Elliot

Twenty-One

Dad was at the living room when I arrived at home from the skate park. I set down my board and poured myself a glass of water. "Where's Clara?"

"Out with her friends." Dad said.

A sweat ran down on my forehead-summer was really getting along with life right now. And my father was weirdly quiet. "Dad, you good?"

It took him a while to talk. "Never been better, son. Never been better." Now it's extremely weird.

"What's up?" I tried again. This time, it took him very long to respond. And when he did, I know he would bear bad news.

"We're closing the shop."

I just stared at him. "The fucking what?"

"For God's sake, Elliot, watch your damn language!" he snapped. Then we were silent for a second. "You heard me. We're doing it."

"Why?"

"It's rotting. We don't get customers anymore. None, as in total zero."

"How would the 'Town-Favourite Mechanical Shop' not get customers?"

"Well, the 'Town Favourite Mechanical Shop' got competition. And, as much as I hate to admit, they're better than our garage."

"There's a new garage shop? Since when?"

"Since your trip in France," he said. "It's just six blocks away from ours. So no wonder people won't hesitate to go to it."

"What about our customers? Jonathan and Daisy? Willie? Joe? Hell, even that frat boy Landon?"

"Zero customers, Elliot." Dad looked at me, there was sadness in his eyes. "Zero."

"Well, what about your job? My job? We work at the shop, Dad. We can't lose it."

"How can we have our work if we don't have anything to do work at all? It will be pointless to continue. We will look like dead tree." He sighed. "I'll find a new job. I'll deal with it."

"You can't just give up."

"Giving up is necessary when you don't have a choice at all."

I knew how much the garage meant to my father and Roger. It was the thing they stood for no matter what may come. Fifteen years they handled the shop-it was their legacy, and closing it would bring a really big impact to their lives, to our lives.

But Dad was right, there wasn't much of a choice at all.

***

We went to the shop the next day to clean and collect things. We sold what there was to sell-saving up was also another choice there was right now. Alvin and Clara also went to help.

It's a weird feeling to leave from where you grew up to. I've had many memories from this shop-memories I'd like to forget, memories I'd like to keep. But I think what matters is that, it happened. Maybe that's something everyone should hold on to.

"Man, I'm gonna miss this." Alvin said.

"You've been here a few times, dude."

"Doesn't matter. Emotions are valid." He closed the back of my dad's pick-up. "Hey, why don't you apply on that new garage shop? It's just six blocks away from here."

Clara gave him a stink eye. "Wow, that's a great idea, Alvin. Maybe we should really do that." And I punched his shoulder.

Dad laughed. "We'll have to find a new job, eventually. It's not that bad to do something new is it?"

Roger shook his head. "You are so bad at masking your emotions, Connor."

Dad made a face. "I don't mask my emotions."

"Yes, you do, Dad. And you're pretty bad at it." Clara said.

"Why is everyone teaming up on me?"

"I'm not." Alvin raised his hand. "I'm on your side, Mr. Hamilton." Then he grinned, and he looked ridiculous.

"What point really is Dad making?" I said.

"I honestly have no idea. I just thought that maybe Mr. Hamilton needs emotional support." We all laughed. Sometimes in the darkest of days, there could be a glint of light. And you can find it from those people you love.