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“Sixteen dollars,” she says so nonchalantly.
“That’s it?” I say, surprised.
Her bright ocean eyes roll while her body visibly cringes and turns to walk away. Once again, I follow her like a lost puppy. “Okay Ivy, take Jackson’s car and pull it into lane one.”
I grab the keys from Lawson and look over my shoulder at her talking to Randy. She’s asking about his wife, kids, and busy schedules. He makes her giggle. A light chuckle from those tanned lips has my stomach flipping.
I have to fold my tall frame into the car. My knees scrape the dashboard, and I desperately want to adjust the seat to accommodate my height, but I rethink that idea. I don’t know if I would want to piss off the tiny woman who could throw a wrench at me. It’s called a wrench, right?
I pull the car into lane one, as Collins requested, and she soon follows with a second car into the lane next to me. I watch Lawson expertly guide her safely into the garage bay. Standing outside the vehicle, I watch as they get to work. They lift the car on a lift and Collins ducks underneath, tinkering around. I duck under the car to get a better look and that’s when Collins unscrews something and a black tar-like substance sprays from beneath the vehicle.
“Gross,” I whisper.
“You are such a girl,” she tells me while pushing me out from underneath the car. Wiping her oil-covered hands on my shirt. She’s now wearing a worn and dirty jumpsuit. When did she put that on? She pushes me toward Jackson’s car and continues to gaze at her work. “Stand at the front of the car. I’m going to do a test on the lights. Tell me if any of the lights are out.”
She flicks the blinkers and lights and I respond with a thumbs up.
Collins effortlessly walks around the car, checking different parts. She carries a jack across the bay and shoves it under the side of the car. I know what a jack looks like. I give myself a small chuckle at how pathetic I sound at the moment. A tire hits my shins and I realize Collins had successfully removed the tire on her own, and rolled it toward me. She’s only slightly out of breath and for someone so small, she handles this garage like an expert. Quiet and humble about it all.
“Leland!” She screeches.
Scratch that… not quiet at all.
“Sup.” He pokes his head out from the front.
“Let’s have Jackson set up for breaks next month. These should pass inspection, but they will need to be replaced.”
Leland gives her a nod and disappears back to the front.
“Come here.” She waves her elbow toward me. Taking only what I can assume is a brake part in one hand and pointing to a section.
“Looks fine to me,” I say. I really have no clue.
“Maybe, but look at this.” She pulls a brand-new part from a box that is being held for someone else, and I can see a vast difference between the two parts. “He rides the brakes more than most, being an older gentleman and all. So, we always make sure his brakes are right where they need to be. His wife is in an assisted living facility, too. She is such a sweet woman. It’s heartbreaking to see her mind diminish so rapidly.”
Collins’ pained face brings a new level of appreciation toward her. She is a puzzle whose pieces are slowly being put together for me, and creating a masterpiece of a woman.
The inspector arrives and takes over for Collins. I follow her back to Randy’s car. She’s small enough to walk right under the car with no issues, whereas I need to duck to keep up with her. She’s fastening a bolt back where the oil sprayed. Collins once again presses her hands against my shirt, shoving me backward. Pressing a large button on a box, the car lowers to the ground. With the hood still up, Collins grabs a couple of containers of oil and refills the empty oil container. She’s perched up on the bumper to get a better position, all while explaining things as she goes. I’m not going to remember a single word. I am transfixed by her voice. A calming confidence with an appreciation for the trade.
She drops the hood of the car as she finishes, and Lawson is right by her side to take the vehicle back to the front. This is how it goes all day. In the engine, on top of the engine, or under a car. I am helping where I can, and I’m covered in grease, oil, and sweat. So is she, but I have to admit, she is beautiful.
When the day ends, I sit on a pile of spare tires. Collins’ tiny frame sprawls out next to me, Lawson is leaning against the wall, and Leland is in a folding chair that looks like it’s seen better days. Leland passes everyone a semi-cold beer, and though it’s not what I normally drink, it quenches the thirst.
“How much did you make today?” I ask.
“Today? A few hundred dollars,” Leland nods approvingly.
All that work and for only a few hundred dollars? You’ve got to be shitting me.
“Steady day,” Lawson flicks at a tire.
“Good day!” Collins takes a swig of her beer.
Am I crazy? This is crazy. People really live like this and praise a few hundred dollars?
“I have a retainer fee of fifteen hundred dollars and charge five hundred dollars per hour if I go over my minimum amount of contracted hours.” Exasperation seeped into my tone.
All three siblings stare at me with the same ocean color eyes. Matching displeasure at my words. I am feeling like an alien from outer space.
