Dear Dad,
Every time I end a letter to you, I always think this is my last. Then I have a chat with someone and they trigger off yet another hidden treasure!
Dad, this particular event I actually had forgotten about, until Kawal mentioned it, We were in fits of laughter just remembering it. It’s probably going to be one of those ‘you had to be there to appreciate your wittiness’. To be honest Dad, it was the first time I had actually seen you treat us like girls ‘ protecting us against ‘boys’!
There’s me and Kawal aged about 13 and 15, in your workshop dressed in our blue overalls, and probably look like we’ve washed our faces with grease!
We’re in and out of the workshop helping you, passing you tools, holding the torch as you fix a customer’s car. It was like any other Saturday for us, you giving us a stack of alternators and starter motors to open, or spray painting the new refurbished ones that you and your employees had already made. As always we probably spent what you had made that, going to the ‘sweet’ shop and eating fish and chips out of the paper bag, on our laps or on a makeshift table.
This particular Saturday however, we attract the attention of a group of 4 or 5 boys. They were a few years older than us. Dad I remember you telling us to go inside. Being a corner property you had 2 entrances to the shop, one at the front and one on the side, not far from each other. We used the side entrance as that was the closet to us. The lads came in through the front following us. We then came back out to you and they stood in the doorway blocking your way! You asked them if they wanted to buy something or have a car to be fixed. They said no. As you escorted me and Kawal into the kitchen, you asked them to leave. They replied ‘we want to look at the girls working’. You stopped and turned around and without hesitation you answered back ‘you can look at me!’.
Being in what was very male oriented workplace, Dad, I’ve lost count the number of times Kawal answered your phone and said ‘no it’s a beautician!’ And put the phone down. You’d then ask, I heard the phone ring, I’m laughing away and Kawal is trying to convince you that it was a wrong number. You always wondered why you never got customer calls on Saturday when we were there, and now you know!
Dad, do you remember when you left me and Bubbly (Sharan) all alone at your ‘new shops’? We were about 15 and 11 I think. You dropped us about 9am, you gave me about 15 alternators and starter motors to open. Each in their individual boxes and a spray can cap. You said you’ll be back at lunch time to see how we were and obviously the one reason we loved coming to work with you was the lunch! So there’s me opening up the alternators and starter motors. I’ve taken all the spray paint caps out of the boxes and told Bubbly to neatly separate all the washers, nuts screws, springs etc into each cap!
When you came back, me and Bubbly had finished and were sitting on the bench chatting away. You asked me were all the open alternators and starter motors were, I showed you the stacked-up boxes. Initially you were well impressed Dad! You checked one box, then another and then another. You asked me were all of the components were. Bubbly and I then very proudly showed you our line of plastic caps on the workbench. We explained how we had separated all the components. Dad you stood there frozen ! In disbelief even! We asked what was wrong! Dad you literally couldn’t speak. You just said ‘you’ve given me more work!’, I was like ‘how?, I opened these like you asked!’. You told me I should’ve kept everything in one box and now it’s all mixed up.
You told me it’s going to take you a week to sort this mess out!
That was it, that’s how angry you got, that’s all you said, and you never mentioned it again.
In the car, especially if it was just you and us 4, you’d be teaching us how to shout ‘no’! And in the car we’d be shouting ‘no’ back to you. You’d be saying ‘louder’! And we’d get louder, and you’d again say louder . There’s us Kawal, Bubbly (Sharan), Suman and me shouting from the top of our lungs ‘no’! You were teaching us how to say no if someone offered us either a cigarette or drugs. Suman is always telling us were to put our thumb if we ever need to throw a punch! ‘Always out wrapped around your fingers otherwise you could break it’.
See Dad, we do listen to you, we have learnt so much from you, things we took for granted thinking everyone gets taught this by their Dads! You’ll be well proud dad. This week I actually took the oven door off, separated all of the glass, 4 panes in total, cleaned it all, I then had to put the door back together and place it back on to its rollers. It’s no ordinary hinge door, it’s one of those bake-off ovens with a sliding door. I showed Jason! He too was impressed!
See I do know how to use a screwdriver!
Miss you Dad
X
Cherish your memories! Write them down so you never forget and you can pass these stories on !