said at the same time.
“I’ll put you on the insurance for the van tomorrow,” Chris
said once the nurse had disappeared. “I also want you to carry out the eleven
o’clock MOT we’ve got booked in.”
“Chris I’m not ready for that yet,” I argued.
“Well you need to get yourself ready, mate. When I’m… gone … that garage is yours and Emmie’s.
You need to be able to run it without me.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Chris…” I trailed off. I felt too winded to form words.
“That’s why I bought it, Dex. I’d worked for Ernie since I
left school – he’s like a father to me. When he found out what was going
on with me, he offered to sell it to me at a fantastic rate – one which I
made sure Emily could afford to repay once I wasn’t here anymore.”
“You planned all this already?”
“It was the first thing I did. I couldn’t even think of
moving forward until I knew Emmie would have a secure future. Despite the shit
you’ve been through, my gut told me she would have that with you. That’s why I
went to see you in rehab and that’s why I want you to take over my garage.”
“Jesus, Chris…I…I don’t know what to say right now.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I know you’ll do it. You
owe both me and Emily that much.”
“I know I do,” I didn’t hesitate to agree.
“You start college next week. Tuesday. Six till eight in the
evening. I can train you on site as an apprentice. An assessor will come by
every so often to oversee your work, but if we knuckle down, you can get your
NVQ before…” he trailed off, knowing I knew what he meant. Before he dies. “You’re already half way there.
Hanging out in your mate’s dad’s garage growing up has taught you all the
basics. You just need testing in them, that’s all.”
“Fuck, Chris, this is a lot to take in.”
“You don’t have time to take it in. You’ve gotta accept it
and start doing, you hear? You’ll do
the MOT tomorrow and I’ll check it over when you’ve finished. You can do it,
Dex. I know you’re capable. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t believe in you.”
“You… believe in
me?” I practically whimpered like a freakin’ girl. Emotion swelled in my throat
and I was sure if he kept talking I would cry like a fucking baby.
“You should know the answer to that by now,” he answered
without looking at me. “We’ll tell Emmie when her head’s in a better place.
Last thing I want is to send her crying up the stairs again.”
“We’re gonna have to risk that, man. I won’t keep anything
from her again. I promised her and I meant it.”
“You’re right,” Chris agreed, sighing heavily. “We’ll tell
her tonight.”
I nodded weakly, still trying to comprehend everything he’d
just told me.
“Don’t let me down, Dexter.”
“I won’t,” I assured earnestly. “You have my word.”
**********
My ass was dead after four hours sitting on that damn hard
chair. Anna the nurse had just stopped by to say we had another thirty minutes
to go so I ran downstairs to the café and grabbed us a couple more drinks.
Chris had water – safer on the stomach, and I had an energy drink that
tasted like melted sugar. I needed the sugar rush to keep my eyes open.
“Anyone interesting?” Chris pried as I palmed my cell after
sitting down. It buzzed in my pocket on my way back from the café, so after
setting our drinks down on the table I pulled it out.
“Marianne,” I said. “I’ll read it later. Don’t think I’m
supposed to use it in here.”
“We’re all dying anyway. What’s the worst it’s gonna do?” he
joked. I rolled my eyes at him, wanting to scold him but my lips betrayed me as
they turned up into a smile.
Marianne has texted me every day without fail since I last
saw her back in Ohio. We talk useless shit mainly. She tells me about school, I
tell her about work, that kind of thing. I find myself missing her some days. I
still barely know her and I want to so badly.
“I’ll put you on the insurance for the van tomorrow,” Chris
said once the nurse had disappeared. “I also want you to carry out the eleven
o’clock MOT we’ve got booked in.”
“Chris I’m not ready for that yet,” I argued.
“Well you need to get yourself ready, mate. When I’m… gone … that garage is yours and Emmie’s.
You need to be able to run it without me.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Chris…” I trailed off. I felt too winded to form words.
“That’s why I bought it, Dex. I’d worked for Ernie since I
left school – he’s like a father to me. When he found out what was going
on with me, he offered to sell it to me at a fantastic rate – one which I
made sure Emily could afford to repay once I wasn’t here anymore.”
“You planned all this already?”
“It was the first thing I did. I couldn’t even think of
moving forward until I knew Emmie would have a secure future. Despite the shit
you’ve been through, my gut told me she would have that with you. That’s why I
went to see you in rehab and that’s why I want you to take over my garage.”
“Jesus, Chris…I…I don’t know what to say right now.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I know you’ll do it. You
owe both me and Emily that much.”
“I know I do,” I didn’t hesitate to agree.
“You start college next week. Tuesday. Six till eight in the
evening. I can train you on site as an apprentice. An assessor will come by
every so often to oversee your work, but if we knuckle down, you can get your
NVQ before…” he trailed off, knowing I knew what he meant. Before he dies. “You’re already half way there.
Hanging out in your mate’s dad’s garage growing up has taught you all the
basics. You just need testing in them, that’s all.”
“Fuck, Chris, this is a lot to take in.”
“You don’t have time to take it in. You’ve gotta accept it
and start doing, you hear? You’ll do
the MOT tomorrow and I’ll check it over when you’ve finished. You can do it,
Dex. I know you’re capable. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t believe in you.”
“You… believe in
me?” I practically whimpered like a freakin’ girl. Emotion swelled in my throat
and I was sure if he kept talking I would cry like a fucking baby.
“You should know the answer to that by now,” he answered
without looking at me. “We’ll tell Emmie when her head’s in a better place.
Last thing I want is to send her crying up the stairs again.”
“We’re gonna have to risk that, man. I won’t keep anything
from her again. I promised her and I meant it.”
“You’re right,” Chris agreed, sighing heavily. “We’ll tell
her tonight.”
I nodded weakly, still trying to comprehend everything he’d
just told me.
“Don’t let me down, Dexter.”
“I won’t,” I assured earnestly. “You have my word.”
**********
My ass was dead after four hours sitting on that damn hard
chair. Anna the nurse had just stopped by to say we had another thirty minutes
to go so I ran downstairs to the café and grabbed us a couple more drinks.
Chris had water – safer on the stomach, and I had an energy drink that
tasted like melted sugar. I needed the sugar rush to keep my eyes open.
“Anyone interesting?” Chris pried as I palmed my cell after
sitting down. It buzzed in my pocket on my way back from the café, so after
setting our drinks down on the table I pulled it out.
“Marianne,” I said. “I’ll read it later. Don’t think I’m
supposed to use it in here.”
“We’re all dying anyway. What’s the worst it’s gonna do?” he
joked. I rolled my eyes at him, wanting to scold him but my lips betrayed me as
they turned up into a smile.
Marianne has texted me every day without fail since I last
saw her back in Ohio. We talk useless shit mainly. She tells me about school, I
tell her about work, that kind of thing. I find myself missing her some days. I
still barely know her and I want to so badly.
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