The Lesson (26 page)

The verbal bat. That’s what it would take. Quit trying to be nice. Quit trying to be polite.

They had been driving on Monterey Road only a few minutes and were still far from the residential section, and she was still musing on what words to use on Kevin that would have a really big Pow! factor when there was a muffled bang and then a heavy thump, thump, thump from the rear passenger side of the car. Gina knew that thump, thump, thump. She’d had a flat tire a few months before.

But maybe she was wrong. She hoped she was wrong.

Burk had heard it too. “I think you have a flat tire,” he said.

“Maybe not. Let’s hope. I’ll stop the car right here and take a look.”

Gina pulled over to the shoulder, which was easy to do because there was little development on this rural section of Monterey Road. She turned off the engine. The silence was as ominous as the darkness that swallowed up her little Austin. The remote section of Monterey Road where they’d broken down was too far from town to have street lights. The only lights around anywhere were blurry neon signs several hundred yards ahead of them. She could vaguely make out a dated-looking martini glass set an angle with an olive in it. Surely that meant there was a bar, and where there was a bar, there was a pay phone.

“I’ll get out and check it,” she said. “You might as well stay here. No use both of us getting
creamed.” Gina unlocked the car door and started to get out.

“Do you have a flashlight, Gina?”

“No, but I’ll be okay.”

She opened her door and got out to investigate. Rushing headlights lit up her shimmery white halter. It was cold out, but she knew that when she had chosen such a skimpy outfit; it was December 31, after all, the early part of winter. She just hadn’t planned to spend it standing outdoors on a freezing highway. When the coast was clear she walked around the car on the highway side because the passenger side had a steep incline into a ditch. The tire was flat, no doubt about it. But that’s not what was bothering Gina at the moment. Looking at the sorry-looking flat tire that spilled onto the road like molten lava jolted her memory: her spare tire was also flat.

She stood there a moment, thinking. She felt terrible for putting Burk in this position. And he had offered to have them ride to the party in a nice warm, well-maintained taxi. But she couldn’t stand there any longer berating herself. She was starting to shiver. She got back into the car.

“It’s flat alright,” she said.

“My. What will we do? Can you change a tire? Growing up in New York City I never had a need. They have a reliable subway system. And there was always a taxi.”

“I think I can change a tire …” She paused to build up her courage.

“Yes?”

“But there’s no tire to change.”

"No tire?"

“The spare is flat too.”

“It is?” He sounded truly alarmed. “How do you know?”

“I had a flat a couple of months ago. I put it into the trunk to get it repaired, but then I didn’t have the money for the repair. I kept telling myself, ‘Next payday.’ But I always seemed to need the money for something else. Then so much time passed that I forgot about it altogether.”

They sat in somber silence for a while. Car headlights flashed by one after the other as if the little yellow car on the side of the road was invisible. Gina wished she were invisible.

“We should at least put out some flares to draw the attention of the police,” said Burk.

“I used up the flares with the first flat.”

“And you didn’t replace those either?”

“No.”

Burk sighed a big disgusted sigh. “Gina, I’m really surprised at you. I can’t believe someone with so much education could be so ill prepared for an emergency. Especially you, being single and female. I would think you would be more circumspect.”

What could she say? He was right in every respect.

“I’m really sorry Burk, to have gotten you into this situation. I didn’t think ahead.”

“No, you certainly didn’t.”

Gina absorbed his words with pain. She couldn’t possibly feel worse than she did at that moment. But sitting there feeling like a heel wouldn’t get them home, and none of her family would pass by her car until the Conga line and midnight kissing business were over. It wasn’t quite ten o’clock.

“There’s some kind of business ahead, I can see it," said Gina. "They’re all lit up so I’m sure they’re open. I’m going to walk up there and see if I can use their phone.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, Burk, I don’t think that’s a good idea. The cars are flying down the road and the shoulder is really narrow. One of us will be on the highway and the other will be trying to keep out of the ditch. The slope is bad, and it’s just a few feet from the road. I’ll go alone. It’s only about a ten-minute walk. I’ll be back as fast as I can. I’m going to call for help.”

“Okay. But be careful.”

Gina grabbed her thin, fringed wrap and her purse. She locked the door as she got out and then and started down Monterey Road. She walked fast. The rush of cars coming up behind her and the cold made sure of that.

Soon she was approaching the lone business, a small, dilapidated building surrounded by a handful of cars. Neon letters above the neon martini glass came into focus: EL GUSANO ROJO.
Rojo.
That was easy. Every first-grader in California knew the Spanish word for red.
Gusano?
It didn’t ring any bells. Gina looked at the puzzling sign and noted that while the martini glass was old, the Spanish neon lettering above it was new. Obviously decades ago the bar had been owned and run by Anglos; only recently had it become Mexican-owned. She wished she had paid attention in Mrs. Lunceford’s Spanish class. Come to think of it, she hadn’t paid much attention in Mr. Edwards’ Spanish class either. Buchser boys were just too cute.

She pushed open the door—hoping she wouldn’t have to conjugate any Spanish verbs to make herself understood—and walked into the very old, very dark and smoky bar. Beer posters were hung here and there, all printed in Spanish. At least a dozen pairs of eyes met her own. Suddenly she felt
very underdressed. She clutched her wrap a little tighter around her body and approached the counter. Latin music pulsed through the room. She couldn’t make out a single word of it. The only thing she was conscious of was that she was the only Americana in the room. In fact, she was the only female.

“Teléfono?”
she said.

The bartender stopped pouring a drink for a customer and stared as if she was an alien. Finally he pointed toward the back of the bar, where, between two doors that were obviously restrooms, she saw a pay phone.

“Gracias.”

As she said this she happened to look down at the bottle from which the bartender had been pouring. In the dusky bar light she saw what looked to be a worm, a red worm at the bottom of the
bottle. The bartender saw her eyes alight on the bottle, and he pointed to it, and then to a glass, indicating that he wanted to pour her a drink from that very bottle. Her instant response was to shrink back in disgust. She shook her head and waved both hands wildly.

“No, no, no,” she said.

The bartender laughed and then spoke something unintelligible to a group of patrons at the bar. They all looked at Gina and laughed too. She didn’t need another year of Spanish class to know what these men were laughing about. She wanted badly at that moment to get out of the bar and back to the safety of her car, but she was determined to get the help she came for first. She had no other choice.

She walked toward the phone, glancing as she did at the
Damas
sign over the women’s restroom door. She wondered if any women ever came into this cave, but she didn’t wonder about whom to call. There was only one person she knew beside her father who knew all about car troubles and how to fix them. Besides, her father was not at home and she didn’t have a number for the mobile home park. While the phone on the other end rang she turned toward the seating area to keep an eye on the room. They were watching her too.

“Hello.”

“Kevin, this is Gina.”

“Wow! You got bored really
early.”

“That’s partly true.” She sighed. “Kevin, I got a problem. I’m on Monterey Road, at a bar. My car has a flat and my spare is flat, too.”

Kevin’s light tone changed immediately. “You’re in a
bar?
”

“Yes, a Mexican bar. It was the nearest phone.”

“What’s the name of the bar?”

“El Gusano Rojo. The red something or other.”

“Are you alone?”

“No, I’m with about a dozen tall, dark, and handsome Latin hunks having a wild time. The drinks here are truly memorable.”

“Okay, okay. Stay calm. Give me the address of the party and tell me where you think you are from there.”

She gave him the information, all the while keeping her eyes on the men in the bar, who kept looking in her direction. A few of them leered, adding to her distress, though most just eyed her with amused curiosity.

“What size tire does your car take?” asked Kevin.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know what type of tires you have on your car? Radial? Steel belted?”

“I don't know."

"Well, what do they look like?" said Kevin.

"Black … rubber … round. I have no idea!” Who bothered with such details?

“Okay. Don’t panic, Gina. I can find that out. Meanwhile, go back to your car and lock your doors. Where’s your date?”

“He’s in the car.”

“Then get back to the car as soon as you hang up and
stay there
. And be careful. I’m coming.”

“I will. Thanks, Kevin.”

#

Gina was relieved when a familiar looking set of headlights pulled up behind her Austin. Burk had lost his enthusiasm to talk about his enzyme research and the exalted Doctor Chalmers, or any other subject, and Gina just wanted to get home, away from the uncomfortable strain that had developed with her date. She hurriedly exited the car to avoid another scene between Kevin and Burk.

“Thank you for coming, Kevin.” She gave Kevin a genuine smile as they met between their two cars. Suddenly she felt safe. Kevin would take care of everything and soon she’d be home in the light and warmth of her cozy apartment.

“Any time. Which tire is it?”

Gina walked Kevin to the side of the car with the flat. She was thankful that it was in the area farthest from the deadly highway. She was also hopeful that, being in the rear, it was just far enough from Burk that he could not hear them talking.

Kevin squatted down in front of the flat tire and put his hand on it, feeling for anything that could have punctured it. “I can’t get it replaced tonight, and my spare won’t fit your car. No stores are open, either, especially on New Year’s Eve.”

Gina’s heart sank. Every moment she spent out on the highway with her sullen date was an intolerable strain.

“But I know a gas station that’s open late,” he continued. “It’s not far from here. Maybe I can get them to fix it. I’ll take the flat that’s in your trunk and then switch them when I get back.”

Gina nodded silently like a mature grown-up would, but truthfully, now that Kevin had come to rescue her, she didn’t want him to leave. The thought of him driving away and leaving her behind made the highway seem blacker and the night air colder.

“I suppose I should say hello to the doctor, though,” said Kevin. He sounded uncharacteristically grim.

Kevin started toward the passenger door. Gina groaned inside. She hoped Kevin would behave himself. She stood near the rear of the car, cringing with dread, and waited while he knocked on the passenger window. Burk rolled down the window and Kevin explained to him what he planned to do with the flat. She saw Burk nod his head and then, rather abruptly, roll up his window again with hardly a response. Kevin wordlessly walked to the back of the car. He looked disgusted when Gina’s eyes met his. She said nothing. She was too embarrassed. And too cold.

In a few minutes Kevin had her spare tire in his car and was pulling away from the shoulder of the road. She watched his tail lights as they got smaller and smaller in the distance, and she felt empty. She wished she could drive away with him and enjoy his entertaining company rather than sit in her glum little Austin with Burk, whose demeanor had
disintegrated into pouting. But she wouldn’t insult him by driving off with Kevin. He had said the gas station wasn’t far. She fervently hoped they could fix her tire quickly so she could get home and away from Burk.

At the end of the longest forty-five minutes ever endured, Gina saw Kevin’s headlights pull up behind her car. Again she jumped out to avoid his coming up to her car window. He was carrying her repaired tire, which he set on the ground behind her car.

“Your date is going to have to wait in my car while I change your tire,” said Kevin. “I’ll have to jack it up several inches, and it’s dangerous for anyone to be sitting in it while it’s elevated like that.”

“Okay. I’ll tell him. But will you help me get him over to your car?”