Car Talk

Chapter 1: The Bipolar Candle

Melissa Thomas sat down with a heavy thump at her father's kitchen table. "OK, Daddy, you're all cleaned up." It was a sweltering Saturday in late August, and she was damp and dank with sweat and grime. For three hours she had been cleaning and doing laundry and other housework in the home she grew up in.

This had been her Saturday routine for the past 16 months since her father had been widowed.

Ernesto "Ernie" Fontana was just entering his ni nth decade and needed her help to stay in his house. Rheumatoid arthritis had impaired his hands and knees. And after Livia's final illness, money for outside services wasn't available.

So, Melissa had been stepping up to help. But Ernie knew the great strain he was causing her. Mike and Melissa Thomas lived about 15 miles away in one of Philadelphia's suburbs, where they were raising their children Matthew and Emily ("Emmie") who were 14 and 18 years old, respectively.

Ernie's 40-year-old daughter was an example of the "sandwich generation"--caught between caring for both their children and their parents at the same time. And, clearly, these weekend chores were a burden to her.

For the thousandth time, Melissa complained (in her mind, not out loud) about the lack of air conditioning in the Fontana house. Thoughtfully, Ernie brought glasses of ice water and a clean dish towel. "Here, Lissie, drink this and wipe off your face. I know you need to get home soon and get in a nice cool shower. Spend some quality time with Mr. Thomas, too."

"Cheer up, this will be the last time you do this burn-the-candle-at-both-ends stuff. Emmie will be taking over 'Operation Ernie' next week!" Melissa could hardly wait.t

Back home, Melissa walked straight into the master bathroom, stripped, and stepped into the shower. The water temperature was just high enough to be comfortable without starting more sweat. When she stepped out Mike was waiting for her. He was stripped to the waist and guided her to the bed, where a "bath sheet" (giant towel) had been placed to protect the coverlet. Melissa knew to lay out naked on the bath sheet, leaving the smaller damp towel on the floor.

Mike produced a warmed vial of massage oil, and began working her shoulders, arms, and back. Melissa groaned happily as his powerful hands pushed and pulled her tired tissues.

"Baby, you are so good at that. When are you going to quit that dead-end lawyer job and follow your true calling as a massage therapist?"

"I think you might notice a severe drop in our income, Liss. And we still have two teenagers to support."

"True. Ooh, that's nice."

Mike had moved down and was working her feet, calves, and thighs. Once he was satisfied, he moved up to his ultimate goal: Melissa's big butt. His hands alternately squeezed and caressed her backside.

"Mike, honey, get your pants off. I want your big, beautiful, black cock. Get on me and fuck me into the mattress the way I like it!" He pulled apart her ass cheeks and spat on her pussy, then skinned off his pants and inserted the length of his cock.

He banged away at her from behind, his belly slapping her ass with each stroke. She bounced beneath him, as his cock slid along the front wall of her pussy. As she reached her second come, Mike sprawled against her and pumped out his seed, with an audible roar.

"Mike! Matthew and Emmie will hear you!"

"No, Liss, Matt is over at John's house, and Emmie's out with Daniel, as always. Let's take a minute to cool down, and then go shower together. I'm taking you out for dinner, since the kids are out tonight."

"Sounds perfect, Mike. I love you!"

Chapter 2: Out of the Nest, Into the Frying Pan

Because of their ages, siblings Matthew and Emmie Thomas were in a special situation. Matthew was entering Schuylkill High School in the same summer that his big sister had graduated. The pressure was on him, since Emmie had powered through her courses with a perfect 4.0 grade point average--and the faculty would be expecting similar performance from her younger brother.

Only in Pennsylvania: the campus name was pronounced "skoo kuhl hi skool."

Emmie's credentials had earned her admission and a partial scholarship to Drexel University downtown. This turned out to be an unexpected blessing for Ernie and Melissa.

Drexel required that 1st-year students live in on-campus dorms, unless they lived within a few miles of the campus and could commute. So, having Emmie live at Ernie's saved a pile of money. And, very likely would cut down on the anti-academic distractions of dorm life.

She wasn't an introvert, but a lot of people her own age just wore her out! She had a couple of close girlfriends to hang out with, and she had Daniel. Which was fortunate, because he kept away all the male pests that wanted to bother her, a constant problem.

Because Emmie wasn't just smart, she was beautiful. At 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm), she stood out in any group. She wasn't an exceptional athlete, but her long legs were a plus on the basketball court and for running on the track team.

And she was biracial, blending her father's African-American looks with her mother's Mediterranean heritage. Altogether, she drew attention wherever she went. Particularly from boys, and men. Sometimes, much older men. "Creeps!"

But this was where Daniel comes in, for his sun rises and sets only for Emmie. And standing 6 foot 6 inches (200 cm) with impressive muscle development, glowering, growling, and intimidation came easily. But secretly he is sweet-tempered and gentle. And when Emmie tickles him, he giggles like a small child!

For her part, just being wrapped in his burly arms is bliss.

It was time for the big move. Daniel loaded Emmie, her belongings, and three bags of groceries into his car and drove into the city.

At Ernie's door, "Grandpa, I'd like you to meet Daniel Green, my boyfriend. Daniel, my grandfather, Ernesto Fontana."

Ernie was not a tall man. Not for the first time, he was facing his granddaughter's neck. And this guy's nipples! "Welcome, please come in. Call me Ernie, please." Seeing the groceries, "The kitchen is down that way."

Emmie walked inside and cried out, "The hell! It's an oven in here!"

Chapter 3: Too Hot to Handle

"No wonder Mom comes home on Saturdays so wiped! Daniel, after the groceries please come help me get all the windows open. Grandpa, what's going on?"

"Emmie, I don't feel the heat like you do. I'm old, and skinny. But the main reason is I can't work these old windows and latches with my hands. I can't close and lock them if they've been left open."

"Well, shit! We're going to fix this. Today. Daniel! Hon, do you have your tools in the back of your car?"

"Yeah. What's the plan?"

"Grandpa, stay put, drink some water, we'll be back soon. Daniel, let's go to the Home Depot."

- Ninety Minutes Later -

Daniel carried inside a heavy box, roughly 20 × 20 inches and 40 inches tall (50 × 50 × 100 cm). Unpacked, it was a portable air conditioner. Daniel set about connecting the included exhaust hose to a sash window and locking it into place. Plugged and powered the little unit began blowing blessedly cool air into the small living room. Emmie handed the a/c's little remote control to her grandfather.

"OK, I have to admit, this is pretty nice. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, it's a gift, don't worry about it. But it will bump your electric bill some, so you can pay for that part. Honestly, I couldn't live here without it."

"I guess I just have to say thanks, then. And thank you also Daniel for making it happen. Are you making dinner tonight?"

"Of course, Grandpa. That's your new normal. So, I want to have Daniel back here for dinner Friday, is that a problem?"

"Of course not, Emmie, it's your house now too. I look forward to seeing you then, Daniel. Now, let's get all her things to her room for tonight."

Emmie surveyed what had once been her mother's bedroom. At least the window was fully opened, with a screen to keep the bugs out.

"It feels like 85° (30 °C) in here, and sticky humid. Close the door, Daniel. I need to thank you properly for the A/C."

At least Emmie was wearing shorts and sandals. She peeled off her shirt and hoped he wouldn't notice the wet spots under her arms and down her back. The bra was off right after. Daniel was just staring, with a goofy smile. "Take your shirt off too, I need distraction from this heat."

"Daniel? Daniel!"

"Wha-?"

"Take. Your. Shirt. Off."

Agreeably: "OK."

But Daniel was still fixated on her tits. With an exasperated noise, she grabbed his hand and drew him near as she sat down on the bed and began undoing his shirt buttons. And then his pants. His shirt fell in a puddle at his feet.

His eyes were still locked on her. "So beautiful," he sighed.

Emmie reached in and pulled out his hardening cock. His pants dropped down towards his ankles. Of course, in this weather the smell of his perspiration was strong. But she didn't mind. She thought, "He's hot, when he's hot."

After a couple of minutes of oral love, Daniel grasped her shoulders. "Wait, Em, I want you too." Urging her up, he pulled down her shorts. She kicked away her sandals and the shorts, and he helped her to lay down on the bed.

The full-size bed was just enough room for them both. He stripped completely and they stretched out in opposite directions for "69."

- Fifteen Minutes Later -

"Oh, Em, I wish we could do this every day."

"Me too! Don't forget, after September 20th, my birth control pills will become effective, and we can stop using those icky rubbers. You have no idea how nasty your cock tastes after a condom has been on it. And those things barely fit on you anyway. I always worry they will tear open."

"If you weren't so sexy, I wouldn't swell up so much, Em."

"Yeah, right. I'd better send you home now before your dad gets all tense."

"True. I'm getting up. Right now. I am taking my hand off your ass. Your luscious curvy ass. Yep, here I go. Maybe I'll start with a finger. Come on, finger. You can do it! One, two, three. Hmm. I can do it, really!"

"Get up, you're a goofball. Here, I'm giving you back your hand. And I'm getting out of bed."

Reluctantly they dressed and returned to the blessedly cooler living room. Ernie had parked himself in his favorite recliner facing the television. Since the Mets were beating the Phillies like an old rug (8 -- 2), he had fallen asleep.

Shushing Daniel, Emmie led him outside.

"Sweetie, on Friday please bring me another A/C unit for my bedroom, OK?"

He agreed and she sent him home with a searing kiss.

Chapter 4: The Green Family

Checking the time on his phone, Daniel was reassured that he would be home before 5:00. Daniel's father, Franklin "Frank" Green, was given to anxiety attacks when Daniel was late or unaccounted for.

The Green boys, Daniel (20) and little brother Jacob (16), were motherless after the death of Frank's wife Lauren in a terrible traffic accident four years past. An out-of-service SEPTA bus was returning to base at the end of the driver's shift. He apparently lost consciousness, ran through a red light, t-boned Lauren's car, and the bus and car slammed into the side of a multi-story building. Both the bus driver and Lauren were killed instantly.

An independent investigation full of jargon and legalese confirmed that the "operator" of the "coach" was not affected by alcohol or drugs, but he had secretly covered another operator's shift. So, he was in his 16th hour of driving that day. Lax oversight at the base permitted this dangerous but frequent practice.

SEPTA settled with the Greens for six million dollars, two million each to Jacob, Daniel, and Frank. The boys' money was in kept in trusts; as minors they had a small draw of $200 per month (each) to help with household expenses. At 18 the monthly stipend increased to $2,000 per month, so Daniel had plenty of spending money considering he still lived at home with his father and brother.

Frank still grieved the sudden loss of his wife. And this was why Daniel was careful to be home when expected, to avoid agitating his father. Jacob was also upset when Frank's anxiety spilled out. It was better for everyone when Daniel was "Mr. Predictable," getting home on time.

Chapter 5: Mechanic's Lean

Some of Frank's SEPTA money had been plowed into his specialty auto repair shop. For his whole working life, he had been a mechanic. He could charm almost any vehicle back to life--no matter how decrepit. But modern cars bored and annoyed him with all their frivolous mechanisms and impossibly dense engine compartments and dashboards.

Like his son, Frank was a big man. Like Godzilla stomping through papier-mâché models of Tokyo, Frank's true hell was trying to get his big hands to fix tiny parts in the engine compartment of some miserable Mitsubishi.

Not that he turned away work. He realized that small complex cars were not going away. So, he hired Gina Fletcher to be his top mechanic and business partner. Frank sent to her all the buzzy little beasts she could handle. It was ideal, because Gina was small (barely five feet tall, 150 cm) and agile, and she knew more than he did.

Frank was an instinctive mechanic. He would judge a problem using his senses, including sound and smell. Gina, by comparison, was a walking service manual. She would start with connecting her reader to the on-board diagnostic (ODB) port which would display a code, like "P0303."

What was spooky to him was how Gina had seemingly memorized the hundreds of codes. Talking to herself: "P0303, that's a misfire on Cylinder 3. OK, probably a bad spark plug."

Of course, Frank used the ODB port as well, since cars made after 1996 all had them (and the accompanying "Check Engine" dashboard indicator). But for him the ODB codes would usually confirm what he had already guessed using his senses and experience. And every time a code was displayed, he had to look up that cryptic code's definition in the paper catalog.

One day, Gina caught him thumbing through the catalog. "What are you doing, Frank?"

"Looking up 'P0134.'"

"That's a fault with the oxygen sensor. Next time, just ask me. Your time as a mechanic is too valuable for you to be dragging through a catalog. Next week I'm bringing you.a better tool for code reading."

A few days later, Gina brought him a new code reader. Frank was skeptical, this looks just like the old reader. What's the point?"

"Frank, just go plug it into the port on that blue Honda. What do you see?"

He was shocked. The colorful screen read:

P0464 -- Fuel level sensor intermittent, more >>

(Frank pushed a key.)

Possible Causes: 1) Faulty fuel level sensor 2) Faulty or shorted wiring harness 3) Poor circuit connection to sensor

"Gina, I'm not paying you enough! How much did this fancy OBD reader cost?"

"Less than a hundred dollars!"

"Incredible. Let's get a couple more of these. It's so easy, even those high school guys would be helped when they intern with us. I'm taking this one home to show Daniel tonight."

With their complementary skills and management, Gina and Frank built an enviable reputation for their business, which was busy and profitable. Their shop wasn't the cheapest, but customers almost always left satisfied.

Less known was that Frank gave steep discounts to low-income customers. Gina watched once when Linda, an obviously care-worn young woman came in with her battered older Toyota.

"Mr. Green, my car won't stay on. I come to a red light and suddenly the motor stops. I have to twist the key and start it again."

"That's got to be annoying. For how long?"

"About three weeks. And it happens about one in every ten stop lights."

"Is that a car seat in your Toyota?"

"My Anita is in daycare right now, she's five. It's just her and me, sperm donor is long gone."

"I'm sure we can help you. But your car seat needs to be moved to the back. It's safer for Anita and it will prevent you getting a citation. The law says it has to be kept in your back seat."

"I can give you an estimate for $100. Should we go ahead?"

Linda smiled. "Yes, thanks, I'll wait over there in your lounge."

As Frank left the front desk, Gina took his arm. "Frank, there's no way I can repair that old Toyota's problem for $100. What were you thinking?"

"Gina, look at her. If I charged her normal prices, she couldn't pay it. Her daughter is five years old. I'm happy to cover the difference, OK?"

"Frank, I think sometimes you don't have a head for business. But your heart is perfect. I'm going to kiss you and then go home and tell my Carla how her partner's boss is the cat's pianos."

Gina smooched him (on the cheek) and took the old Toyota's keys, giggling.

Frank shook his head, smiling. He thought, "My first kiss in years, and it's from a lesbian. I think I need to get out and start dating."

Chapter 6: A Casa di Fontana

Back at Ernie's house, Emmie moved into the kitchen. After washing up, she assembled her ingredients and began cooking dinner. First was cooking up the rice, then assembling the other ingredients.

In the living room, Ernie woke up and looked at his television. It was the postgame show with the final score showing Mets 9, Phillies 2. With a groan, he switched off the TV, and headed for the kitchen.

"What's cooking, Emmie?"

"It's Mom's recipe for insalata di riso, it will be ready very soon Grandpa. Go wash up and I will serve it."

It was the right dish for a hot summer day. Melissa's Italian Rice Salad is served at room temperature and contains peas, a carrot, corn, olives, tuna, and Swiss cheese. Emmie also served him some sliced cantaloupe and a bottle of Nastro Azzurro (beer from Italy).

With the beer bottle was a note: "Here's a treat for you, Dad. Thank you for hosting Emmie."

"This is wonderful, Emmie. You know I don't expect this kind of fancy meal every evening, right?"

"That's true, when my classes begin, I will have a lot less time. Today was special for my first time here. In the morning, how do you like your eggs?"

"I'm not particular, but I can only eat one egg, doctor's orders. I usually have cereal in the morning, but we're out of milk."

"No, I brought some milk with me. They sell little 'juice box' sized milks for children that don't have to be kept refrigerated. I've got a six-pack in the fridge for the morning, so we're fine."

"Tomorrow I'm headed for the supermarket, so let me know anything you need. There's a gelato crisis in this hot little house I intend to solve."

Ernie pushed back from the table. "Thank you, Emmie, that supper was fantastic. There's a pad in that right-hand drawer with my shopping list. And please buy some '1%' milk because the kid stuff you brought is probably whole milk."

- Friday -

Emmie had been to the supermarket twice since she arrived at Ernie's house. It was only two blocks so she could bring the groceries back in her little rolling cart. Since her boyfriend was coming, she was preparing his favorite, lasagna. It would be matched with a green salad, a chilled bottle of San Pellegrino (sparkling mineral water), and (of course) gelato for dessert.

Daniel arrived at 5:30, he waved at Ernie and Emmie but said, "I'm all greasy from working at my dad's shop, let me wash first."

"Emmie, I haven't asked, or I forgot. What does your boyfriend do?"

"Grandpa, Daniel works at his father's place, it's called 'Green's Garage' out towards Delaware County. He enjoys fixing cars, and it keeps him occupied until he starts college a year from now."

Daniel returned and they sat down to eat. "Forgive me, Ernie, I'm a little surprised you don't say a blessing before we eat."

"Emmie knows that Livia and I always attended Mass on Sundays. But after she died, ah, I had a change of heart. No more Mass, no religious stuff on the walls, and so on. The priest tried to reconcile me with the church, but all his blather about Livia's suffering being part of 'God's Plan' --prior to sending her to Heaven--was intolerable to me."