Page 1 of A Little Christmas! Johnny
1
JOHNNY
Some people might think that being a tow truck operator is a shit job. For the most part, that can be true. Ninety percent of the calls come from people who are entitled pricks wanting to get back at their neighbors or from corporations that don’t seem to give a shit that someone might not have seen a sign and decide to fuck up their day. I have always hated those calls.
That’s why I wanted to be able to open my own business. One month ago to the day, I was finally able to tell my former boss to shove it. Actually, I didn’t. Mike is a good guy. Instead of me having to start from scratch, he signed over Good Boy Tinkering and Towing to both me and his son so that he can retire. Most of the other guys have stayed on, but a few weren’t happy with the changeover. They royally screwed us over right before the big holiday season – also known as “people unprepared for the cold weather ending up in ditches” and “people who don’t touch a drop of alcohol for eleven months out of the year not knowing their limit” season.
Thanks to those assholes, the shop has been operating short staffed for the last two weeks. Granted, most days that wouldn’t be an issue – especially since Steve and I have arbitrarily decidedwe will no longer do repossessions. That’s really cut back on our business, but it was the right thing to do. I remember as a kid what that felt like watching the family car loaded up on the back of a flatbed in front of all the neighbors. I could never do that to someone.
Mike and the other guys might have been indifferent to it, but it hits differently when you know the actual struggle of losing a vehicle that your family needs to survive. Losing a vehicle affects more than just getting around easily. When you don’t have a vehicle, you have to pay for transportation to get to and from everything. You have to pay for delivery fees. It takes twice as long to do anything because you can’t control the schedule.
In short – Once you lose a vehicle to repossession, it’s a very expensive uphill battle to get another vehicle, let alone getting that one back.
As a towing business, repossessions make good money, but I’m not willing to sell my soul for it. I’m honestly lucky Steve agrees with me that it’s a terrible way to make money. His dad didn’t really see things the same way, having grown up in the era of needing to compete with bigger companies for business. He did so well that Steve has the freedom to make those sacrifices, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for.
Despite how awesome we’re making GBT&T, I am in the shop on Thanksgiving instead of across town with my sister’s family. As one of the bosses, it’s my responsibility to make sure my guys get the time with their families. Steve would be here, but it’s his first holiday season after getting married, so I wanted to give him the night. He’s planning on relieving me around four in the morning for the Black Friday calls. Jake is coming on at midnight for the drunks while Frank is going to jump in around six for the start of the illegally parked vehicle calls. Tomorrow kicks off our busiest season, so I wanted to give the guys an extra break.
Plus, sitting here in an empty shop lets me have full control over the televisions. Usually, we have some sort of sports thing playing. But with me being by myself, I log into my personal Netflix account on the shop television and start watching my shows. Today itself won’t be too bad with calls – what with most people spending time with family and friends who can usually help each other out – so I settle in with some cookies and pop to relax in the quiet of my shop.
My shop. Man, that sounds weird to me.
You’ll never account for anything if you don’t grow up, John.
Stop being a fucking child, John.
Be a man already. Quit whining.
The voices of my family echo in my thoughts, so I turn up the volume on the television to drown them out. I stupidly thought they would be proud of me for owning my own business before turning twenty-five. To them, anything outside of working at a desk in an office building is a waste unless you’re a doctor. My decision to go to a vocational school instead of college really highlighted just how badly they view the working class.
“We love you John. Playing around with cars is not the future we envisioned for you.
You should be in college.
It’s time to put aside your hobby and buckle down on your education.”
It didn’t matter that I was making more money at eighteen as a mechanic than my sister was making at twenty-five with a master’s degree. It doesn’t matter that over the last four years I have bought my own house – a fixer upperonlybecause I love working on it – along with two vehicles not including my project cars. I can take a vacation away whenever I want to. And my biggest flex to date: I never have to worry about prices or brand names for groceries.
Meanwhile, the rest of them live struggling from paycheck to paycheck. I used to help out, but I got tired of the dual personalities. They have no issue taking and spending my money while constantly degrading the line of work that I do to make it. I am well aware that they are toxic as fuck, but I can’t bring myself to completely cut them off. I still answer when they call, but I’ve stopped reaching out to them first. That’s the best I’ve managed to do so far.
Speaking of… My cell phone lights up with a new message.
Erica:
Jessie wants a new iPad for Christmas. Mom said you’d get it for her.
While I’m not surprised that my nibling would want a new iPad – Jessie is an amazing sketch artist – I am extremely agitated at the fact that my mother yet again volunteered my money to buy something without consulting me first. Had my sister asked me, I would totally be willing to get one for Jess. But the fact that they are still deciding what to do with my money without taking two seconds to get my input is aggravating to say the least.
Me:
Mom hasn’t controlled my wallet since I was seven. Did anyone ask me if I have the money to spend on an iPad?
Erica:
Fuck off, John. If you want to disappoint your niece on Christmas morning, that’s up to you.
No mention of how fucked up it is. No apology for putting me on the spot. How the fuck did I ever fall for their bullshit before? I’ve learned to ignore her misgendering her kid because it’s just not worth the fight and subsequent accusations that I’m a terrible influence.
Me:
