Delphine's Family

Chapter 6- The Garage

Delphine's POV

Following the directions, I pull into a small gravel parking lot. A big grey building is on one side I can see three garage door entrances and a small door with windows surrounding it. I get out and walk towards the small door. 

Waking in the smell of motor oil fills me I can hear the sounds of metal crashing and men talking the faint sound of music as well. I see no one so I move to the doorway to the garage part. I walk out and see a few men who all have tattoos and are working on various cars and a few bikes. 

"Can I help you, Miss?" An older-looking man walks up to me. 

"Yes, I'm looking for Dom."

"Come with me then." He leads me to an old beat-up chevy impala. The roof is dented in and the engine lays a few feet away on a table. "Dom there's a girl here to see you." My dad's head pops out from under the car.

"Delphine." He climbed out from under the car.

"Hi"

"How was school?" He stood up and wiped his stained hands on a dirty rag. 

"Good but people are annoying." He chuckles and so does the man that brought me over.

"Delphine this is one of my good friends Darren." 

 I notice one of the tattoos on his hand is a black spider descending from a web around his wrist. 

"I like the spider." 

"Thanks my daughter designed it." His tone is somber so I don't question further. 

"Darren this is my daughter, she is gonna help out at the front desk for us." I nod my head as my dad leads me back to the front. On the way, he introduces me to some of the other guys. 

He shows me how to make appointments and work the phones and computer system. After an hour of work, the guys all start leaving the shop saying bye to me. I continue to do the last of my homework a few people called to schedule appointments. 

Darren is the last to leave and tells me bye. I watch as everyone leaves and shut off the lights in the front of the store. I walk to the back to find my dad. He is still by the impala he was when i came in. 

"Hey, watcha workin on?"

"This damn car. I've tried replacing the battery, transmission, and exhaust system." His tone is agitated. 

"How long have you been working on this car?" 

"A few days I think."

"Why?"

"This car is just important to me."

"K you want some help?"

"Do you know anything about cars?" He asked me with a surprising tone.

"Yes, I told you about the other shop I worked at. The guy that ran it taught me a few things since my mom was never around." I shrug my shoulder and sit down on one of the stools next to him. 

"Your mom was never around." 

"Not really. She mainly was out living her life she would tell me. Taking drugs was the big thing the first time it happened I was about 6 I think. She came home stumbling in and knocked over some things which woke me up. I walked out and she looked at me like she had never seen me before. I remember that from then on she would come back like that almost every night, if she didn't come home high she would be home the next day.'

'My neighbor would have me come over and she would make sure I got to bed and ate dinner. Then she died last year and I was on my own again. The guy that owned the garage helped me out when my mom would come home drunk or high." I finish my tragic life story while my dad sits with me and says nothing. 

"I'm sorry that I was never there."

"Don't be please you had no idea about me." I push for him to not be hard on himself. "Growing up I never had a dad. Mom never brought men home which I guess was a good thing. But mom told me that she never told you about me and that I should never be upset with him for not being there."

"Well, I'm glad you're here now." He brings me to his side as I curl up.