The Mechanic, The Substitute and The Arsonist

Contemporary story
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The Mechanic, The Substitute and The Arsonist

1

The Mechanic at Victory Auto feels great, a real firm sense of accomplishment: he just ripped somebody off. Poor old lady, charged her a grand for a new carburetor when all she needed was an oil change. Schmuck, thinks The Mechanic. He raps his skeleton ring on the blue Formica counter top and rubs his baldhead, then stares into the computer screen and grins.

The Mechanic only grins at the computer screen, never at the customer. The computer runs the cash register. Happy customers feel nervous around The Mechanic. They should. They're happy. Happy, kind people those are the easiest to rip off. Other customers, the shrewder, half-empty sort, they don't smile or exchange pleasantries with The Mechanic. No. They're more concerned with the tattoo on his forearm. It's a crappy red heart tattoo with the name Yoko inked in black across the center and an arrow shot through, but not an arrow from Cupid, an Indian warrior's arrow. And these customers, they think, what a schmuck. They know The Mechanic doesn't love Yoko, the woman whose name he has tattooed across his forearm. He never did, not even the night he made her. That night she asked him in the basement if he liked boom boom. "Boom. Boom. Boom," said The Mechanic.

In high school The Mechanic passed shop class. Twice the teacher caught him making a bong. He passed with a D. What an accomplishment. After dropping out of high school The Mechanic enlisted in the Navy. Here's what he did in the Navy: drank, met Yoko, drank some more, went AWOL. Finally his father schooled him in the mechanic's trade then kicked him out the double wide. You're nineteen he said and kicked him out. Being a mechanic was it. Once The Mechanic dreamt of becoming a racecar driver, even saved up some money and took lessons, but quit after two weeks. That was before joining the navy.

Lying is The Mechanic's specialty, ahead of fixing cars. He's so good at lying he's missing teeth. The Mechanic is not interested in the customer's wants or needs. He listens to a customer and thinks, pfft, schmuck and then looks them in the eyes; The Mechanic has stone eyes, eyes the color of glacier water, and says, you need new brakes, or you got a cracked serpentine belt, or your transmission's about to drop. That's the best. Trannies and calibers are the best. If The Mechanic can scam some poor schmuck on a new transmission or new calibers it's a case of Bud for him that night. Maybe he'll share it with his friends, the other mechanics, but probably not.

Usually after work The Mechanic watches Nascar and drinks Bud. He drinks Bud because the Earnhearts drive the Bud car and the Bud car is a Chevy. The Mechanic loves Chevy. This is how much he loves Chevy: he has their logo tattooed on the back of his neck. There's a skull worked into the design. The Mechanic swears he'll buy Chevy until the day he dies.

←2→

The old lady The Mechanic just ripped off teeters outside and another customer, a younger gentleman approaches. The man has shaggy bangs and walks with a limp. He smiles.

"Say, what's with that flag out front," he asks kindly.

In front of the garage waves a giant black flag with a red number three embroidered in the center. The Mechanic feels great. He's really going to rip this guy off.

"Earnheart Sr.," grunts The Mechanic. "Passed earlier this month."

"Oh," says the man.

"Year, make, and model," The Mechanic demands.

"Uh, Ford Escort, I think it's a 90," the man replies.

Fords, thinks The Mechanic, Pieces of shit.

 

2

Three months ago The Substitute cried for joy. He cried for joy because he received his teaching degree. How exciting. He wants to be an English teacher. For now he's a sub. In elementary school he could spell encyclopedia faster than anyone. Look mom all pluses, the teacher's pet. Now he says 'favorites' is not a game he'll play. "I won't play favorites," he says. "It's not fair." This week he's teaching six-grade chemistry. The job starts tomorrow at noon.

Normally The Substitute enjoys Sunday mornings, sleeping in and reading the funnies, but not today. Today he won't. Today he must take the Escort in to get its oil changed. He put it off all weekend. His father bought him the car for his sixteenth birthday and on Thursday, before leaving town on business, he told his son to take her in. "You're twenty-three years old," he said. "It's time now you take some initiative. Go in and get her serviced. See you in a week."

At nine AM The Substitute drives his Escort up the street to the garage with the black number three flag hanging out front. He parks and steps from the vehicle, then gathers up his workbook and pens and his copy of The Old Man and the Sea from the back seat and limps across the parking lot. The Substitute limps because one leg is shorter than the other.

←3→

Inside the office The Substitute grins and says hello to The Mechanic. He asks about the flag out front. The Mechanic says it's for Earnheart. Apparently some man named Earnheart passed away earlier this month. The Sub is sad for Earnheart and The Mechanic.

"I need to get my car serviced," says The Sub. He is nervous. The Mechanic has a heart tattooed across his forearm. The Sub can tell The Mechanic knows a great deal about cars. Any man who mourns the death of another man named Earnheart must know a lot about cars. The Mechanic says OK. He tells The Sub to expect a call in three hours.

At church The Substitute prays alongside his mother. He prays for little Billy Westgate. Little Billy has cancer. The Substitute hates cancer. The Substitute prays that one day someone will find a cure for cancer. Before leaving church The Substitute thinks to pray for the Earnhearts and The Mechanic, but doesn't.

After church The Substitute has lunch with his mother. She makes him a club sandwich just the way he likes it, with crisp bacon and melted cheddar cheese.

"Want some salad?" she asks.

"No thanks," he says.

"You need a haircut." His mom always says he needs a haircut. Suddenly the phone rings. It's The Mechanic.

The Mechanic's voice is gruff. "New fronts and rears," he says, "and rotors too. Also, your calibers are about busted and if those suckers come loose, then you could be looking at new discs."

This isn't what The Substitute expected. He searches for a clever response. "How much?" he asks.

"1200."

The Substitute can't afford the cost of the repairs. He tells The Mechanic he'll call back later and hangs up the phone, then asks his mother what he should do. He needs the Escort tomorrow for work. Call your father she says. He does. No answer. He tries again, still no answer. His mother guesses he'll have to bite the bullet. The Substitute calls The Mechanic back. "I'll have to pay on credit." He sighs.

←4→

"Sure thing," says The Mechanic. "Have her ready for you first thing in the morning." He grins into the computer screen. A glint of light strikes the eye of his skeleton ring. "Bye," grunts The Mechanic and hangs up the phone. Schmuck, he thinks

After lunch The Substitute retreats to his parent's basement. That's where he lives. He sits down before his desk in a springy office chair and leans back. He puts his hands behind his head. There's no need to worry any more. He leans forward and picks up his copy of The Old Man and the Sea. Finally, he thinks, I can get back to reading.

 

3

One afternoon The Arsonist found a book of matches on his father's workbench. The creek in Mill Park had run dry. Both his parents were gone. He was five years old.

That same afternoon The Arsonist's friend Susan wandered next-door. She found The Arsonist nestled beneath an evergreen tree alongside his house. When asked what he was up to The Arsonist didn't say anything. Instead he struck a match and set fire to lichen at the base of the tree. "Look," he said. Within minutes The Arsonist's house was in flames. The fire department came and put down the blaze while The Arsonist stood and watched. He didn't cry until a day later when his parents returned home. His mother blamed the baby sitter. His father broke out the belt.

In fifth grade The Arsonist lit G.I. Joes on fire. He liked to melt their limbs. Aunt Mica found a lunch box filled with burnt G.I. Joes and showed them to The Arsonist's mother. The Arsonist's mother showed them to his father. "No more fire!" said The Arsonist's father and uncoiled the belt. "Go to your room." The Arsonist didn't leave his room for three weeks. Restriction rules.

A month later The Arsonist went to his friend's house for a slumber party. What a great idea. At dusk the boy's parents built a bonfire. Once the fire was built The Arsonist and his friends collected tent caterpillars nests from Mill Park and threw them in the fire. The Arsonist told his friends to listen. "Listen," he said. "Listen to them squeal!" Something in the fire squealed. The Arsonist got excited. He danced. He danced close to the fire. He danced so close he almost fell in. It's a good thing he didn't

←5→

The Arsonist is near grown up now. He takes classes at SFV College. His favorite class is chemistry. He likes mixing chemicals. The teacher says The Arsonist has a talent for mixing chemicals. You have a talent for chemistry, says the teacher, but The Arsonist never listens. He's too busy stirring the vinegar.

For some reason people have this idea that arsonists are creeps and misfits. What a dumb idea. The Arsonist is not a creep or a misfit. Sure, on occasion he wears holey jeans. Or maybe one day he forgets to do laundry and has to wear the same holey jeans two days in a row. But besides that he's normal. Also, The Arsonist gets along fine with people. In fact most everybody likes The Arsonist; everyone except his boss. His boss hates him. The Arsonist can't figure it out. What did I do wrong? He thinks. He mixes himself a rum and coke and turns on the TV. "Nothing. I did nothing wrong," he says and flips the channel to Tom and Jerry.

The next day is Sunday. The Arsonist works Sundays. Sundays are usually the busiest. He walks down Victory Boulevard to Ron's Supermarket, clocks in at check stand four and begins bagging groceries. After lunch The Arsonist switches to checker, his favorite. The Arsonist is an excellent checker. He smiles a lot and says things like 'Welcome to Ron's' and 'How's it going?' and 'Price check on aisle three, please.' The Arsonist always says please.

At ten o'clock The Arsonist closes check stand four. It's time to go home. He zeros the till and is about to leave when suddenly his boss calls him aside.

"Follow me," he says. The Arsonist follows his boss into the back room. Not good. Last night thirty-dollars and seventy-seven cents was reported missing from check stand four. Check stand four is The Arsonist's check stand.

"You're fired," says the Arsonist's boss.

←6→

The Arsonist can't believe it. "Fuck you!" He says and shoves past his boss. He kicks over the water cooler and storms out through the rear exit and into the back alley. He's steaming mad. With both hands shoved into his pockets he walks down the alley. Two buildings away he finds buried in his pocket a book of matches. He lifts his head. No way. The Arsonist can't believe his eyes. Up against the wall behind Victory Auto, half covered by a flattened cardboard box sits a red gas canister. Grabbing the canister by its handle The Arsonist immediately thinks to burn down the supermarket, but doesn't. He's not stupid. He'll get caught. Instead he uncaps the canister and wets the back wall of the auto shop with gasoline, then lights a match and throws it against the wall. The wall engulfs in flames. The Arsonist watches the flames. Something about the flames is calming to The Arsonist. He pretends his boss is trapped inside, burning, squealing like a caterpillar. Out of nowhere The Arsonist laughs a wicked laugh. Finally he hears sirens and runs home. That'll teach'em, he thinks.

4

The next day The Mechanic wakes up beside Holly. Holly wakes up next to an empty case of Budweiser. The TV's still on. It's showing Nascar. The Mechanic gives Holly a wad of bills and tells her to get the hell out. He gets into his red Chevy pick up and turns the key. It won't start. "Holly!" Shouts The Mechanic. Holly drives a Ford, Pinto. She gives him a ride to the shop. At the shop The Mechanic sees The Substitute, two police officers, and a fire truck parked in front. Both garages have burned to the ground. The office and two blackened cars is all that's left. One of the cars is The Substitute's. "What the... what the hell happened?" Shouts The Mechanic. The Substitute is crying.

"Arson," says a fire official.

"Ima, Ima," The Mechanic stammers. "Ima kill somebody!" he yells then ducks the yellow caution tape and runs towards the smoldering building.

←7

"Come back here!" Shouts an officer, but The Mechanic doesn't stop. He runs towards where the garage once stood and jogs to a stop at the edge of the rubble. There he stoops to pick something from the debris. It's the black number three flag. The Mechanic dangles the flag at his side. Torn and tattered it waves in the wind. The red number three is black.

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

Comments

Submitted by admin on Wed, 08/18/2004 - 16:40

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Nice style, although the very short sentances became irksome. Slightly disappointing ending, not really the link I was hoping for, wanted the mechanic to suffer more and the teacher less.

Submitted by admin on Wed, 08/18/2004 - 16:38

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Intriguing Narration style:check Character development: Check+ Atmosphere: Check Plot:??? Resolution:??? Although I was disappointed in the end, I cant help but think the Substiture would really enjoy this piece.

Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/20/2004 - 07:15

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Story line is fine. I enjoyed to some extent, but the moment I read about the arsonist, I knew the garage would be burnt. The plot could have been more subtle and though not enjoyable, this was the only plausible end. Sentences were short and eassay type. I wanted to see the sub gets money from insurance or covered for his loss.

Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/20/2004 - 13:53

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The sentence structures never vary, just hits the reader with dull little taps until stupified. Unfortunately, though I know it is intentional, the painfully stereotypical characters are just that -- painful, in a numbing sort of way. Some hidden merit must lie in the story -- perhaps a moral for arsonists? A tribute to Earnheart fans? Its a fun idea; take it back to the drawing board.

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/30/2004 - 02:36

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I liked it. My favorite character was the Arsonist. The simplistic story telling really worked for me. I wish I knew what happened to the Arsonist later that day, but the fact that I dont know , is why I liked the story so much. The Subs car might as well have burned to the ground. Hopefully his Dad made sure he had comprehensive auto insurance. "Whats NEXT Nick?" Thats my question.

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/30/2004 - 04:03

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The narrative style and short choppy sentences are not my favorite, but they work better here than I have usually seen. I agree, would have liked the Sub to get the good end of the stick….The moral – Arsons ok, you are probably helping some shmuck in the end!

Submitted by admin on Sat, 09/04/2004 - 15:58

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Whats not to love, here?! An ALMOST perfect tale of poetic justice and revenge... Oh, if only the Mechanic could have gotten stinking drunk and passed out in the garage before the blaze, and slept nearly all the way through it, waking only momentarily before his demise to see the faces of all those hed wronged dancing in the flames all around him... And, oh, if only the Substitutes mother had used her pin money to take out a little insurance policy on his car and the car had burnt to a crisp leaving the Substitute with enough money to buy some "new wheels" (as we sometimes call new cars in the States), with enough left over to take his Mum to a fancy restaurant. And maybe the Arsonist could have bumped into Holly somewhere and transferred his passion for fire into a more acceptable form of... enjoyment?! I liked this story, and especially got a kick out of the lines: "The Arsonist has a talent for mixing chemicals. You have a talent for chemistry, says the teacher, but The Arsonist never listens. Hes too busy stirring the vinegar." *L* PJV

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/07/2004 - 04:14

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Leaves me to think two different things. One, the Substitue probably has insurance, so he is covered, and better off. Two, so does the Mechanic. Which leads me to think this story really isnt great, because there is two pay offs and the good guy and the bad guy both win. Oh, and the arsonist lit a building on fire, thinking that he is teaching someone a lesson. Sounds like you were trying to make up for areas in the story you couldnt think of. Dont like it. I think you should rewrite it. best of luck....

Submitted by admin on Sun, 10/24/2004 - 19:32

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Freaking awesome. Whoever said "reads as if told by a 7th grader" is simply complimenting the author on his objective being met. I loved the random sentences like "he just keeps stirring the vinegar". "Screaming like a caterpillar" is funny because caterpillars dont scream, but yet alludes to his boyhood days of burning things like caterpillars. I think the message is: hate creates hate which sometimes nullifies other hate; either way nice people get fucked.

Submitted by admin on Mon, 10/25/2004 - 09:50

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Nice idea and in my view mostly well executed but in places a little obvious. I do agree with the comment that it ends dissapointingly. One thought is that perhaps the Arsonists manager might have been more involved - maybe as the ripped off customer in place of the old lady - that way, what goes round comes round.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/28/2004 - 06:46

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My boyfriend was telling me about his dubious encounter with a mechanic, when having his car serviced. I told him about this story and he was fairly horrified to hear about the tricks the storys protagonist used. Especially looking straight in the eye as hes been reassured of his mechanics honesty when hed done just that. The story confirms everyones worst fears about cowboy mechanics! Very amusing.

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/22/2004 - 04:48

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Why do some readers always have to insist that a story ends the way they want it to. Life doesnt work like that. At times, bad guys do get a away with bad things. Reflecting this in a story doesnt make it a bad story. However, I never really got into the story. It is not for the kind of reader who wants to be stimulated almost immediately.

Submitted by admin on Fri, 11/26/2004 - 15:24

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GOOD

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/29/2004 - 21:23

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this short story started off fairly well. i would have liked to have read a bit more how the mechanic got what he deserved. would have been nice that he had to replace the teachers car. dunno good on you for having a go

Submitted by admin on Sun, 12/12/2004 - 12:01

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O.K.story. Sentences could use a little more substance. The morale to the story is what goes around comes around. I can slightly relate to how the mechanic feels in this story. Working in a mechanical trade, I know the struggle to not take advantage of the not knowledgeable customer. Perhaps this story could be expanded to include the arresting officer of the arsenist, or how the mechanic did not have insurance to cover the arson.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 12/16/2004 - 16:01

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hey man your story is really awesome. i really liked the plot development. there is just a couple things you need to work on. the imbeded dialogue is awkward. also, as hard as it is, you need to give the characters names. give me more of a reason to identify with a character than hes a mechanic. keep up the good work though rock on matt

Submitted by admin on Sun, 12/19/2004 - 17:50

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I can always tell when I am going to enjoy a story by the structure of the first few sentences, this story is no exception. The sentences dont over elaborate things that do not require further explanation. The reader is given just the right amount of information to want to keep reading. When reading, I personally do noy pay attention to the technical aspect of writing. If the sentences are concise, and paint me a picture of what is happening in a story, I am happy. "The Mechanic, The Substitute, and The Arson ist", does this perfectly. I can visualize the characters faces. The story is interesting and comes together very nicely in the end. Writers always feel the need to use five syllable words when they couldve used a five letter word to convet their meaning. Nicholas Mathisen uses vocabulary that is blunt and crisp. The story is easy to follow and wonderfully written. I know that many writers are obsessed with punctuation and the complexity of their sentences, but this story uses sharp diction that serves its purpose beautifully. Overall, this story is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 12/23/2004 - 09:10

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I suppose many will onject to the abrupt terse sentence structure at first. But if youve ver worked in the roadside auto industry, that is what you get. It fits the character well. It enhances that dropped- out of-highschool-in -rebellion attitude. The verb tense through most of the story appears to be simple present. But its not. its what we might call media present tense, like when youre telling somebody about the movie that you saw last night. It enhances the listener/readers ability to visualize. Its the kind of narration style you would expect from your mechanic. The denial of closure at the dramatic level suggests that the story serves a deeper purpose. Very good character sketches. ybh

Submitted by admin on Thu, 01/06/2005 - 19:08

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Decent story, it kept me reading the whole way through. Interesting portrayel of the three characters. I liked how they didnt have names, but simply labels (Mechanic, Substitue, Arson). The short choppy sentences worked for me. I was dissapointed with the ending though. The substitute is standing there, and the mechanic picks up the burned flag. So what? How do they feel? Where is the resolution? Great story, but ending needs work.

Submitted by admin on Thu, 01/27/2005 - 20:45

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I could feel this writers contempt for his characters oozing off the screen. I take it the idea is to play with style, voicing and mood. Gimmicks! It reads more like a tirade by someone who got screwed over by a mechanic, hated his substitute teacher and perhaps would like to get revenge on one or the other. There is no real connection between these characters - they seem random to me. the punctuation is a problem as well as the lack of variety in sentences. Characters are one-dimentional and stilted and presented with such contempt - why should I care what happens to them?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 02/03/2005 - 16:52

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I liked it but it was grating to read the name "Earnheart" when I suppose you were talking about "Earnhardt" and the word "caliber" when I guess you meant "caliper". Glaring errors like those can break any hold a story has on me.

Submitted by admin on Sat, 03/19/2005 - 13:51

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I think people need to get over the style aspects here. The beauty about short-story writing is the ability to play with words, style and whatever else the author wants to use to express themselves. As a journalist, reading the same style writing over and over: say it in as few words as possible, gets old. I thought the sentence structure worked with the story...I also thought Nick did a great job of bringing the characters to life - I could picture The Mechanic. I would only ask that the other characters be as developed - maybe mechanics are easier to imagine, but I would have liked to have "gotten to know" The Arsonist better. All in all - good piece of writing, and as usual, I cant wait to see whats next... B

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/29/2005 - 07:44

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As a clarification, it doesnt matter whether the substitute has insurance or not, because he is covered by the mechanics insurance, which the mechanic has to have. This story is pretty good, but I dont like the overlap of the mechanic and the substitute, because its not done with the arsonist. I dont find these chracters to be stereoypes for some reason either. As another side note, only ignorant people get ripped off by mechanics.

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/06/2005 - 14:29

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And the world spins round and round. What about the little old lady? I wanted a bit more justice. You have nice old lady, you have deluded Mr. Substitute, you have a little nutty but well-meaning Arsonist, and then theres the nasty, dirty Mechanic. But the only thing the mechanic seems to care about is the flag with the number three. Just seems a bit odd. I enjoyed the images you bring to the story. What is with the vinegar? I never took chemistry...

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/13/2006 - 09:17

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Idiotic and poorly written.

Basic questions:

What are the ‘symptoms’ of needing an oil change that would have caused the old lady to bring in her car to the Mechanic? None, of course, they dont exist.

How is glacier water a different color than any other water?

Why use the word ‘schmuck’ three times on the first page?

‘Any man who mourns the death of another man named Earnheart must know a lot about cars.’ Since the sub doesn’t know who Earnhardt is, how does this sentence make any sense?
Plus, how hard is it to look up the spelling of someone’s name you keep referencing?

Submitted by admin on Fri, 11/10/2006 - 05:28

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I really liked the randomness of the arsonists final action, I thought this expressed well his relief in fire, and his need to release his feelings in that way. The fact it wasnt directed at his boss or the supermarket emphasised this well. Because of this the arsonist comes across as the most developed character, the other two seem a bit stereotypical and contrived, because you havent exposed their internal lives much.

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 12:13

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The person who posted on 2006-03-13 09:17:24 is a douchebag. I think his/her questions and concerns are petty and ridiculous. For the record, I liked the part about "glacier water" colored eyes and think it makes perfect sense. Glacier water is icy cold much like the mechanic.

And they want you to describe the auto symptoms that brought the old lady in for an oil change? Why? I just take if for granted that she needed to have her car serviced. Its not like thats an unbelievable detail or anything.

And why not use the word schmuck 3 times on the same page?

Anyway, I thought this was a good story. I liked your simple sentence structure and the way the story kind of snow-balled to the end. I agree that you should maybe research more to make sure your using the correct lingo and spelling.

I guess the mechanic was a little stereo-typed, but thats just life. I dont trust mechanics, either. And yes, its because Im ignorant. Im a graphic designer, not an auto mechanic. It sure would suck for their careers if everyone started training themselves how to repair their own cars.

Anyway, keep experimenting and posting stories!

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