Fiction Short Story

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Fiction Short Story

by Stephen D. Rogers

An Ounce of Prevention

Gladys Wilson parked in front of the gas station, took her house key off the chain, and went into the office.

"My car is making a funny sound."

The young man behind the counter glanced out the window at her vehicle. "Can you leave it?" The name on his uniform was Bud.

Gladys handed him her car keys. "I'd rather wait if you don't mind."

Bud took the keys and laid a blank repair form in front of her. "No, that's fine. There's some magazines in the sitting area and I can put on a fresh pot of coffee."

"Sounds wonderful."

He pulled a pen from his pocket and pointed to sections on the form. "Just fill in your name, address, and telephone number. Sign here to approve the maintenance inspection."

Gladys took the pen and did as he asked. "Nothing will be done without my permission, right?"

"Right. You're just giving the mechanic approval to check it out."

"Okay."

Bud rotated the form as he took the pen from her. "And what exactly did you say was the problem?"

"The car is making a strange sound, sort of like a knock-knock-knock."

"Does it happen all the time or only when you accelerate?"

"I'm not sure. Is that important?"

Bud made a few notes on the form. "Don't worry. Our mechanic's a wizard."

Gladys walked over to the sitting area and examined the available magazines. There was a surprisingly large selection and all of them current.

She made herself comfortable and started reading.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched another uniformed employee start her car and drive it into the garage bay.

Everything so far was going according to plan.

Bud wandered over and started fussing with the coffee maker. "Would you prefer regular or decaf?"

"Decaf, thank you."

"Beautiful day."

"Yes. I called my boss and said I'd be late because of car trouble but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't believe me."

Bud laughed. "After your car is fixed, maybe you can take the long way in."

"There's an idea."

He started the coffee maker. "This should be ready in just a few minutes. Milk or cream?"

"Just black, one sugar."

"Sugars are right next to the cups. Enjoy."

"I will." Gladys rewarded Bud with a smile before going back to the magazine.

When the coffee was finished brewing, Gladys poured herself a cup and found it excellent.

Twenty minutes later, the mechanic walked into the waiting room. "Excuse me."

Gladys lowered the magazine, "Yes?"

"I've had a chance to look at your car and can show you what I've found if you want to come out to the bay with me." The name on his uniform was Frank.

"Certainly." She stood and followed Frank around the counter, nodding at Bud. "Of course I really don't know much about cars."

"That's okay." He flashed her a friendly grin. "Watch your step."

The hood of her car was open and Gladys peered inside and shook her head.

Frank wiped his hands with a rag. "You were right about that noise you heard. You're in desperate need of a tune-up."

"Is it serious?"

"Well, you could drive the car but you won't get as good gas mileage and you might really damage the engine."

Gladys shivered. "Is a tune-up expensive?"

"This car, probably a hundred-and-fifty to two hundred, depending on what we find."

"Can you do it now?"

"As soon as you approve the work."

Gladys smiled. "There doesn't seem to be any point in waiting."

Frank led her back to the office so she could sign the paperwork. Then he motioned towards the waiting area. "I'll let you know as soon as it's done."

Gladys returned to her seat and picked up her cup of coffee. That wasn't difficult at all.

Retrieving her magazine, Gladys continued reading until she found an interesting recipe. She took a notebook out of her purse and started writing down the ingredients.

Bud called over from the counter, "You can take that with you if you like. There's no shortage of reading material here."

"Oh, thanks." Gladys made a mental note to include the niceties in her report. The people here really made an effort to make the customer feel comfortable.

Gladys finished the magazine and was reaching for another one when Frank returned.

"You're all set."

"Wow, that was fast."

"We like to get you back on your way as soon as possible."

Gladys stood and looked for somewhere to place her empty cup.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it."

She followed Frank to the counter and noticed her car was already parked out front. "Did you run into any other problems?"

"No, everything's in tip-top shape." Frank made some notes on the form and asked her to sign her acceptance that the work was completed. "That will be ninety-four dollars even."

The repair coming in on the low side was a pleasant surprise. "I hope you take charge cards? I'd be lost without my plastic." She handed Frank her card. "I suppose I have to go into the office now."

"Take the rest of the day off. Tell them the repairs took longer than expected. They won't know the difference."

Gladys signed the credit card slip and traded his pen for her card. "I'm afraid they would."

"What do you mean?"

"I work for the Attorney General's Office. We're investigating fraud at service stations." Gladys placed the card and receipt in her purse.

Frank's mouth dropped open.

"The mechanic who checked my car before I came here will testify my only problem was an ounce of water in the gas tank. There's no way my boss would believe I waited all day long when all I needed was a dollar's worth of dry gas."

Gladys smiled at Frank's look of discomfort and waved her keys. "Thanks for the coffee. We'll be in touch."

© Copyright 2003 Stephen D. Rogers

About the Author:

Over two hundred of Stephen D. Rogers' stories and poems have appeared in a variety of publications. He is a stay-at-home dad who lives in southern New England. Stephen's website: www.stephendrogers.com