"That's all we've got, Josh. Four buildings, eighty-six
kids, ten instructors including me. I do teach one class. And we've
got one of the best placement records in the business. Rodney?
He's already got a lead on a management job at Ford. And Kristen?
Her daddy owns a dealership in Flint. She figures it will be hers in a
few years. Course, with her temper it's lucky she doesn't need to
work her way up in a business!"
"How come she got so mad? It was just a lucky
guess." They were back on the expressways, weaving their way
through rush hour traffic.
"Maybe. But you were right and she was wrong. And
she doesn't like being wrong."
"She sure is beautiful." Josh blushed.
"There are a lot of women in this program. And I guess
a lot of them are beautiful. But a woman who's come this far in
auto mechanics is also pretty tough. Course, so are you. From what
I've seen."
"Well, I. . . . I mean. . . ."
"Look. Let's head home. Margie, my sister, expects us
for dinner at six. And then I've hooked you up with another
beautiful woman."
"Huh?"
"My niece is home from college. She went back east,
to Leslie. She and one of her old boyfriends are going out after
supper, and they're going to take you with them. I told them you'd
be tired, so they'll have you home early."
"Mr. Maloney?"
"Look, we're going to be friends. I'm sure of that. So
you need to call me James. That's what my friends call me."
"Uh, James? Mr. Maloney, you're being awful nice to me.
I think you must have had other things to do today, and there
must be hotels in Detroit. You don't even know me."
"We like to give our prospective students a good
impression. I'll have to remember to tell Kristen to chill a little bit.
But mostly, I think we've shown you the best we've got. And I
hope you'll consider Michigan Auto Tech. We could use you."
"Who paid for my ticket out here? Ms. Parsons said it
was taken care of. She might have done it, but I don't think so. I
don't think she's got a lot of extra dough. You must of paid for my
plane ticket. You've spent the day touring with me. You're putting me
up for the night. Why? Why me? What's going on? I may be just a
hick from New Hampshire, but I can tell when something's funny."
"Josh, I told you that Holly Parsons and I were very
good friends."
"Sure, but this isn't just friends stuff. What's going on?"
"Holly Parsons has asked me to do just two things since
the spring of 1978. The first was to move to New Hampshire with
her. And the second was to give you an interview. I didn't do the
first, and I've regretted it ever since. And twenty years later, I've
another chance. Oh, not to move to New Hampshire. And probably
not even to see Holly, unless she comes to your graduation
ceremony. But at least I could say, this time, I could say yes."
"So what am I? Just some kid to toss back and forth as
you two work out your feelings?"
"Oh, you're right. We are silly old fools, probably using
you to sort out the mistakes we made twenty years ago. But just
wait and see what happens. Despite the weird chess game that two
old people are playing, there are some other truths that work to
your advantage. Michigan Tech is one of the best schools of its
kind. And we are always looking for talented students. Most of our
kids are from around here, but we do have a dormitory—an
apartment building, really—where about twenty kids stay. And you've got
a free pass. What could be wrong with that?"
"Plenty. I'm not a charity case. I'm doing just fine in
Exeter. I got a good job. Gus said I could own the garage in ten or
fifteen years. I don't need this."
"What do you earn at this garage? Six bucks an hour?"
"Seven. And a raise when I start full time this summer."
"Rodney will probably start at thirty thousand. But
money's not the point. The point is, that you could spend two years here
and then go back to that garage and knock Gus's socks off. You
could make that place sing. Sure, you could own that garage and live
in Exeter and have the same friends. But you'd also have some
training that could make that garage ten times as good as it is now.
You could be an expert, instead of a kid who only has good
intuition going for him."
"What's wrong with the way the garage is now? You
don't even know what it's like."
"Okay, okay. This is just an opportunity for you.
Sure, there's a lot more going on, but there's also a lot here for you.
Just think about it. Find some music you like on the radio, and we'll
just cruise along. We don't need to make any decisions right
away. Tomorrow morning we'll sit and talk about the school and you
for an hour or so, and then you have a plane to catch at noon.
Right now, just relax. We'll be at my sister's place in about twenty
minutes."
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