He left home at 9:30. At 10:30, I called to see how much it had cost, and what was in the tire. Hick said he didn't know. He was still sitting in the waiting room of the automotive department.
"There's a bunch of us here. I see four people who were here ahead of me, still waiting. They seem awful slow today."
Hick never met a stranger, so I figured he'd be okay with his fresh audience. When I left home at 11:30 to do the shopping, I sent him a text:
"Have a tire yet?"
"No. They're working on it."
As soon as T-Hoe climbed out of the creek/mailbox black hole of communications, I called.
"It's been two hours!"
"I know. I went up and complained after I saw three other people who came in after me get their cars. I asked for the manager. He said they were working on it. Just busy. I said them other people got done ahead of me, even though they came in after. He tried to say that they keep the tires and oil changes separate, but I reminded him, 'That's not what the policy has been on all my other visits. You say that you take people in the order they arrive.' So then he got all nice, and said that if my car wasn't taken back there in the next ten minutes, he'd get it and fix my tire himself. Which is what he ended up doing!"
I resisted the urge to say, "Oh, when you get home with A-Cad, you can take T-Hoe and get my tire changed that loses three pounds of air a day." Yeah. No need to take a jab at Hick when he's down. Besides, I was at that very moment halfway to Walmart in T-Hoe.
When we I got home later, I found out that Hick had entertained himself by talking to his fellow waiters, walked to the opposite corner of the store to have a Subway sandwich, and found two new collectibles for his hoard.
The tire had a bolt in it. Cost $10 to fix. The receipt was $29.52. Hick treated himself to these:
I guess that's a little less than $10 an hour for his time.
Oh, Hick. Boys and their toys, flats and tires. What would women would have done, in this day and age? I think they would be pounding on the counter.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, Hick's toys are literally TOYS! I would probably still be sitting there waiting. I'm not one to make a scene. I just stew silently, then write a scathing blog post later.
DeleteLook at the cute little Coke trucks!! Good thing Hick went up to the counter and complained, or else he might still be sitting there. Can you not take T-Hoe there yourself for a new tyre or a tyre fixing?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for Hick to find Coke stuff he doesn't already have. I COULD take T-Hoe there myself. But I'd rather have Hick sitting for two hours than me.
DeleteI just love your posts. Hick with a fresh audience.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hick is a wonderful source of inspiration. He also doesn't mind me telling tales on him. In fact, he will even offer a story "for your thing," as he says. He sometimes asks if I've written about him lately. I guess it's like how bad publicity is still publicity to a celebrity.
DeleteI could slant them more positively, but I don't want to seem like I'm BRAGGING about having Hick! Besides, that would be pretty boring, compared to making fun of him about 9/10 times.