Dominga is my "God send"

"Jonatha, can you help me?"   It's the typical question our recent immigrants ask when they find a road block and need some English person to help them find their way.   But this one was unusual.   His Corolla could go backwards but not forward.   It was an obvious transmission problem and his eager neighbor Sonny* was eager to help him.   That was 4 weeks ago.   After a ride to a salvage yard buying a new transmission the job stalled and patience ran out.   When Sonny asked for more money frustration mounted, words were exchanged, and the relationship was broken.   That's when I got the call.  He gave me the phone number.   So I called Sonny, wondering about the car.   Sonny was angry.  "I need 210 dollars to finish the job.  I don't like when people call me names and disrespect me.   I don't want to deal with them anymore".     "Ok", I told him, "you don't need to.  You are dealing with me now.   You finish the job and I'll pay you the $210.  When can you have it finished".   He said "tomorrow" which would be Saturday.   "Very Good, You call me when it finished".   So began my dealings with Sonny.  

    He called me Saturday around 2.   "Can you drive it?" I asked.   "I can't drive", He said.     "I wasn't asked to do that.   I was just told to replace the transmission."   I could tell Sonny was aroused and could get upset quickly.   I was worried.   When I got there, Sonny told me the car now needs a new starter.  Turning the key the starter ground against the flywheel.  Still trusting his mechanical judgments I asked what a starter costs?   He told me $120.   How long would that take?  Monday was a holiday.  He promised the starter would be fixed on Tuesday.   He needed the money to buy the part so I gave him the money and told him when it runs on Tuesday I will pay for the transmission.   He was unhappy but the guy who he called his boss who had the small garage he worked out of told him, he should do it.  

   Tuesday came and went.  My calls went unanswered,   Wednesday I stopped in and found the drunken brother to the guy Sonny called the boss came to the door.   I learned his mother was taken to the hospital and no one knew where Sonny was.   He struggled to write down my phone number and promised to have his brother call me.  

  That night, I finally got a text response, from Sonny's wife... "My husband got arrested last nite because he done a job on someone car and the person did not want too pay him so he lost his tempered and got in trouble.   So I don't know when they going too put his bail. we waiting for the judge in the morning.   So if you want someone else too put the starter on for you just get someone else too do it.   If he gets bail tomorrow he going too get in trouble again, he's very stubern".

   Totally losing faith in redeeming this situation I decided I needed to take this car to a regular shop.  Since I had a key I got five high school guys to help me push the car down the city streets to a regular shop I had confidence in.   I hoped no one would be around to ask any questions but as I approached I realized the guy Sonny called the boss was sitting on the front porch with 4 friends.   I asked him,  "Is Sonny in jail?"   "Jail?"   No one knew anything.   "Yes", I said,"I got a text from his wife".   "That's all a lie." he said, as everyone started talking.   That's when Dominga walked up.   "I can help you", he said.  "I don't think it needs a starter.   Sonny did not put the transmission on right.  He doesn't listen.   I will take it off and put it on properly by tomorrow."     "Would you?   That would be great.   We came to push the car down to the shop on Seymour street".  I said.     "Dominga is a much better mechanic", the boss said.  "He'll get it done right".  

   The next morning I got a call.   "It's done," Dominga said at the other end.   "We need to get some oil for the transmission".   When I got there an hour later Dominga showed me some other things that needed attention.  He also had fixed the broken hood clasp.   As we traveled to Autozone for oil I learned a bit about Dominga.  He's 70 years old, worked for Huber nurseries until a work accident ended that career but his back has recovered and he's now on Social Security and just does favors for anyone who calls on him.   Most of the time he's here in the alley fixing cars.   About Sonny, "he's not in jail, that's a lie.    He's a 'shooter', he just disappeared."  he said.  "He's an adict, a junkie, takes money up front, then never finishes anything.   You cannot trust him".  

  As I enjoyed watching Dominga wrapping up the project I thought about how my anxiety level changed so dramatically in last 15 hours.  Here was a guy who showed more energy at 70 then most of us have at 35.  He obviously took great delight in being able to help someone in their trouble.   His wife came up and I asked her,  Dominga says he just eats just one meal; rice and beans every evening.   Is that true?   She laughed and said,  He did not tell you how many cupcakes he eats during the day.

* "Sonny" is not his real name.