. Gray?"
"Will," he reminds me. "Would you mind taking me to Auraya’s apartment? I was actually on the way there to feed her cat."
