The Gatekeeper

I’ve been working at Nilson Brothers Garage in East Oakland since 1976, and have owned it since April Fool’s Day 1983. So many gritty and humorous events have happened inside and outside the shop, I’ve mentioned in other posts I often feel like the gatekeeper in the Twilight Zone. Another instance of that happened when a customer dropped off his Cad for a diagnostic check, and to get one of the Oxygen Sensors out. He had a couple shops try, but they were afraid to strip the threads and ruin the exhaust manifold thereby causing a thousand dollars in damage over a hundred dollar part. I didn’t blame them.

Recognizing the customer’s name during the phone call before he brought in the Cad, I looked through my extensive records quickly. Lo and behold the gatekeeper was indeed right about knowing this gentleman. He had last brought a vehicle into my shop back in March of 1992. Yep, cue up the ‘Zone’ music. Over twenty-one years had passed in the blink of an eye since the gatekeeper had worked on this customer’s vehicles.

I met him yesterday morning with my clipboard, and asked him if he still lived on such and such street. He laughed and said no, he’d moved out of the area a long time ago, but now was back living in Hayward. We shared a few memories about his past vehicles left in my care decades ago. People are always surprised when they find me still at the shop, but I have a duty as the gatekeeper at the Twilight Zone of Nilson Brothers Garage to be on duty.  :)

The gatekeeper then worked his magic yesterday, extracting the feared Oxygen Sensor without causing a thousand dollars damage, and all was again right with the cosmos.

In writing news I hit #56 on the Most Popular Author’s in Action and Adventure Fiction page this morning. My ten minutes of fame has finally hit, so the gatekeeper is basking in this news while it lasts.  :)

Here's the link, but I don't know how many seconds my name and picture will be in that hallowed position. Fame is fleeting.  :)   Amazon Most Popular Authors in Action and Adventure