Gus was a veteran of the armed forces. Gus believed in America. But then a thing happened.

No, she didn’t die. She just didn’t love him. So he helped her pack up her bags. And as she drove away, she beeped her horn.

He didn’t talk much about it. That’s the way things go. You accept the casualties. You go on.

Gus worked for a wage at the garage. He kept to himself. He was quiet.

He was tired most of the time. He showed up an hour late for work one morning. His boss let him have it.

•

One day, a man came in with his ten year old daughter.

Gus looked up from the hood of the car. The boss wasn’t around to take the call. So, Gus set aside his wrench. He heaved his body to its knees.

“Can I help you?”

The girl looked up at him with scrunched eyes. What the hell was she looking at?

“Yes, I’d like an oil change, and I understand you have a daily special for the uh – $24.95?”

Gus looked over at the sign in the window display. Yep, there was the sign. Daily Special. Gus took the order down. He put it in the computer, and took the man’s keys.

The man needled his daughter with a tickle to her rib. She diddled and blew her bubble gum. The two of them sat by the coffee. She watched him.

Gus stepped out the door and hopped around front where the car was. He swore he felt the girl’s eyes on him, following him.

He started the car, and the engine hummed, Behind the polish of the windshield, he looked into the store.

The man was sipping his coffee while the girl slammed her doll into her own lap.

Down in the craw, under the car, he yanked the plug. The oil spurted on him.

Then he finished, drove the car around, and stepped back into front office to print the bill.

The man said, “The sign says 30 minutes or less..”

Gus tore the invoice from the printer, and slid the bill across the counter, looking down.

“I’m not paying one damn cent.”

That girl with the scrunched up eyes — was she screwing her nose at him?

•

We do things for all different reasons. But Gus had no good reason.

For in a moment, when she peered up at him, he felt something in his heart.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty. Felt like dark lumps.

He didn’t know what shape they were.

•

Now he had to clean up and hope no one else came in.