Mechanics 101 - Shifting Gears By Lugnutz

Chapter 01

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, because I'm the baddest sonofabitch on the track."

I chuckled to myself, after I re-worded the old phrase, as I pulled my BMW onto the track in preperation for my next run.

I was set to run against a guy with a killer 1969 Camaro. We went through our staging ritual and got ready. The lights came down, and we launched. His car was obviously the faster of our two, as he kept putting more ground between us, until I saw a puff of smoke come from under his car, Shrapnel was bouncing off my windshield as I watched him trying very hard to keep his car under control. I got on my brakes hard to miss flying parts and a oilslick that might've put me on my roof, again.

As I came to a stop and Nigel walked up to the car, I turned to him, "Damn Nige, that was close, hope nothing got hurt on my car."

He nodded, "Yeah, looks like one hell of a driver, keeping it straight like that, want to go over and see what happened?"

"In a little bit, I need to unwind." That run spooked me, and I needed to get my head together before we went wandering around.

I hopped in the trailer, and sat back in one of the chairs we had there, pulled my hat over my eyes, and did some reflecting.

Nigel and I had our first anniversary a few months ago. It was a time I will remember forever. After bringing us home,  Nigel and I spent a quiet evening being close, comfortable, together. We never even left the house till we had to go to work on Monday.

There was a war of sorts at the main office. The board of directors wanted to close the office I was at, saying that there was not enough movement in my area to warrant keeping this facility open any longer. Dave did what he could, but his hands were tied, and so Nigel got his wish. I went to work with him.

We were actually working well together, along with Jimmy, the one he hired a few months before. No real drama, sure, we had our squabbles but none of it went home with us. We still got those monster burgers, we still played jokes on eachother.

Nigel got a new toy too. That Fiero we looked at, I talked him into getting it as he needed a toy to play with. It sits in the barn until we decide what to do with it.

I'm still racing at least a couple times a month, chatting with our friends at the track, putting little tweaks on my car. I've won a couple big races, but, it's more fun than anything.

"Nige, want to go see how the other guy fared?" I was feeling alot better now.

"Sure, lets go."

We walked through the pits until we came across the car, the hood was off and the guy was obviously bummed.

"How does it look? I was playing dodgeball behind you." I asked the guy with the Camero.

"The engine is toast, blew the side out of the block, are you alright?" He obviously wasn't pleased with his current situation.

"Yeah, i'm fine, didn't hurt anything  on mine. By the way, I'm Darren, and this is Nigel." I offered my hand, as did Nige.

He reached out to shake, "I'm Jake. Nice to meet you both. I just got to get this thing loaded and get it home for a proper looksee."

"Need a hand?"

"Sure, since your here, if you don't mind."

"Not a problem, lets get rolling." Jake secures the hood, then we get it pushed on the trailer, then it gets strapped down for transport.

"Let me know if we can be of any help, I have a garage about 20 miles from here." Nigel said, handing him one of his cards.

"Thanks, I may have to give you a call. Shit happens, right?"

"Oh yeah, I rolled my car here about a year ago. It was a mess." I winced at the memory.

"I remember that, the BMW, right?"

"Yup, a clone of what i'm racing now, but we have a cage in it this time."

"Cool! I gotta get going, but I'll stay in touch. Thanks again guys!"

"Take it easy."

As we walked back to our pit, I had a thought.

"I swear, my gaydar just pinged back there."

Nigel looked over at me, "I thought I was alone there, but I felt something too"

"Oh well, the guy is cool."

"Hope he gets his stuff sorted out."

Once we make it back to my car, we wipe the front end down, getting any oil off that made it there from the last race.

"We good?" I asked Nige.

"We good. Get this pig in the lanes, see if we can win gas money tonite."

I get in the car and get to the staging lanes when Nige catches up. As I get buckled up, Nige sticks his head in the window, making sure everything is good.

"Nige.."

"Hu...........mmmurfff" He mumbled as I kissed him.

"Thanks doll, I needed that." I said, grinning. Feeling a bit mischevious.

He smiled back, "My pleasure, now get your game face on"

"Yes dear" I called as I rolled my window back up and got to the head of the line. I put my helment on, and got on the track.

Well, we didn't win gas money that night, but we had fun anyway. Even met someone new.

The next week was uneventful, until Thursday that is. A freight truck pulls in with a delivery, I had no clue what was coming, but Nigel sure did. He was almost giddy with excitement. Once the truck was unloaded and the crate in the shop, Nige gets a crowbar and pulls the top off the crate.

"What in the hell is that??" I ask, as Jimmy and myself wander over.

"A little something for the Fiero, make it go fast." He gets the cover off, and does a magical wave......

"Ta dah! Item one. A 454 cubic inch small block chevy."

"Your gonna rip that poor car in half." I said, still shocked.

"Nah, the trick will be keeping the transmission in one piece." He said with a grin.

"Well, at least it's pretty. What kind of power?"

"Over 550 horsepower, on regular gas too. I thought about building a engine, but buying a crate motor makes more sense, money wise, all the hard work is done, all dialed in and ready to go. All I have to do is stuff it in the car."

I mutter something about middle-age kids, then return to the car I was working on.

Later that night, after dinner, we wandered out to the barn to look at the car. After getting the hood open, we start talking about what can go, as far as all the trinkets and options, which will be almost everything. Just a engine and transmission in there, nothing else, weight costs power.

"How much was that engine?" I asked as I walked to him, wrapping my arms around his back. I was courious.

"You don't want to know." He said as looked down, and tried to pull away.

I got nose to nose with him. "How" kiss "much" kiss "was" kiss "that" kiss "engine?"

He almost shrank as he told me. "$9500.00" He looked like he was going to cry.

"That's a little pricey, but you were due for a project. We will make it work. Ok?" I thought that was alot for a engine, but for all Nige did for me, I'll do for him now.

"Your the best, I" kiss "love" kiss "you."

"So, you want to do it, right here on the hood?" I started batting my eyelashes at him, and played doing a striptease.

"Nah, I'll be digging fibreglass out of your ass for weeks. On the other hand......." Nige was grinning, then tackled me.

Nigel and I were curled up on the couch one night, winding down from a busy day at work. All fed, TV on, and in "relax" mode.

"Nige?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember much from your childhood? You've talked alot about your dad, but nothing of your mom."

"Lets see, where to start. Bear with me, my memory isn't what it used to be."

"No problem, however you want." I look in Nigels ear, and exclaim "The hamster fell off the wheel!"

"Ha ha. Don't quit your day job. Now, where were we? Oh yeah. ME."

"Well, shit or get off the pot, we gotta go to work in the morning."

"Truth be told, I don't remember much from then. I was around 7 when she died, then pop and I moved here." Nigel sat there for a couple minutes, thinking. "I have a vague recollection of the last time I seen her. There was a celebration of sorts, a party maybe. I was playing with some friends on the playground of the park we were at. I think I seen her leave in the car to go get something. After a few hours without seeing her, a police car comes in, and the officer talks to pop, then pop grabs me, and we ride in the police car to the hospital."

Nige takes a minute to get his thoughts in order.

"We get to the hospital, and I find my Mum with all kinds of tubes and wires coming from her, she had bandages all over and something else to keep her  stabilised. My pop was talking to the officer and a doctor in the hallway, while I was in the room, holding her hand, trying to talk to her. When my dad finally came in, he picked me up, and carried me to a private waiting room, sat me on his lap, and told me that Mum was in a bad car accident."

I saw a tear roll down his cheek as he continued.

"Pop told me in plain terms what the doctor told him, that Mum wasn't going to make it. The damage done was too severe, and she wouldn't make it even if she was taken to the big hospital in the city. I hugged pop and cried. After a while, we went back to mums room. There were nurses in and out of the room all day.  Pop watched mum, me and the monitor showing her vitals. I eventually walked to mums side and took her good hand and held it. Pop stood by me when I thought I felt my hand being slightly squeezed, then there was a long continous beep from the monitor. The doctor and a nurse came in while pop and I said our last goodbye to Mum."

Nigel was crying after reliving that scene, I just held him tighter.

"After the funeral, pop decided to pack our things and move to America. We landed here, where he started the garage a few weeks after getting settled."

"Dar, you never mentioned your dad, what's his story?"

"I never knew my dad, he left us when I was a baby. It's been my mom and I from the beginning. I never had any kind of father figure. I tried getting mom to date, but she said she was happy with things as they were. You know, she's OUR mom now, she told me she has two sons now, and couldn't be happier." I gave him a squeeze.

"No kidding? WOW! You never told me that. But I know if pop were here, he'd love you like a son too, or son in law, I know it with all of my heart, and he told me from the beginning that I had his blessing when the time came. Damn, I miss him."

After talking about our childhood for what seemed to be hours, it was time for bed, and Nigel looked beat. I decided to carry him up to bed.

"Damn Nige, your getting heavy, lite beer for you from now on".

"Shut up and get me to bed, I'm whipped".

To Be Continued.............

Thanks for sticking with the story. Any comments or suggestions? Don't be scared, I don't bite. Send them to my address posted elsewhere.

Lugnutz