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The restoration shop
One day a 67 Shelbyford mustang gt from the movie set came into a restoration yard. For the sake of pop culture well call her sally for short. Sally had had an unlucky life but today that luck was changing. Her previous owner a stupid entitled boy from a rich family cared little for Sallies priceless value had crashed her marginally more than he boasted about and thrashed her poor heart a little more than the beautiful classic engine was technically built for. What made this sallies lucky day was the yard owners apprentice all exited to start his first day.
The yard owner was looking at sally seeing more hours worth of work than he believed he would profit, the apprentice was looking at sally with hope he’d get to work on her. Not for the money, of course the apprentice doesn't get paid they're just learning. But here is his favorite classic an honor just to see in this post crash condition… but to have the hope of just getting to see this beautiful classic making others smile again would be payment enough.
The yard own finally caved to the shared nostalgia and let the apprentice work on the car for fun outside of work hours… until one day sally was back to her former glory and better. Even the yard owner was somewhat impressed at the young students work. The craftsmanship a testament to working all night every night. The yard owner admired the determination smiling as he carried the kid home after yet again collapsing from exhaustion, proud to see the apprentice finally finished with the labor of love.
Just as sally was being re registered so she could be sold to the young apprentice a rich business type arrived at the yard. The arrogant man with more money than brains offered five times the value of the car. This still only barely enough to cover the hours of work the apprentice would have made had he been paid for the work.
The yard owner refused again and again until the final price came to eight times the value of the car.
The yard owner gave the apprentice a fair 60% cut. The apprentice mournfully handed the money back to the kind old yard owner “ I didn’t do it for the money I didn’t do it for you either boss, Idid it for her…” Voice breaking with grief as the rich business man scratched the paint job leaving the yard and curbed the hand restored original hub cap turning the corner. The apprentice knew to him sally would always be worth more than any rich business man could have paid. He didn’t even want to own the car he pored his heart and soul into. What broke him was knowing in the eyes of this buyer she would never be worth looking after as much as he had looked after her.
The apprentice never returned to mechanics.
© Tinka H Cain
The yard owner was looking at sally seeing more hours worth of work than he believed he would profit, the apprentice was looking at sally with hope he’d get to work on her. Not for the money, of course the apprentice doesn't get paid they're just learning. But here is his favorite classic an honor just to see in this post crash condition… but to have the hope of just getting to see this beautiful classic making others smile again would be payment enough.
The yard own finally caved to the shared nostalgia and let the apprentice work on the car for fun outside of work hours… until one day sally was back to her former glory and better. Even the yard owner was somewhat impressed at the young students work. The craftsmanship a testament to working all night every night. The yard owner admired the determination smiling as he carried the kid home after yet again collapsing from exhaustion, proud to see the apprentice finally finished with the labor of love.
Just as sally was being re registered so she could be sold to the young apprentice a rich business type arrived at the yard. The arrogant man with more money than brains offered five times the value of the car. This still only barely enough to cover the hours of work the apprentice would have made had he been paid for the work.
The yard owner refused again and again until the final price came to eight times the value of the car.
The yard owner gave the apprentice a fair 60% cut. The apprentice mournfully handed the money back to the kind old yard owner “ I didn’t do it for the money I didn’t do it for you either boss, Idid it for her…” Voice breaking with grief as the rich business man scratched the paint job leaving the yard and curbed the hand restored original hub cap turning the corner. The apprentice knew to him sally would always be worth more than any rich business man could have paid. He didn’t even want to own the car he pored his heart and soul into. What broke him was knowing in the eyes of this buyer she would never be worth looking after as much as he had looked after her.
The apprentice never returned to mechanics.
© Tinka H Cain
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