Sunday morning

Some noise in the garage woke me. Erick was already in there. What? 6:30 AM. I looked, it was him allright. I made a pot of fresh coffee, poured myself a cup and went out, in pyjama to ask him why so early? With a smile nobody could resist, he just mumbled, I want to hear the engine today, he already found an old container and changed the oil in the engine. We cleaned the old plugs, new ones would be installed if the engine worked fine, but the old ones would do for a test. I went in, got dressed and had a bite. Erick knocked and told me we were ready. WOW not so fast young man, we need to siphon out the old gas, and put new one, old gas in the tank cannot give us a good idea. A sad face and a deception for Erick, it turned out the gas tank was totally empty, nothing left in it. Easely we poured about 10 liters in the tank and cranked the engine without the plugs untill the carb started to smell gas. We installed the plugs, reconnected the HT wires, then crossed our fingers. At first the cranking seemed to do not much, 30 seconds, then a stop to cool the starter, then another crank, still nothing. Fianally on the third try, the engine showed signs of efforts. Another rest for the starter and the battery, and at the next try, the engine roared choke on fast idle. It gradually settled itself, and with a quick jerk to the throttle it starter to purr, but with a defenite noise of a leaky exhoust system. The in dash indicators all worked, oil pressure good, water temp stabilising, wich remineded me we would need to change the antifreeze and the ammeter showing the battery was charging. GREAT. Erick was actually dancing around the car. We turned it off, and restarted it, it went right away, one quarter of a turn. We had the cloud of blue smoke from the oil we poured in the cylinder but it was gradually clearing. By then it was lunch time. Erick suggested calling his mother to bring us something, we would save time, 20 minutes later she was here, with egg sandwiches, she took one look at Erick and almost started to bitch, she refrained saying she'd be back later. We ate, and jacked the car up on some wood logs, we needed to see that exhoust leak, it was semi serious, a rotten pipe and it needed a new muffler, but the disaster were the floors, all rusted through. This meant big repairs to go through the structural inspection. A big set back, but we didn't let it get to us. I was disturbed by the rusted out floors, but Erich wanted to check the electrical, parking lights, all fine, night lights, ok, directional flickers, ok, stop lights, ok then he came to me and expressed he could't find the high beams, no matter how he pushed or pulled the little arm on the steering whell, it didn't work. Ahhh Ahhh, I showed him, on the floor, on the left side, a small round button, you press once and you have high beam, you press again and go back to low beam. It was working fine. It was getting close to supper time, I suggested pizza, he didn't complain and called his mother she aggreed but said she'd be over for RULES. I got a little upset but didn't let it show, we started to make a list. we needed new wiper blades, a new muffler, new tyres, but then freaked Erick out, telling him we needed to see if that thing could not only run but roll. With a smile Erick said, no seat, holes in the floors were will we go? I sat on the floor, pushed the clutch, put it in reverse and out we went, all the way to the street, put it in first and back in to the garage we went all the way in to the back wall, the brakes weren't there, pedal to the floor, shit. Another thing to check. Erick saw my disapointment and mentionned that it wouldn't be easy but worth it, with a big smile. His mother arrived, with a few set of old clothes, that was the rule, Erick would use normal clothes to get to my place, change in to these to work, grease oil and dirt she wouldn'd manage, he was to shower and change before to go home and I was to wash his working clothes, this was it. Erick could have lunch and supper at my house as long as he warned her, but he had to be home by 8 PM. Erick looked a little upset after she left, when I asked him why, he replied, she didn't even look at the car, what we already did on it. I said is that all? To what he replied we pour our guts and heart in to it, all she cares he not seing me dirty. The car seats were on the side wall, besides each other and I sat on one, Erick sat on the other, I explained that cars were a man's thing, I didn't mind to wash his messy clothes as I needed to wash mine too. I grabbed his shoulder and told him that his mother didn't stop the project, she made sure she wouldn'd find it extra work, it's our responsability not hers. She doen't want you to ruin your good clothes. Can we live with this? He said sure, what time tomorrow, you work early? I told him my shift was evening, but I didn't want him any earlier then 10AM. He got up from the car seat, walked toward the door, then slowed down, asking me if he could turn the lights off and lock the doors. I aggreed, we walked out, he locked said a faint see ya tomorrow. Sb