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“ ‘You Need a New Engine,’ the Mechanic Lied — Then Someone Read the Invoice Out Loud” — Transcript

by Motor Mafia · 7,646 words · 1,025 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00And there are two things in this world I
0:02don't tolerate. One is a bolt that
0:04strips when you're torquing it down. The
0:06other is a liar. A strip bolt you can
0:08drill out and you can tap a new thread.
0:10You can fix it. But a liar. A liar is
0:13like rust. You can paint over it. You
0:15can sand it down. But underneath the
0:17metal is still rotten. And there is
0:19nothing worse than a liar who holds a
0:20wrench. See, mechanics are supposed to
0:23be like doctors for machines. You trust
0:25them. You bring them your baby. and
0:27whether it's a bike or a car and you
0:29trust them to stop the bleeding. You
0:31trust them to be honest about what's
0:33broken because most people and they
0:35don't know a piston from a spark plug.
0:37They just know the car makes a noise and
0:40they're scared. And fear is how these
0:42rats make their money. And let me tell
0:44you about Nana Rose. She's 92. Yeah, you
0:46heard me. 92 years young. She's 5'
0:49nothing. Shrinks a little every year.
0:51And but she's got a spirit that's 10 ft
0:54tall. She's the woman who taught me how
0:56to wipe grease off my hands with sugar
0:58and dish soap. And she's the woman who
1:00bandaged my knees when I fell off my
1:02first bicycle. And she drives a 1974
1:04Chevy Nova mint green white vinyl top.
1:07And it was my grandfather's pride and
1:09joy. Pops bought it brand new off the
1:11lot when he passed in 98. Nana kept it.
1:14She drives it to the grocery store on
1:15Tuesdays and she drives it to bingo on
1:18Thursdays. That car isn't just metal to
1:20her, it's him. It's the last piece of
1:22pops she has left. She keeps it
1:24garageed. She dusts the dashboard and
1:26she talks to it. Last week, the Nova
1:28started making a noise. Just a little
1:30tick, tick, tick, tick when she idled at
1:32a stoplight. Now, if she had called me
1:34and I would have told her it was
1:36probably just a loose lifter or maybe an
1:38exhaust leak, easy fix, and I would have
1:41gone over there with my tools and fixed
1:43it in her driveway for the price of a
1:44plate of biscuits. But Nana Rose is
1:47proud. She knows I'm busy with the club
1:49and she knows I'm running the garage,
1:51managing the boys, dealing with club
1:53politics. She didn't want to bother me,
1:56so she opened the phone book and she
1:58found a shop two towns over. Precision
2:00Auto Care. Sounds professional, right?
2:02Sounds trustworthy. The owner is a guy
2:04named Stan. I know Stan. And I didn't
2:07know he was the one working on her car
2:09until it was too late. But I know the
2:11type. And Stan is the kind of mechanic
2:13who keeps a spray bottle of oil in his
2:15pocket so he can squirt it on your
2:17engine and tell you you've got a leak.
2:19And he's the kind of guy who charges you
2:21for premium parts and installs junk from
2:23the scrapyard. Nana drove the Nova into
2:25his bay. She was nervous and she was
2:28wearing her Sunday hat because she
2:29wanted to look respectable. Mr. Stan,
2:32she said, my car is ticking. My husband,
2:34rest his soul, and he always said a
2:36ticking engine is a dying engine. Stan
2:39saw her coming a mile away. He saw the
2:41wrinkles. He saw the cane. He saw the
2:43pristine classic car. And then he saw
2:45dollar signs. He popped the hood. He
2:47made a show of looking around. He hummed
2:49and hawed. He shook his head. He looked
2:51grave and like he was delivering a
2:53cancer diagnosis. Mom, he said, wiping
2:55his keen hands on a rag. It's bad. Real
2:58bad. What is it? Nana asked, clutching
3:00her purse. And it's the transmission.
3:03Stan lied. The torque converter is
3:05shattering inside the bell housing. If
3:07you drive this another mile, the whole
3:09thing could explode. and shrapnel
3:10everywhere. You could get hurt. He used
3:12fear. He told a 90 to her old woman her
3:15car was a bomb. Nana started crying. She
3:18was terrified. Not for herself and but
3:20for the car. She thought she had ruined
3:22Pop's legacy. Can you fix it? Well, Stan
3:24sighed. Parts for a 74 are hard to find.
3:27Rare and it's going to be expensive. How
3:30much? 3,000. Stan said, "And that's the
3:32friends and family discount. $3,000.
3:35Nana lives on a pension and she gets a
3:38check every month that barely covers the
3:40lights and the heat, but she has a
3:42savings account and she's been saving
3:44for her own funeral so the family
3:45wouldn't have to pay for it. She wrote
3:47the check. Stan took it. He smiled. He
3:50promised he'd have it done in 2 days.
3:52And 2 days passed, then three, then a
3:54week. Nana called the shop. It's more
3:56complicated than I thought. Stan told
3:58her, "I found rust in the frame. I found
4:00bad brakes and I can't let you drive
4:02this safely, Rose. It's against the law
4:05for me to release an unsafe vehicle. He
4:07was holding the car hostage. And he told
4:09her he needed another 2,000 ore, he
4:12said. And this is the part that makes me
4:14want to put my fist through a wall. And
4:16he said he would do her a favor and buy
4:18the car from her for 500 bucks just to
4:21take it off her hands. He wanted to
4:23steal the car. And he wanted to take a
4:25classic Nova worth 20 grand, scam her
4:27out of her savings, and then steal the
4:29title for peanuts. Nana hung up the
4:32phone and she sat at her kitchen table.
4:34She looked at the empty spot in the
4:36garage. She felt like she had failed.
4:38She felt stupid. That's when she finally
4:40called me and I was at the clubhouse. We
4:42were racking up the pool table. Music
4:44was plague. Life was good. My phone
4:46rang. Nana rose. I picked it up and
4:49expecting to hear her tell me about the
4:51weather or ask when I was coming for
4:52dinner. Jax. Her voice was so small. It
4:55sounded like she was hiding in a closet.
4:57Nana, and you okay, Jax? I I think I
5:00lost the car, she sobbed. The pool hall
5:03went silent for me. I held up a hand.
5:05The music stopped. What do you mean you
5:07lost the car? And did someone steal it?
5:09The mechanic? She cried. He says it's
5:11broken. He says it's unsafe. He took my
5:13funeral money, Jacks. He took $3,000.
5:16And And now he says he won't give it
5:18back unless I pay 2,000 more. My blood
5:20turned to ice. Then it turned to fire.
5:22Who is he? I asked. My voice was low.
5:25Dangerous. And his name is Stan. Over on
5:28Fifth Street. Precision Auto Stan, I
5:30repeated. I knew the shop. I knew the
5:32sign. He said, "I'm too old to drive
5:34jacks." He said, "I broke it." And you
5:36didn't break anything. Nana, I said,
5:38"Listen to me. You stop crying. You
5:40wiped those tears, but the money. Forget
5:42the money and I'm going to get the
5:44money. I'm going to get the car and I'm
5:46going to get an apology." Jax, don't get
5:48in trouble. She pleaded. He's a big man.
5:51He was yelling and he yelled at her. He
5:53yelled at my nana. I hung up the phone.
5:55I didn't say goodbye. I couldn't trust
5:57my voice not to crack. I looked at Tiny
5:59and I looked at the 40 brothers standing
6:01around the room. They saw the look in my
6:03eyes. They saw the vein pulsing in my
6:05neck. They've seen me mad before and
6:08they've seen me fight but they've never
6:09seen this. This was personal. What's the
6:11play VP? Tiny asked, putting down his Q
6:14stick. We got a rat, I said. Mechanic
6:17and scammed my grandmother. Stole her
6:19money holding her car hostage. The sound
6:21in that room changed. It wasn't a party
6:23anymore. It was a war room and chairs
6:26scraped against the floor. Jackets were
6:28zipped up, helmets were pulled off the
6:29racks. Stan's auto. Breaker asked.
6:32Stan's auto. I confirmed. And I know the
6:34place, Tiny said, cracking his knuckles.
6:37He's got a nice glass window in the
6:38front. Not for long, I said. I walked to
6:41the door and the sun was shining
6:43outside, but for Stan, the storm was
6:45just about to hit. If you think nobody,
6:47and I mean nobody, should ever make a
6:49grandmother cry and get away with it.
6:51And hit that like button. We are about
6:53to go pay Stan a visit he will never
6:55forget. He thinks he scammed a helpless
6:58old lady. He thinks she's all alone in
7:00the world and he thinks he can bully her
7:02because she walks with a cane. He
7:04doesn't know who her grandson is. He
7:06doesn't know that Nana Rose is the
7:08matriarch of the motor mafia. And and
7:10he's about to find out that the only
7:12thing more expensive than a transmission
7:14repair is disrespecting the family.
7:16Mount up. I yelled. 50 engines fired to
7:19life and the ground shook. Stan wanted
7:21to talk about broken parts. We were
7:23about to go show him what broken really
7:25looks like. And there is a specific
7:27sound a Harley makes when you're riding
7:29in anger. It's not the happy rumble of a
7:31Sunday cruise. It's a bark, a snarl, and
7:34it sounds like a chainsaw tearing
7:36through dry wood. We hit the main drag
7:38doing 40, but it felt faster because we
7:40were tight. 50 bikes wheelto-heel. And
7:43the chrome was flashing in the sun, but
7:45nobody was smiling. We were a solid wall
7:47of black leather and bad intentions. I
7:49was thinking about Nana Rose and I was
7:52thinking about her small hands holding
7:54that phone shaking. I was thinking about
7:56her sitting in her kitchen looking at
7:58the empty spot where Pop's car used to
8:00be and feeling like she had failed him.
8:03That car, that 74 Nova, it ain't just a
8:05car, it's a time machine. It's the last
8:08place she can still smell his colon on
8:10the upholstery. And it's the last place
8:12she can hear his laugh. And this guy,
8:14this Stan, he wasn't just
8:16stealing a car. He was stealing her
8:18memories. He was stealing her heart and
8:20and he was doing it for a quick buck. We
8:22turned onto Fifth Street. The shop was
8:24up on the left. Precision Auto. Big
8:26yellow sign. A lot of cars parked out
8:28front and most of them looking like
8:30they'd been sitting there for months.
8:32Rust on the rotors, dust on the
8:34windshields. That's the first sign of a
8:36bad mechanic. And the graveyard out
8:38front. I saw the Nova. It was parked way
8:40in the back behind a dumpster. Like he
8:43was hiding it. Like he was ashamed of
8:44it. And or maybe he just wanted to make
8:46sure nobody saw it until he could sell
8:48it for parts. And seeing that mint green
8:51paint covered in shop dust made my grip
8:53tighten on the handlebars. My knuckles
8:55turned white. I didn't signal to slow
8:57down and I just chopped the throttle.
8:59The sudden silence of the lead bike is
9:01the signal. Behind me, 49 engines
9:04dropped to an idle. The sound went from
9:06a roar to a low and menacing grumble.
9:08Like a sleeping dragon waking up. We
9:10rolled into the lot. We didn't park in
9:12the spaces. We didn't care about the
9:14lines. We filled the driveway and we
9:16blocked the bay doors. We parked on the
9:19grass. We parked on the sidewalk. Stan
9:21was inside the garage bay. I could see
9:23him. He was a big guy, heavy set and
9:25greasy shirt that used to be blue. He
9:27was yelling at a kid, probably an
9:29apprentice holding a flashlight. He
9:31looked mean and he looked like the kind
9:33of guy who kicks a dog because he's
9:35having a bad day. He heard the bikes.
9:37You couldn't miss it. The ground was
9:39vibrating. He turned around and he wiped
9:41his hands on a rag looking annoyed. He
9:43probably thought we were just passing
9:45through making noise. Then he saw a
9:47stop. He saw me kick my stand down.
9:49Clang. And he saw Tiny kick his stand
9:52down. A clang. He saw 48 other stands
9:55hit the concrete. It sounded like a
9:56prison door slamming shut. Stan walked
9:59out of the bay and he tried to walk
10:00tall. He puffed his chest out. He put
10:03his hands on his hips. He was trying to
10:05mark his territory. And can I help you
10:07fellas? He yelled over the idling
10:09engines. "This is private property. You
10:11can't park all over the place." I didn't
10:13answer him. "Not yet." And I took my
10:15helmet off. I hung it on the mirror. I
10:17took my gloves off one finger at a time.
10:20Slow, deliberate. I walked toward him.
10:22My boots crunched on the gravel. And
10:23Stan looked at me. Then he looked at
10:25Tiny, who was standing next to me,
10:27cracking his neck. Then he looked at the
10:29sea of bikers behind us. His eyes got a
10:32little wide, and but he held his ground.
10:34He was arrogant. He thought he was the
10:36king of his little pile of junk, I said.
10:38Stan repeated louder this time. Can I
10:40help you? If you need gas and the
10:42station is two blocks down, I stopped
10:45about 3 ft from him. I could smell the
10:47old oil and the cheap cigarettes on him.
10:49I don't need gas, Stan. I said, and he
10:52blinked. You know my name. I know a lot
10:54of things, I said. I know you run a
10:56sloppy shop. I know you overcharge for
10:58parts and and I know you like to scare
11:00old ladies. His face changed. Just a
11:02flicker, a little twitch under his left
11:04eye. he knew. And I don't know what
11:06you're talking about, he scoffed. I run
11:09a respectable business here now. If you
11:11ain't got an appointment, you need to
11:12leave. I'm busy. And he turned around to
11:15walk back into the bay, dismissing me
11:17like I was nobody. I reached out and
11:19grabbed the back of his greasy work
11:21shirt. I didn't yank him, and I just
11:23held him firm like a vice. I didn't say
11:25we were done, I said. Stan spun around,
11:27swatting at my hand. Don't you touch me.
11:29I'll call the cops. Go ahead, I said.
11:33Call them. Tell them you're robbing a 92
11:35yelled widow. See how fast they get
11:37here. I ain't robbing nobody, he
11:39shouted. I'm a mechanic and I fix
11:41things. Is that right? I asked. I
11:43pointed to the back of the lot past the
11:45dumpster to the mint green fender poking
11:47out. That Nova, I said. The 74. And tell
11:50me about it. Stan looked at the car.
11:52Then he looked back at me. He tried to
11:54put on his professional face. The face
11:56he used to lie to Nana Rose and that old
11:58thing. He laughed. It was a nervous
12:00laugh. That's a death trap. Customer
12:02brought it in last week. Transmission is
12:04shot, frame is rusted through, and
12:06brakes are metal on metal. I told her, I
12:09said, "Mom, I can't in good kai chance
12:11let you drive this. I'm doing her a
12:13favor taking it off her hands." And a
12:16favor, I repeated. Yeah, a favor. I
12:18offered her 500 bucks for scrap. It's
12:20barely worth that. I looked at him. I
12:22looked at the grease under his
12:24fingernails. And I looked at the lie
12:25sitting right there on his lips. That
12:27car, I said, my voice getting very
12:29quiet. has been garageed for 25 years
12:32and it has 40,000 original miles on it.
12:35My grandfather bought it new and my
12:37grandmother, she dusted every week. Stan
12:39froze. His mouth opened a little and but
12:42nothing came out. You told her the
12:43transmission was exploding. I said I
12:46took a step closer. You told her the
12:47frame was rusted. You scared her, Stan.
12:50And you made her cry. I I might have
12:52misdiagnosed it. He stammered. You know,
12:54sometimes these old cars, they're
12:56tricky. And you took $3,000 from her. I
12:59said her funeral money and now you want
13:012,000 more or the title? It's it's labor
13:04costs. He yelled. His wait. I got hours
13:07into that car. Diagnostic time rack
13:09time. Show me. I said what? Show me the
13:12work. I said, "You said you did $3,000
13:15worth of work. Show me the new parts.
13:18Show me the invoice." He started
13:19sweating and I could see the beads
13:21popping out on his forehead. The the
13:23paperwork is in the office. He said, "I
13:25can't just tiny." I said, "Yeah, boss."
13:28and go get the Nova, I said. Bring it
13:30around front. You can't do that. Stan
13:33screamed. I have a lion on that vehicle.
13:35You can't take it without paying the
13:37bill. And he stepped in front of me
13:39trying to block Tiny. That was a
13:41mistake. If you hate liars, if you think
13:43a guy who scams a grandmother deserves
13:45to lose his business and hit that like
13:47button right now. We are about to expose
13:49this fraud for the whole world to see.
13:51Tiny, just look down at him. Tiny is 6'7
13:54and Stan is maybe 5'9 on a good day.
13:57Move. Tiny said. Stan moved. Tiny walked
14:00back to the dumpster. I watched him. I
14:02watched Stan sweating. And if that car
14:04starts, I said to Stan, "If it drives
14:07around this building without the
14:08transmission falling out, you and me are
14:10going to have a very serious problem."
14:12And Stan wiped his face. It won't start.
14:14It's dead. I took the starter out. I
14:17asked why. I thought it was the
14:19transmission. Why? And I was checking
14:21the flywheel teeth. He lied. We heard a
14:24sound from the back of VR. It was the
14:27deep throaty idol of a Chevy small block
14:29engine and it caught on the first turn.
14:31No hesitation, no ticking, just pure
14:33American muscle. Stan went pale like a
14:36ghost. Tiny drove the Nova around the
14:38building and it glided over the
14:39potholes. The suspension was tight. The
14:42engine purred like a kitten drinking
14:44cream. He pulled it up right next to my
14:46bike. He put it in park. He revved it
14:48once. VR sounds healthy to me, boss.
14:51Tiny yelled out the window. Transmission
14:53shifts like butter. I turned back to
14:55Stan and he was backing away now,
14:57backing toward his office door. You
14:59tampered with it, I said. You
15:01disconnected something or you just lied.
15:03Which is it? I look, man, and I don't
15:05want any trouble, Stan pleaded. Just
15:07take the car. Take it where? Square, I
15:10laughed. Oh, no. We ain't square. And
15:12you have $3,000 of my grandmother's
15:14money, and you have wasted that
15:16afternoon. I spent that money, he cried.
15:19I bought parts for other jobs, and I
15:21don't have it. Then you better find it,
15:23I said. Check the register. Check the
15:25safe. Check your pockets. And because
15:27nobody leaves this lot until Nana Rose
15:29gets her refund. I looked at the boys.
15:32Shut it down. I said 40 bikers
15:34dismounted. They walked into the shop
15:36and they walked into the office. They
15:38didn't break anything. They just
15:40occupied the space. They sat on the
15:42waiting room chairs. They leaned on the
15:44counters and they stood in front of the
15:46vending machine. Stan was surrounded.
15:48You have 10 minutes, Stan. I said, "To
15:50find $3,000 and or we start looking for
15:53it ourselves." He looked at the sea of
15:55leather jackets. He looked at the angry
15:57faces. He realized his scam was over.
16:00And he ran into his office and started
16:02tearing through drawers. But here is the
16:04thing about bullies like Stan. They
16:06don't give up that easy. They always
16:08have one more trick and one more lie.
16:11While he was in there, I walked over to
16:12the Nova. I looked at the engine. It was
16:15clean. But then I saw it. A wire. A
16:18simple ignition wire. and it had been
16:20pulled loose, just enough to keep the
16:22car from starting if you didn't know
16:24what to look for. And and a little spray
16:26of fresh oil on the manifold to make it
16:28smell like it is burning. Smoke and
16:30mirrors. I reconnected the wire. I wiped
16:32the oil and Stan came running out of the
16:35office. He was holding a stack of cash,
16:37wrinkled bills, ones, fives, 20s. This
16:39is all I got, he yelled. It's 1,200.
16:42That's it. And take it and go. 1,200? I
16:45asked. That's not 3,000. It's all I
16:47have. Well, I said looking around his
16:50shop. And that's a nice snap-on tool
16:52chest you got there. That's got to be
16:54worth a few grand. And that lift. That's
16:56worth money. You can't take my tools.
16:58And I'm not taking them, I said. I'm
17:00holding them as collateral just like you
17:02held the car. I turned to breaker. Load
17:04up the tool chest. No, Stan screamed and
17:07he grabbed a tire iron off the wall. The
17:10whole yard went silent. He held the tire
17:12iron up, shaking. He was threatening a
17:14member of the motor mafia with a piece
17:16of steel. and you get off my property,"
17:18he screamed. Or, "I swear to God, I just
17:21stared at him. I didn't flinch, "Stan,"
17:23I said softly. "Put the iron down." And
17:25before you make a mistake you can't fix,
17:27he hesitated. He looked crazy,
17:29desperate, and that's when the police
17:31cruiser pulled up. Stan smiled, a
17:33wicked, twisted smile. "And officer!" he
17:35screamed, dropping the iron and running
17:37toward the cop car. "Officer, help!
17:39These bikers are robbing me." He thought
17:42he was saved. And he didn't know that
17:43Officer Miller used to date my sister.
17:46And he didn't know that Officer Miller's
17:48grandmother played bingo with Nana Rose
17:50every Thursday. And this was about to
17:53get interesting. You ever see a drowning
17:55man try to climb up a waterfall? That
17:57was Stan. He ran toward that police
17:59cruiser like it was the Holy Grail. And
18:01he was waving his arms, screaming, spit
18:03flying from his mouth. Officer, thank
18:06God they're animals. They're threatening
18:07me. They have weapons. The cruiser door
18:10opened and a boot hit the pavement. Then
18:12another. Officer Miller stepped out.
18:14He's a big guy. Cornfed, played
18:16linebacker in high school, wears the
18:18uniform like it's a second skin. And he
18:20adjusted his belt. He adjusted his hat.
18:23He looked at the 50 bikers standing in
18:25the lot. He looked at me. He didn't
18:27reach for his gun. He didn't call for
18:29backup. And he just looked disappointed.
18:31Stan, Miller said. His voice was calm.
18:34Boring almost. Stop screaming. You're
18:36waking the neighborhood. But look at
18:37them. Stan shrieked and pointing a
18:40greasy finger at Tiny. That one
18:42threatened to crush me. They're stealing
18:43my tools. They're stealing a car. Miller
18:46looked at Tiny and Tiny was leaning
18:48against the fender of the Nova, cleaning
18:50his fingernails with a toothpick. Tiny
18:52winked at the cop. Is that true, Jax?
18:54Miller asked, looking at me. And you
18:57boys stealing cars today. No, sir, I
18:59said. I walked over, keeping my hands
19:01visible. Respect the badge always.
19:03Unless the badge is dirty. Miller wasn't
19:05dirty and we're just conducting a
19:07customer satisfaction survey. Miller
19:09suppressed a smile. I see. And how is
19:11the customer? Not happy, I said. And
19:14Stan here told a 92year-old lady her
19:17transmission was exploding. Charged her
19:18three grand. Held the car hostage for
19:20two more. Miller's face hardened. And he
19:23turned to Stan. Who's the customer?
19:24Stan. Stan was sweating buckets now. He
19:27realized Miller wasn't instantly
19:28arresting us. It's just some old lady.
19:31Rose and Rose something. Look, it's a
19:33civil matter. They can't just barge in
19:35here. Ros, Miller asked. He took off his
19:38sunglasses. You mean Rose with the 74
19:40Nova and Mint Green? Yeah, Stan said,
19:43confused. You know her? Stan Miller
19:45said, shaking his head. My grandmother
19:47plays bingo with Rose every Thursday.
19:49And Rose brings the lemon squares.
19:51Everyone loves Rose. Stan went pale. He
19:54looked from the cop to the bikers. He
19:56realized he was surrounded by people who
19:58loved this woman. And I I didn't know,
20:00Stan whispered. You didn't know she had
20:02people. I corrected him. You thought she
20:04was weak. You thought she was alone. I
20:07walked over to the Nova and I popped the
20:09hood again. Officer Miller, I said,
20:11"Come take a look at this exploding
20:13transmission." "Miller walked over. He
20:15peered into the engine bay and see that
20:17ignition wire." I pointed, pulled loose,
20:20and see that fresh oil on the manifold
20:22squirts right there. Made it smoke. Made
20:24it smell like burning. And Miller is a
20:26car guy. He drives a Mustang. He knows
20:28what he's looking at. That's sabotage,
20:30Miller said. The word hung in the air
20:32like smoke. That's fraud st and grand
20:35theft. Actually, considering the amount,
20:37Stan started backing up. I It must have
20:40been my new guy, the apprentice. He
20:42doesn't know what he's doing. And I'll
20:43fire him. Don't blame the kid. I
20:46snapped. You wrote the invoice. You took
20:48the check. Miller turned to Stan. He put
20:50his hand on his handcuffs. And but he
20:52didn't pull them out yet. He looked at
20:54me. Jax, Miller said. If I arrest him
20:56now, he goes to booking. He gets a
20:58lawyer. It takes months. Maybe he pleads
21:01down. And I know, I said. What do you
21:03want to do? Miller asked. It was a
21:05professional courtesy cop to biker. He
21:07knew the law couldn't fix the heartbreak
21:09Stan caused and he knew Nana Rose didn't
21:11want a court case. She wanted her
21:13dignity back. I want her money. I said
21:16every dime and I want the car. Miller
21:18nodded and he turned his back to Stan.
21:20He looked at the sky. I'm going to go
21:22check my radio. Miller said loudly.
21:24Might take me about 10 minutes to call
21:26this in. And whatever happens in those
21:2810 minutes. Well, I ain't watching. He
21:30walked back to his cruiser and sat
21:32inside. He didn't turn the lights on.
21:34Stan looked at the cop car and he looked
21:36at me. He realized his safety net just
21:38walked away. You heard the man, I said
21:41to Stan. 10 minutes I told you. Stan
21:43cried and clutching the wad of cash in
21:46his hand. I only have 1,200. Then you
21:48better start making phone calls. I said,
21:50"Call your wife. Call your bookie. I
21:52don't care. And get the money, Tiny," I
21:55said. Load the tool chest. No. Stan
21:58screamed. He ran over and tried to block
22:00Tiny again. Tiny just picked him up
22:02literally and grabbed him by the back of
22:03his belt and his collar and hoisted him
22:06into the air like a bag of mulch. Stan's
22:08legs were kicking. Put me down. Where do
22:11you want him? F Tiny asked. Put him in
22:13the trunk, I said. Since he says the car
22:15is so safe. No, no trunk, Stan
22:17squealled. Okay, I have a stash. And I
22:20have a stash in the floor safe. Put him
22:22down, I said. Tiny dropped him. Stein
22:24hit the ground hard. He scrambled up
22:26covered in dust. He ran into the office
22:28and we all followed him. He pulled up a
22:30loose floor tile under his desk. There
22:32was a safe. He spun the dial. His hands
22:35were shaking so bad it took him three
22:37tries. Click and he opened it. It was
22:39full of envelopes. Cash skimmed off the
22:42top. Taxfree. Count it. I said he
22:44started counting. 1,000 2,000 three and
22:47keep going. I said, but the bill was
22:49only three. That was the repair bill, I
22:52said. Now we're talking about the
22:53emotional distress of fee. You made her
22:55cry. Stan, and tears are expensive. He
22:58looked at me. He saw no mercy.
22:59$4,000,000. He stopped at five. That's
23:02it, he said. That's everything I have.
23:05And I took the stack of cash. I counted
23:07it myself. $5,000. This cover the3 she
23:10paid you, I said. And the two grand is
23:12for the stress and and for the fact that
23:14I had to burn gas to get here. I shoved
23:16the money into my vest pocket. Now, I
23:18said the car. Take it, Stan said
23:21defeated. Just take it. And we are, I
23:24said. But we ain't just taking it.
23:25You're going to fix it first. It's not
23:27broken. You said the brakes were metal
23:29on metal, I said. And you put that on
23:32the diagnostic sheet. If I drive out of
23:34here and the brakes squeak, I'm going to
23:36come back and next time I won't bring
23:38the nice guys. They And they are fine. I
23:40lied about the brakes. I know you did, I
23:43said. But you're going to check them
23:45anyway. Right now, while we watch, I I
23:47can't work like this. And with everyone
23:50watching, you'll manage. I said, I
23:52walked out to the bay, boys. Stan is
23:54going to put on a demonstration and he's
23:56going to show us how a master mechanic
23:58checks a brake caliper. The boys
23:59cheered. It was a dark mocking sound.
24:02Stan dragged his jack out. He jacked up
24:04the Nova and he took the wheels off. He
24:06checked the pads. They were thick.
24:08Plenty of life left. They're good. He
24:10mumbled. Check the oil. I ordered. He
24:12checked the oil and checked the fluids.
24:15He checked the fluids. He wiped the
24:17windshield for 20 minutes. We made him
24:20perform a full service. And we made him
24:22check every nut and bolt. We made him
24:24crawl under the car on his belly. When
24:26he was done, he was covered in grease
24:28and sweat, and he looked like he'd run a
24:30marathon. Is it done? He panted. One
24:33last thing, I said. I pulled a piece of
24:35paper out of my pocket. And it was a
24:36blank invoice. I grabbed from his desk.
24:38Write a receipt. I said, "For what? For
24:41a full inspection and service?" I said,
24:42"Cost $0. Warranty and lifetime." He
24:46stared at me. Lifetime. If this car ever
24:49makes a noise, I said if a bulb, if a
24:51tire goes flat, you are going to fix it
24:53for free. And for as long as Nana Rose
24:55is drawing breath, he picked up the pen.
24:57He wrote it out. Lifetime warranty. He
25:00signed it. I took the paper. I folded it
25:02next to the cash and you got off. Lucky
25:04Stan. I said, "Officer Miller was going
25:06to take you to jail. I just took your
25:08pride." I walked out to the cruiser and
25:10Miller was sleeping in the front seat. I
25:13tapped on the glass. He rolled it down.
25:15We're good. Miller asked. We're good. I
25:17said customer got a refund and a
25:19warranty and glad to hear it. Miller
25:22said Stan looks like he learned a
25:23valuable lesson about market forces. I
25:26think he did. I said I walked back to
25:28the Nova and Tiny was sitting in the
25:30driver's seat grinning. You drive the
25:32car to Nas. I told Tiny, I'll ride your
25:34bike. She'll get a kick out of seeing
25:36you. You got it. And boss, Tiny said. I
25:39looked at Stan one last time. He was
25:41sitting on the floor of his garage, head
25:43in his hands, surrounded by his wealth.
25:45That didn't save him. And Stan, I called
25:48out. He looked up. If I ever see you
25:50near a senior center, I said, if I ever
25:52hear you scammed another retiree, the
25:54warranty expires. Understand? And he
25:56nodded fast. Good. I climbed onto Tiny's
25:59bike. It was a beast. Custom bars, loud
26:02pipes. Let's go home, boys. I yelled. We
26:04rolled out of the lot. And we left Stan
26:06alone in the quiet of his empty shop. He
26:08had his tools. He had his freedom. But
26:10he knew and we knew that he was owned.
26:12We rode back to Nana's house and the sun
26:15was setting now, painting the sky
26:16purple. I had five grand in my pocket
26:19and a mint green Nova in the convoy. But
26:21the job wasn't done yet and we still had
26:24to deliver the good news. And Nana rose.
26:26She had no idea her army was coming home
26:28victorious. You know, there's a
26:30difference between noise and music. and
26:32to a suburban neighborhood at 6000 p.m.
26:34on a Tuesday. 50 motorcycles might sound
26:37like noise, but to Nana Rose, that sound
26:39is a symphony, and it's the sound of her
26:41boys coming home. We rolled onto Elm
26:43Street. It's a quiet street, manicured
26:45lawns, big oak trees, and the kind of
26:47place where people walk their golden
26:49retrievers, and wave at the mailmen.
26:51When the motor mafia rolls through, the
26:53sprinklers seem to pause. Curtains
26:55twitch, and people step out onto their
26:57porches, coffee cups in hand, wondering
27:00if there's a parade or an invasion. I
27:02was riding Tiny's chopper. It's a beast.
27:04Ape hanger bars and a seat that's barely
27:07there, and an engine that rattles your
27:08fillings. Behind me, Tiny was driving
27:11the Nova. He looked hilarious in there,
27:13and his shoulders were so wide he was
27:15practically taking up both front seats,
27:18and his head was brushing the headliner.
27:20but he was driving it like it was made
27:22of glass and two hands on the wheel. 10
27:24and two. We pulled up to Nana's house.
27:27The driveway is long, paved with white
27:29concrete. She was sitting on the porch
27:30swing and she was wearing her pink
27:32cardigan, the one with the pearl
27:34buttons. She had a tissue in her hand.
27:36She looked small, defeated, and she
27:39probably thought we were coming back to
27:40tell her the bad news. She probably
27:42thought the car was gone for good. I
27:44killed the engine, and the silence
27:46rippled back through the pack as 49
27:48other bikes cut their noters. Then tiny
27:50revved the Nova VR purr purr purr and he
27:53blipped the throttle one last time
27:55letting that American V8 sing its song
27:58before shutting it off. Nana stood up.
28:00She dropped the tissue. Her hands flew
28:02to her mouth and Tiny opened the
28:04driver's door. He unfolded himself out
28:06of the car. He adjusted his leather
28:08vest, walked around to the front and
28:10patted the hood. She runs good and Nana
28:13Tiny boomed. His voice carries like a
28:14fogorn, but when he talks to her, it's
28:16soft, real good. Stops on a dime. I
28:19walked up the porch steps and my boots
28:21were heavy on the wood. Jax, she
28:23whispered. Is that Is that my car? It's
28:25your car, Nana. I said, safe and sound.
28:28But Stan said, and he said the
28:29transmission was exploding. He said it
28:31was dangerous. Stan was mistaken. I
28:34said, I didn't want to tell her he was a
28:36lying thief and it hurts her heart to
28:38know people are bad. Will corrected him.
28:40He took it a look. Turns out it was just
28:42a loose wire. He fixed it free of charge
28:45and free. She blinked, her watery blue
28:47eyes going wide. But he wanted $3,000
28:50just to release it. He changed his mind,
28:52I said, and he realized he made an error
28:55in judgment. I reached into my vest
28:57pocket. I pulled out the thick envelope.
28:59The $5,000. I took her hand, and her
29:02skin is so soft like paper. My hand is
29:04collained with oil and ink. I pressed
29:07the envelope into her palm. What is
29:09this? She asked. And that's your refund,
29:11I said. 3,000 for the repair he didn't
29:14do. This feels like more than 3,000,"
29:16she said, squeezing the thick stack. And
29:19well, I smiled. He felt bad about the
29:21mixup. So, he threw in a little extra
29:23for your trouble. He called it a
29:25customer loyalty bonus, and tears
29:27spilled over her cheeks again. But this
29:29time, they weren't sad tees. They were
29:31relief. Pure washing relief. "Oh my
29:33goodness," she sniffled. "I I can't
29:36believe it. And I thought I lost Pop's
29:38car. I thought I was going to have to
29:39stop driving. You drive as long as you
29:41want, Nana," I said. And if that car
29:44ever makes a noise and if it even
29:46hiccups, you don't call Stan. You call
29:48me or you call Tiny. We got a lifetime
29:50warranty on it now. Tiny walked up the
29:53steps. He took off his helmet and he
29:55looked like a giant bear approaching a
29:56butterfly. Hi, Nana. He grinny. She
29:59cried. She reached up. He bent way, way
30:02down so she could hug his neck and she
30:04kissed his cheek right over his beard.
30:06You drove my car. You didn't scratch it,
30:08did you? No, Mom. Tonnie laughed. I
30:10treated her like a lady and she pulled
30:12back and looked at the yard. 50 bikers
30:15standing by their machines waiting. And
30:17you brought the boys, she exclaimed. Oh
30:19Lord, I I don't have enough biscuits. I
30:22only made two dozen. Two dozen is
30:24plenty. Nana Breaker yelled from the
30:25back. "We'll share." "Nonsense," she
30:28said, and her energy suddenly coming
30:30back. The sadness was gone. She was the
30:32matriarch again. "You wait right here. I
30:34have a ham in the freezer. I have
30:35pickles. I have iced tea, Jax, and you
30:38come help me in the kitchen." I looked
30:40at the guys. They were all grinning. Big
30:42tough men who would fight a grizzly bear
30:44for a nickel and standing there smiling
30:46because a 92year-old woman offered them
30:49ham and pickles. "You heard her," I said
30:52to the pack. "Parkm, we're having a
30:54picnic." And I followed Nana into the
30:56house. It smelled like lavender and old
30:58wood. It smelled like safety. And she
31:00walked to the kitchen counter and put
31:02the envelope of money in the cookie jar.
31:04Then she turned to me. She put her hands
31:06on my face. You did something bad and
31:09didn't you? She asked. She knows me. She
31:11knows I don't get $5,000 back by asking
31:13nicely. I didn't hurt him, Nana. I
31:15promised. I just persuaded him. And we
31:18had a conversation about respect. "Is he
31:20going to bother any other old ladies?"
31:22she asked sharply. "No, mom," I said.
31:24"And I don't think Stan is going to be
31:26bothering anyone for a long, long time."
31:29"We came to an understanding." She
31:31looked at me for a long second,
31:32searching my eyes, and then she patted
31:34my cheek. "Good," she said. Now get the
31:37mayonnaise. Tiny looks hungry. We spent
31:39the next 2 hours in that driveway.
31:41Imagine this. The sun going down and
31:43turning the sky orange and purple. A
31:45mint green 1974 Nova shining in the
31:48twilight and 50 bikers sitting on the
31:50grass eating ham sandwiches on white
31:52bread and drinking sweet tea from mason
31:54jars. Nana Rose walked around to every
31:57single one of them. She asked about
31:58their kids. She asked about their bikes.
32:01And she told them to wear their jackets
32:03because it was getting chilly. She
32:05wasn't lonely. She was the queen. And
32:07for us, we weren't outlaws and we
32:09weren't trouble. We were just grandsons.
32:12I sat on the porch rail watching them. I
32:14saw Tiny showing Nana a picture of his
32:16new puppy on his phone. And I saw
32:18Breaker fixing a loose hinge on her
32:20screen door because he noticed it
32:22squeaking. This is what people don't
32:24understand about us. They see the
32:26leather and they hear the noise. They
32:28think gang. But a gang takes, a family
32:30gives. And sitting there watching my
32:32grandmother laugh for the first time in
32:34weeks, I knew we did good. And but the
32:37night wasn't over. I had one last thing
32:39to say to the boys. And one last message
32:41for anyone out there who thinks they can
32:43pray on the week. It got dark and the
32:45fireflies started coming out, blinking
32:47in the bushes around the porch. The
32:49street lights flickered on, buzzing
32:51orange. It was time to go. We can't stay
32:54forever. And we got homes to go to. We
32:56got jobs in the morning. Tiny stood up
32:58from the grass. He brushed the crumbs
33:00off his lap. He walked over to Nana
33:02Rose. He took her hand and that tiny
33:04fragile hand and he kissed it like a
33:06night in one of those old movies. Thank
33:08you for the ham, Nana. Tiny said. Best
33:11sandwich I had in years. And you come
33:13back anytime, Tiny, she said, beaming.
33:16Next time I'll make the biscuits. I
33:17promise. I'm holding you to that. He
33:19winked one by one. And the boys said
33:22their goodbyes. Thanks, Nana. Good
33:24night. Drive safe, Mrs. Rose. They mount
33:26it up and the sound of 50 engines
33:28starting in the dark is different than
33:30in the day. It's aggressive. At night,
33:32it's a liabby. A deep and heavy rhythm
33:35that says everything is okay. I stayed
33:37on the porch for a minute after they
33:39started rolling. Just me and her. The
33:41Nova was parked in the garage now, safe
33:44and dry. I helped her pull the door down
33:46myself. Stan wasn't going to touch it
33:48again. Nobody was. Jax, she said softly.
33:50Yeah, Nana, you're a good boy. I laughed
33:53and a rough sound in my throat. I'm the
33:55VP of a motorcycle club, Nana. I got a
33:57rap sheet. I got scars. I ain't exactly
33:59a choir boy. She looked at me and her
34:01eyes were sharp in the porch light. I
34:04didn't say you were a choir boy, she
34:05said. I said you were good. There's a
34:08difference. A choir boy follows the
34:09rules and a good man knows when to break
34:12them to do what's right. That hit me
34:14right in the chest. I try. I stand. She
34:16hesitated. He was scary, Jax, when he
34:19yelled at me and I felt so small. I felt
34:21like I didn't matter anymore. like I was
34:23just waste. I put my arm around her
34:25shoulders. I pulled her in tight and she
34:27smelled like lavender and strength. You
34:30ain't waste, Nana. I whispered, "You're
34:32the reason we're here. You built this
34:34family. You held it together when Pops
34:36died. And you matter more than any of
34:38us. I'm just an old lady with a squeaky
34:40car." She chuckled, wiping a tear. I
34:43said, "You're the queen, and don't you
34:45ever forget it." And I kissed her
34:46forehead. It was cool and dry. Lock the
34:49door behind me, I said, and put the
34:50chain on. I will. I walked down the
34:53steps. I threw a leg over my bike and I
34:55looked back one last time. She was
34:57standing in the doorway, waving the
34:59light from the hall framed her like a
35:00hyo. I fired up the engine. I revved it
35:03twice, a salute, and I rolled out of the
35:06driveway and onto the dark street. The
35:08pack was waiting for me at the corner,
35:10taillights glowing red in the mist. As
35:12we rode home and slicing through the
35:14cool night air, I started thinking, "The
35:16world is full of stands. They're in
35:18every town. They wear suits. They wear
35:20uniforms." and they smile and shake your
35:23hand while they pick your pocket. They
35:25look at someone like Nana Rose and they
35:27don't see a person. They see a target.
35:29They see an easy mark. And they think
35:31because she walks slow, she can't fight
35:33back. They think because her voice is
35:35quiet, she won't be heard. But they're
35:37wrong because she has us. And and we
35:39aren't just bikers. We aren't just guys
35:41who like loud pipes and fast machines.
35:44We are the wall. We are the line in the
35:46sand that says enough. And we live by a
35:48code that's older than the laws Stan
35:50tried to hide behind. Respect your
35:52elders, protect the weak, and never ever
35:54let a bully win. And it shouldn't have
35:56to be this way. You shouldn't need a
35:58motorcycle gang to get a mechanic to do
36:00his job honest. And you shouldn't need
36:0250 guys to get a bus driver to open a
36:05door. But until the world changes, until
36:07people start acting right, we'll be here
36:09checking the perimeters and watching the
36:12neighborhoods, listening for the phone
36:13call. So here is my question to you. Do
36:16you believe that honor still matters?
36:18And do you believe that a grandmother's
36:20tears are worth fighting for? We are
36:22building something here, a movement, a
36:24family. We don't care where you come
36:26from. And we don't care what you drive.
36:28We care about what's in your heart.
36:30Vars, if you want to be part of the
36:32solution. And if you want to stand with
36:34the motor mafia and protect the ones who
36:36can't protect themselves, smash that
36:38subscribe button right now. Join the
36:40ranks. And let's make sure that every
36:42Nana Rose out there knows she's never
36:45truly alone. I'm going to go home now. I
36:47got grease on my hands and my back
36:49hurts. And but I'm going to sleep like a
36:51baby tonight because I know the Nova is
36:53safe. I know Nana is smiling. And I know
36:56Stan is somewhere out there looking over
36:58his shoulder and remembering the day he
37:00messed with the wrong family. Be good to
37:02each other. Watch out for the old folks
37:04and keep the rubber side down. This is
37:06Jax signing

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