As an electrician, you don’t get a lot of opportunities to sit down with people and just talk. In a small town, you’d think everyone knows everyone, like in the television shows. Nobody really asks me for much here except if I want a glass of water while I’m working. Water and electricity aren’t friends, you know?
Erin was the first person to actually ask me how my day was going, maybe for the last few months. She was taller than me, though not a difficult feat, but her presence was comforting like we had been friends for years.
“Busy these days?” Erin asked.
“Doing just fine, ma’am. Are you new to the area?” I asked back.
She told me she had grown up in a nearby town, but she moved around here so her kid could go to a better school. Apparently, the schools in this area are some of the better ones in the county. News to me, since I feel like I learned squat in school. All I know I learned as an apprentice.
Her job was a quick one, I was finished in about an hour. Just some faulty wiring that came with the older homes in the neighborhood. I’ve seen it a hundred times. She invited me to sit down afterward and have a glass of lemonade.
It was the best damn lemonade I’d ever had. Not overly sweet, definitely sour, and goes down smooth. She said it came from a mix but I never can get it to taste like that when I make it myself.
We sat at the small wooden table in the kitchen with our glasses of lemonade. It felt natural even though I never do this with any clients. The conversation, also natural. We talked about our histories, interests, and favorite foods. I felt like I was in a casino, where I couldn’t tell how much time was going by, nor did I really care. My next job wasn’t for a while and I was enjoying her company too much.
When she smiled her eyes formed these creases next to them. They looked like crow’s feet but she was too young to really have them. Her laugh reminded me of my ex. Funny, that was the one thing I still liked about her. I even found myself laughing a few times. My cheeks were starting to get sore from all the smiling.
The door opened and a young boy who looked about 6 or 7 strolled in. “Momma? I’m home!”
“So you are my angel,” Erin said.
“Who’s this guy?” the boy asked.
“He’s the electrician, sweetie. He and I were just having a friendly chat after he finished his work.”
Still smiling, I checked my watch. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head.
“Damn!” I yelled. “I missed my other job!”
“Oh my, that’s too bad. Let me reimburse you for the job you missed,” Erin said.
I told her it was fine since I had no clue what the job was beforehand. Weird that I didn’t get a call from the client or HQ, though.
The boy kept staring at me like I owed him money. Erin was asking him how his day was at school, his eyes darting back and forth between us.
I got up to leave, feeling like I overstayed my welcome.
“I better get going. Thanks for the lemonade, it was the best I’ve ever had, really,” I said.
“Oh, don’t be silly. I enjoyed the company,” Erin said.
I gathered up my tools, threw them in the box, and headed for the front door. Erin wrote me a check for my time, and with a tip of my hat, I was on my way.
As I was walking to my truck I couldn’t believe how long I was there. A short job turned into an all-day recess. I did enjoy myself, though. Can’t help it when you meet someone you just feel at home with.
“Hey mister!” the boy ran out of the house.
“Um…d-did my mom tell you anything about my dad?”
I was confused. “What do you mean? Why would she tell me about your dad? That’s none of my business.”
“Just wondering,” the boy said. He was rocking his weight back and forth on his feet. “I’ve never met him, but I remember her saying something about electricity between him and her. I wanted to see if, well, you being an electrician and all, if she said something about that.” The boy looked at me with his head tilted to the side, waiting for an answer. He talked about adult feelings like it was nothing.
“Kid, when adults talk about electricity, sometimes they’re talking about a connection, you know? Like when two people meet and they click. It just works,” I replied.
“Oh. Well, something about you feels kinda weird to me. Like you and I are friends or something,” the boy said.
Looking at him closer, he reminded me a lot of myself when I was young. Hell, he even looked like me too. “We can be friends, if you want,” I said.
“Really? Cool!” the boy said.
His eyes lit up. Sea blue, just like mine used to be. I ruffled his hair and told him to go back inside. He ran back to the house and waved goodbye, smiling from ear to ear.
I got back in my truck, tossed my tools in the passenger seat, and looked back at the house. I started to get kind of emotional. Not crying or anything, but sort of like the feeling you get when you watch a movie where the two people finally make up after a long fight. They talk about how they really love each other and talk about how they’ll never fight again.
I had a feeling this job would stay with me for a while. Like when you wear a cotton sweater straight out of the dryer. Warm and clean. It would just come with me.
I sniffed and turned the key, looked into the sunset, and started for home.