Chapter 18: A new job

Drax introduces me to Plug on Saturday morning. Plug’s small garage specialises in motorbike repairs, and he is currently working by himself. His last mechanic was apparently arrested last month, and he isn’t expected to be in a position to return to work for quite a while.

“What experience do you have with repairing motorbikes?” asks Plug after our initial introductions.

I explain how I used to help my brother fix up old bikes so that he could sell them. Plug then asks me to identify the make and model of the three bikes currently in his workshop. Easy. The job is mine as soon as I demonstrate that I know how to change the clutch cable on a Bonneville Speedmaster.

My next step will be to talk to my current boss and explain why I feel it necessary for me to quit my job. That will need to wait until Monday morning when Michael and I are due to return from leave. It’s no secret around the office that Michael and I are ... were ... a couple, and I’m sure Michael told a few of his cronies that we were doing a Personality Compatibility Test while we were on leave. It’s going to be awkward around the office while I’m working out my notice. I’m sure Michael will make it clear to everyone that it’s my fault that we failed the PCT.

“Tell the jackass that if he blames you for failing your PCT then he can expect a visit from me and a few of my friends,” says Xara when she notices me worrying over the issue.

Over the weekend Drax, Xara and I adapt to our new living arrangement. I can’t sleep on the couch forever, and we agree that I should get a folding bed and a chest for my things. Unfortunately I don’t have much money, so I can’t simply dash out to the stores to buy something. Fortunately, one of the aspects of Drax’s job is that he has regular contact with people engaged in recycling perfectly good items that someone has consigned to their trash. After a few days of searching we acquire what I need for next to nothing.

Drax’s and Xara’s trailer home has only one bedroom, so I need to wheel my bed out into the living area each night. It isn’t ideal, but it’s much better than the couch. Besides, what can I expect for rent free accommodation? Well, perhaps my accommodation isn’t exactly rent free, since I must do all the housework, and prepare the meals for the three of us. Drax is a typical male and regards housework as a woman’s job, and Xara simply refuses to do more than the bare minimum ... and not even that now that I’m here. It’s presumably why the place was a tip when I arrived. At least the place is clean and tidy now that I have completed my initial round of dusting and scrubbing. I no longer mind that Xara sometimes calls me her house slave, as I realise that it is her way of showing her appreciation for my efforts.

Quitting my old job turns out to be relatively painless. I gained a lot of sympathy for my plight from my former work colleagues, and my boss allowed me to leave as soon as he hired a replacement. Fortunately that only took a matter of days. The ease with which I was replaced underscores why my decision to change careers seems like a wise move.

Plug has plenty of work lined up, so I’m busy from the moment I start working at the garage. As the only specialised motorbike repair shop in town, his business attracts a wide range of customers. Some of those customers are gang members, and more than once Plug needs to diffuse tensions between rival gang members when they happen to call at the workshop at the same time. I keep myself out of the way on those occasions in case more than insults start flying between the bikers.