Declan Elijah Gallagher; the mom friend
// @thexcarrollxtimes; Vincent, Gallagher Farm: Mid-afternoon.
It was a beautiful California winter day; sunny with clear blue skies and just chilly enough that a flannel was the perfect layer. Between the drought and winter months, the grass had shriveled up and died, leaving a dusty dry lot for Declan Gallagher to call home.
The psychologist and Carroll native found himself elbow deep under the hood of an old white 1966 Ford Mustang. The radio was tuned into 1071theTea despite Declan's conflicting music taste. He found he could tolerate the music in exchange for the fun gossip.
Although Declan Gallagher stood in a pair of oil-stained jeans and his hands had been stained black with unidentified car fluids, the man had no idea what he was doing. Fixing vintage cars had been his grandfather's passion and Declan only came to appreciate it after the wonderful man was gone. Now, Declan has to limp his way through the mechanical work by reading manuals and watching YouTube tutorials.
Furrowing his brows in a mixture of confusion and concentration, Declan eyed the manual. He could figure out what he was doing wrong. The engine would turn over and over but never catch.
Suddenly, the engine coughed and sputtered, a black cloud billowing from beneath the hood. Declan ran a stained hand through his hair in frustration. This was not working.
Finally, Declan decided it was time to call for backup. He pulled out his phone and searched for a mechanic. Picking the first name he saw, he dialed the number. A voice picked up on the other line on the third ring.
“Good afternoon, is this Gasket Auto Service? I've got this Mustang that I can't get to start,” Declan explained. He wasn't sure he was using any of the right terminology as he tried to explain his issues.
“Do you do house calls?” He asked sheepishly. Declan needed someone to show him how to do the handy work, not just explain it. Even then, he wasn't fully convinced he was cut out for this hobby.
