real old school

[derien]

Eor managed to run over a roofing razor last night and flattened one of the van tires (this was his "oh what bad luck/oh what good luck" story, because at least he had bought an extra tire when he ordered this set, even though they're expensive) so one of my errands today was to get that patched. 


I took Eor's advice this time and went to Century Tire rather than Sullivan Tire.  And let me tell you, I can only hope that every employee at Century is as sweet as the ancient gentleman I dealt with today.  I had a good feeling (though a nervous one) from the fact that there were at least seven people in the office at 9:15 on a Saturday morning.  Sullivan doesn't even have space for seven people, probably because they don't need it.  This old gentleman came right out and looked at the tire, immediately told me that it was probably fixable with the location of the cut and that was a good thing because he recognized that this is an expensive tire.  And then he was actually was as good as his word and called me in a timely fashion to let me know what was up - so many people at various businesses around here have promised they would call and then haven't done so.  Sullivan being the last one. 

He also went and took the tire out of the back of the car for me, which I felt a little wrong about.  In my head I was going, "But, he's like eighty-seven!  He shouldn't be lifting truck tires!  I'm young and strong, I should do it!" but also not wanting to insult his concept of what he's supposed to do as a gentleman.  (Which is probably how I hurt my shoulder - I will rush to do heavy work before letting any of the older people at work do it.)  So when I came back later I did a little test on that - I walked ahead of him to the door and held it for him.  He refused to enter first, saying his mother had told him he shouldn't.  That really annoys me when someone young pulls it, because I feel they should know better, but it felt really sincere from this guy.  Then he went to put the tire back IN the car, and I didn't have it unlocked, so I said to just lean it up and I would take care of it. 

"Oh no, I have to put it in.  It's my job.  If I didn't the boss would fire me." 

"I'm sure he wouldn't fire you!"

"Sure he would.  Why do you think the boss wouldn't fire me?"

I was thinking most likely he's the boss, but then again I wasn't sure - he didn't have a boss feel to him.  So I said, "Because you probably live here."

"How long do you think I've been here?"

"A long time."

"Take a guess."

"Thirty years?"

"Sixty-six."

"Sixty-six years you've been here?!"

"Yup.  I'm ninety years old."

I was so flabbergasted that I didn't even tell him that I'd only guessed him at eighty-seven.  I didn't even know Century Tire had been there that long - no wonder it's called Century.  And it's in such an odd location (on a weird little one-way stretch of road off an odd corner) that you'd think nobody would be able to find it, and looks so run down that I thought for a moment as I pulled in that they'd moved somewhere else.  Given all that, it's impressive they had so many people in the waiting room.  Now I know. 

I wonder if they were in the same location sixty years ago.  If they were, possibly it wasn't such an odd corner back then.

Hang on another ten years, old man, so you can be the Centurion of Century Tire.

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[derien.livejournal.com]

It's those weird little corners around here that make me think Aziraphale could have been living here for the last hundred and some odd years and nobody might have really noticed.