Eddie the Mechanic by Deke Cutter

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“Hello Mr. Williams, what can I do for you today?

“Oh, just in for some gas, thanks." As Mike Williams drove away, he was reminded again of how lucky his town was to have a young honest guy like Eddie Hovis working for Clark Materra in that gas station. Eddie could fix just about any car or pickup truck. Clark was getting on in years and hadn’t put much money into the station in a long time, but he would indulge Eddie and allow him to take training, even if Eddie had to surf sofas from Clark’s or his own friends if the classes were out of town. But Eddie was something of a free spirit and Clark never bothered Eddie about his blonde ponytail, his pierced ear or the often shaggy group of kids that Eddy would employ as cashiers or to help him at the station. Eddie was honest, friendly and trusted, and he was making Clark plenty of money. Eddie liked the situation too. He did not want all the responsibility of owning a business and firing people.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. One morning, Clark did not come into work, nor did he call in. When 10:00 AM passed, Eddie told Jake, the other mechanic who took care of the State inspections and the oil and tire changes, mostly, to ‘hold down the fort’ while Eddie went over to check on Clark. The old fellow had been known to sleep in, after one whiskey too many or staying up late watching some old movie. He had given Eddie a key for that reason. Actually, Clark’s sister Josie who lived over in Martinsville had made Clark give Eddie the key. "You old fool, I’m not driving all the way over there every time you go on a bender or forget to turn on the alarm on your clock. You give a key to Eddie. Why he stays working for you, I’ll never know. It’s not like you pay him enough." When Eddie, arrived, he rang the doorbell and banged on the door. He listened for Clark to growl, as he usually did in the morning, but he heard nothing. So, Eddie used his key and noticed, first of all there was no smell of fresh coffee brewing. Eddie called up the stairs, waited and, again, heard nothing.

“Clark, I’m coming upstairs to see if you are alright." When Eddie entered Clark’s bedroom, at first, he thought Clark was just sleeping, so peaceful did he look, but when Eddie tried to wake him, a touch told him, that Clark had passed away. Eddie did all the right things. He called the police, waited for them to arrive and while he waited, he called Josie. Josie told him that she knew that Clark had some heart problems, but Clark had assured her they were not serious. She asked Eddie if he would keep the garage running until she could decide what to do. Eddie agreed. As many people had suspected, Clark was quite well off. Josie and her only child, an adult daughter, were going to be very comfortable. Eddie was shocked that Clark had left him his home. Eddie lived in a cramped efficiency apartment until now. Clark also left a generous bequest to Jake and paid for Jake’s wife’s medical bills.

After Clark’s funeral, the first thing Josie did was call Eddie and tell him she was bringing a painter in to spruce up the exterior and the office area, which she knew her brother neglected. She explained that she thought that this would help with the sale. Eddie had always kept the service bays spotless, so they didn’t need any work. It only took a few weeks for several interested buyers to contact Josie, once it became clear that she was executor of her brother’s estate Finally, the day came. Josie completed the sale of the garage to a new owner, Jack Albert Finley. Finley owned a string of service stations around the state and was very impressed with the balance sheet at Materra’s.

Jack arrived at the garage the day after the sale was completed. He seemed like a genial man and greeted Eddie and Jake and told them he looked forward to having them as part of the team. He asked about the rest of “the staff." Eddie explained that they were part-timers, mostly high school and college kids who worked at the busiest times. He also explained about the overnight shifts. “This was just Clark’s way, sir, he would get men and women with military or police backgrounds to work the overnight shifts. No customer is allowed in the office after dark. Let me show you the set up. The overnight staff work in the bulletproof area with a supply of bottled water, energy drinks and a few snacks to sell. The person on shift’s real military rank and first name is on a name plate. “Staff Sgt Sandra USMC, or Cpl James US Army. We’ve never been robbed, sir." Jack took this all in.

Jack noted “I like that idea, squared away folks with military experience." Once his tour was complete, Jack said to Eddie, “Clark didn’t have much of a private office in here, and I want to talk privately with you, Eddie, let’s go over to the hotel. They’ve arranged a small conference room for us. Once they arrived at the hotel, Jack said to Eddie, “don’t look so worried, Eddie, you are the best asset in this garage and I want to make sure you are paid what I pay my Senior Mechanics at all my other shops. That is going to be a big wage increase for you. Now, Josie told me that you never liked the management side of the business, but son, I have to tell you, she told me how you have kept this place running since poor old Clark passed on. Was that too unpleasant for you?"

Eddie took a moment to think about it and realized that the experience had actually been pretty good. “Well, sir, now that I think about it, it was no problem at all. Everybody keeps their own time and, except for the old bangers, we track all the newer models on the computers in the service bays and we convinced Clark to hook them all up in a LAN a few years ago thanks to Josie’s daughter Maria."

“Well. There you go," said Jack, you are a natural. I’d like you to be my Senior Mechanic and the manager here, basically just keep on doing what you are doing."

“Hot dog sir. Thank you."

“There really are only one or two small changes that I need you to make so that ‘Finley’s Materra Service Center’ meets the image I like my shops to have. We’ll be getting everybody new uniforms with our name on them. We get them cleaned every week. And I like my male staff to look clean cut, so I’ll want you to be a good role model for the rest of the staff. Get yourself a flat top and a nice barbershop shave. I’ll discuss the new uniforms and grooming policy with Jake and see if you can get the part-timers together today or tomorrow and we can talk to them about it. I don’t imagine it will be an issue for the overnight staff. The cosmetic work on the building won’t happen until the Spring and we can talk more about that then. Any questions?

Eddie, whose mood had just done a one hundred eighty degree turn from excitement to confusion and despair sat for a moment, speechless. He saw Jack looking a little concerned and he realized he needed to speak. “I’m sorry sir, I guess you just threw me a curve there. I’ll just need a few minutes to get used to the idea of cutting my hair. I’ve never had short hair. But you are the boss."

“Good man!" Now, if you can send Jake over, I’d appreciate it.

Eddie walked back over to the garage and sent Jake over to the hotel. Being the conscientious fellow he was, he went right back to work on the brake pad replacement for the Benson’s car. He had to get it done today and check the problem on Mrs Waddington’s old Cadillac. Jake got back a little after 12:30, so the two men used the cramped manager’s office to eat their lunches. Lenny, a young guy who was a student at the state college in town, came over at lunchtime three days a week to give the guys a breather. Eddie looked at Lenny’s mop of curls that nearly covered his eyes and was glad he wasn’t the one breaking the news to him. As Eddie and Jake opened their lunches, Jake said, “you gonna do it?"

“Eat my sandwich? Of course, I do every day, Eddie replied.

“Dagnabbit, Eddie, are you gonna cut your hair? My Frannie won’t care if I cut mine a little shorter, but I can see where it will be a big deal for you," Jake said. “Your hair’s been long since you were a kid. Your grandparents were the nicest folks, and they were kind of Hippies, so they always let you have long hair. My folks, on the other hand, well, the less said, the better."

“I don’t really see as I have much choice," Eddie told his colleague. “What with Clark leaving me his house and Jack offering such good wages, I have to give it a try. I sure am not happy about it, but if we are going to ask those younger fellas to cut theirs, then, I’m going for the big chop." Jake had known Eddie for a long time and even though Jake was ten years older than Eddie, he had never had any problem with Eddie being the top dog in the garage. Jake knew his limitations and liked what he did. Now that Frannie was on the mend, she would be able to go back to work and they would do fine. But he was a little worried about Eddie and what this haircut might do to his self-confidence.

When Eddie finished his last job for the day and the first of the late afternoon part-timers came in, he left to meet his fate at the barber who had trimmed his hair for him twice a year until now. As he opened the door, his feet suddenly felt glued to the ground outside the shop. “Well come on in Eddie" said Ralph, the friendlyl owner of the shop. “don’t let all the cool air out, boy. I don’t usually see you for some chit chatting on a Thursday afternoon. Things slow over to the garage?" Eddie walked slowly toward Ralph who had risen from the plush old barber chair that had sat in that shop for almost 80 years. “Eddie, what on earth is wrong, you look sadder than you did at Clark’s funeral?"

“It’s my new boss. He wants me to get a…get a flattop. All my hair chopped off, Ralphie. I never had my hair short. What if I look stupid. Will everybody laugh at me?"

“Now Eddie Hovis, you sit your butt down in this chair and I’m going to give you a good talking to. Since when have you ever cared about your looks? You have always been popular with the female population, and I know you have enjoyed their company. You have plenty of good friends and I know of three or four young ladies between here and Martinsville who would love to be your wife right now. You know why your grandma and grandpa never made you cut your hair. Why, I even remember when you were the only kid in the little league with a ponytail, boy or girl. They threatened to stop you from playing unless you cut your hair. Your grandpa threatened to bring down the wrath of the Gold Star Families if they didn’t let you play. You don’t need to worry how you’ll look." I will prove it to you after you let me cut your hair."

Eddie sat in the chair and Ralph put the cape around him. Ralph also put the strip around his neck, saying “we’ll have some hair we want to keep from falling down inside your shirt today. Now if you are sure that we are doing this", snip, snip, and the ponytail that had hung down Eddie’s back forever was being placed on the counter in front of him. Eddie saw in the mirror his hair now flopping down below his ears and above his shoulders. Before Eddie had a chance to fully comprehend what had just happened, he felt Ralph gently push his head slightly forward and suddenly, he felt the vibration of the clippers on his nape. It was like a jolt of electricity was sent from his neck up to his crown, as Ralph pressed hard with the clippers. The clippers left behind a strip of blonde stubble that Ralph quickly doubled and doubled again, until the back of Eddie's head was stripped on any hint of his long locks. Ralph said to Eddie, “feel the back of your head."

As Eddie reached up, Ralph lifted his hand to the stubbly part. “That is so different, Ralph, but it feels good."

Ralph replied, “this is just the start". Then, as Eddie placed his hand back on the arm of the chair, Ralph began removing the hair from the sides of Eddie’s head. Eddie’s mind was a whirl, and his stomach was doing flipflops. He remained facing the mirrors and could see his hair falling as Ralph continued to remove his beloved locks. “Now, let’s get this top taken down." Ralph chose a comb with long wide teeth and, placing the comb about two inches from Eddie’s scalp, used a guardless clipper to cut off all but two inches. He did this from Eddie’s bangs to his crown. He then wet the remaining hair got out a blow dryer and dried it all with a brush, making the hair stand up straight. Then he took some product Eddie had never seen before, it looked like a block of dough or wax. Ralph said, “this is a kind of old-fashioned product with alum in it. It will make your hair stand up nice and straight for this last part of sculpting the top." Ralph then started the slow painstaking part of any first flattop haircut. He carefully took the hair down to what he felt was the right length. While he really wanted to give Eddie a full landing strip, down to the wood, he decided to go slowly on this one and give him just enough to see what it was all about, but still leave this cut kind of full and boxy. If his hunch was right, he would have plenty of chances to bring it down tight in the future. When he was satisfied, he completed the cut with a shave around the ears and neckline and showed Eddie how to use Butch Wax to train his hair.

Eddie looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe it was him. He looked so different! He reached both hands up and gently touched the scratchy-feeling sides of his head and then the short hair left on top. Tears welled up in Eddie’s eyes. “I look just like my dad in the pictures of him before he left on his last overseas tour to Iraq." Now I understand why Granny and Gramps kept my hair long. It would have hurt them too much to see dad’s mini-me with the short hair around them all the time. They could hardly look at pictures of him with long hair before he went into the service. Gramps always said, it was dad’s choice, but they wished they had stopped him joining up and, at least I wouldn’t look like a soldier while I was growing up."

“Well Eddie, the good Lord called both your grandparents home and they are at rest with your dad now. So, you have to decide what you think of having this haircut and looking like an American hero, like your dad", said Ralph. He had stepped into his backroom and come back with a scrapbook. He opened it to a page dedicated to Eddie’s dad and the pictures of him in uniform confirmed the likeness between father and son.

Eddie looked at the pictures and smiled. “I think this will be alright."

Eddie went back over to the hotel to see if he could catch Jack and show him the haircut and discuss the approach with the part-timers. Jack was at the front desk when Eddie walked in. He did a double take when he saw Eddie. “Now that, my boy, is what I call a fine haircut."

Eddie smiled, a bit sheepishly, and said, “I’m lucky to have such a good barber, sir. It's going to take some getting used to, but I think it will be alright. Now, Jake and I are fine with our having these short haircuts, but I want to ask you about giving the part-timers some leeway. Nobody in town has complained to me or Clark about their appearance. They are all good kids and these jobs, though they don’t pay much, help most of them get by. Would it be possible to modify the requirements for them to just have the hair off their collars and maybe out of their eyes. We could make short hair the rule from Memorial Day to Labor Day for the ones that work longer hours in the summer?"

“I’ll tell you what, Eddie," how about we compromise? We go along with your idea for the rest of this year, but my rules go into effect after Labor Day. That will give these folks a chance to look for other jobs next school year if they don’t want to get with the program."

So, the changes happened, and Eddie and Jake (now sporting any ivy league style haircut) adjusted to being a pair of short-haired mechanics. Clark’s sister Josie and her daughter Maria stopped by one day about six weeks after the ownership change. Eddie had just had his third flattop and Ralph had eased him into that wider landing strip along the way. Eddie was beginning to feel more comfortable with himself when he looked in the mirror. Josie who had heard from friends in town about the grooming changes, was still surprised when she saw Eddie and Jake for the first time. Maria, however, nearly swooned when she saw Eddie. Maria, a successful computer hardware and software entrepreneur, used the excuse of seeing the garage’s updated computer systems to get Eddie alone. She left with a date for dinner that night.

Maria arrived at her uncle’s former home and was very happy to see that Eddie had cleaned the house inside and out and turned it into an inviting home. “I still have plenty to do," Eddie began.

Before he could go further, Maria put her finger to his lips. “Yes, we have plenty of time to talk about the house. Before we talk about anything, let me do this." She slowly took her hands and ran them up and down on the sides of his freshly shorn head. Eddie felt himself become incredibly excited as Maria moved her hand to the top of his head. “Oh, baby, this landing strip, is nice." Let’s go upstairs and see what you’ve done with the bedrooms." Needless to say, Eddie and Maria never made it to the restaurant that night and Eddie never worried about what people thought about his flattop. In fact, when he and Maria got married, the next year, Jake and all the guys at the garage showed up at the wedding with fresh flattops to honor the occasion.

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