CLANK CLANK

BUUURRRFFFFFF

"Damn!" Hondo complained loudly, slapping the top of the steering wheel. Between the steaming weather and the AC not working properly...just wasn't his luck!

The van could not go any farther. The white vehicle had been giving trouble for days until it gave up in the middle of the highway. Thankfully, Nichelle made a quick call and a contact of hers helped towed it to the center.

Between the loud sounds and the smoke coming out of the front bumper, the van was definitely giving signs of...kaput! To make matters worse, two of the tires emptied flat and the back bumper fell to the ground during the transfer. Even though Hondo tried convincing Nichelle of disposing of the van and getting a new one, she insisted on getting an estimate for the repairs. If the price was fair, she would go ahead and fix it, if not, then, she would consider selling it. She said the van was with her for such a long time, it deserved a chance! He didn't get what was her deal, but...

Since he didn't want to make a big fuss out of it, he decided to help her out on his day off. This Saturday morning was extra hot, as a recent surge in temperatures had been felt all through the Southwest region of the US. Temperatures in Arizona and California had surpassed triple digits more than ten times during the week. Hospitals were reporting a dangerous increase in patients coming in with heat strokes, skin emergencies and other heat related illnesses, especially the homeless.

"Aw, man! She's dying, Hondo!" yelled Luca, over the noise of the van.

The poor vehicle hardly made it out of the tow truck that Darryl's homie drove. The man with the baseball hat unhooked the van and and quickly left, without waiting for Luca to open the gate to the garage. So...between both men they pulled the giant vehicle onto the space as best as they could, so Luca could inspect it.

"Thanks again, Luca. This was last minute that's why Darryl couldn't take it. He's backed up with clients." Hondo lamented, wiping his dirty hands on his pants, which were half drenched in sweat by then.

"Business booming?" Luca asked opening the door of the tool shed in the garage.

Hondo smirked. "Yeah. I'm proud of him. He actually proved me wrong. I thought with so many shops in that part of the hood, the competition would run him dry of work. But nah...he's hung in there!"

"Leroy doing ok?" Luca said bringing out the rolling cart, and placing it under the car.

"Yeah. He's still helping out with the community too." Hondo said, helping him with the bag of tools.

"That's great." Luca said nodding, as he went for the hood of the van.

"I thought you said you was gonna be out this weekend in a surf gig." Hondo said taking a break to lean against the car.

"That's next weekend. Tan and I are competing to make it to regionals." Luca said opening the hood of the vehicle, placing on the latch and leaning in to take a better look.

 "Woah!" Hondo said impressed. He turned to face Luca, as the older officer examined the motor and the components of the van.

"Yeah...if we win regionals, we would go for state. That's where the big money is!" Luca added, sliding over to the side of the vehicle, inspecting the battery.

"Y'all better be ready" Hondo said sternly, placing both hand on the side of the car, as he moved to avoid his teammate who slid to the opposite side of the car.

Luca took the rolling cart out and laid flat on it. "Yeah, we've been going at it pretty steadily as of late. Tan is really good at it, almost as good as me."  Luca said with a smirk, before sliding under.

Hondo joined his smirk, as he watched his friend glide under the vehicle.

WHHHAMMM

Hondo turned to the opening door and watched as Street appeared with three bottles of water. The young officer had droplets of sweat coming down his forehead and neck. He wasted no time handing out a bottle to each of the sweating officers. They each took big gulps and then took some seconds to catch their breaths.

"Hey!" Street called, "This heat is killing me, man!" he complained, brushing off the sweat.

"You sure it's the heat? and not watchu doing wit yo girl, lover boy?" Hondo snapped, before cracking a smile.

Luca's giggles were heard under the van, as Street went around, shaking his head.

"Anyway" he paused noticing Luca's legs sticking out. "What's the word, doctor?" he said leaning sideways, stopping just beside Luca's legs.

"Well" Luca said, rolling out from under the van, "To be honest, this is gonna cost a bunch. The engine is running on half its capacity, two tires are gassed out, all four tires are pretty flat, the battery is good but its case and the casket are worn out, the back bumper would need welding to place it back, and the bottom inspection didn't turn up good results either."

"In Lehman's terms?" Hondo asked, with a frown.

Luca nodded and pinched his lips. After some seconds, he continued, "Probably 10k to 15k, if you're lucky."

"Wut?" Hondo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, and that is if you count spare parts from a junkyard." Street added, downing the last of the water in his bottle. "Hey! You guys want more water?"

Luca turned abruptly, sporting an angry frown. "Water? C'mon, Street! I'm working here!" he finished with his arms spread wide, demanding an explanation of such harsh insult.

"Beer it is!" Street answered throwing both hands up in defeat.

"I'll take the coldest can you got!" Hondo added as the young officer had turned around towards the house.

"Coming right up!" Street answered with his back to the guys.

Both men turned once again to the patient. Hondo sighed, approaching it. He placed one hand on the roof and said "Man, this should be in a junkyard. I'll try to convince her of getting a new one."

"I mean, you can still sell it for parts. Make some profit out of it." Luca said, shrugging.

"Yeah." he said nodding

WHAM

The door of the house slammed behind Street as he came out with a cold beer case in hand. He handed one to each men and then snapped opened one for himself. The two older gentlemen took a much deserved break, as huge droplets of sweat went down their necks and backs.

As the morning continued, the heat intensified. They gathered in the garage, away from the sun rays. The breeze was almost null, as the men continued to chit chat and down more beers.

By the third round, Hondo's grey shirt was now dark black and stuck to his upper body like Velcro. His massive shoulders were drenched in sweat, as he rolled up part of his shirt, revealing his torso. His obliques and abdominal muscles were exposed, but still soaked. His sweatpants had become even more soggy, hanging loosely below his waist, revealing the seem of his underwear. 

Leaning against the wall opposite to him was Street, whose neck and enormous shoulders shined bright with perspiration. He decided to take off his plaid and was sporting a white t-shirt, which by then was translucent. His abdominal muscles and pectorals could be seen by miles, as the sweat on his shirt left little to the imagination. Even his basketball shorts were soaked and his feet felt liquefied...they kept slipping off his flops!

Luca had rolled up the short sleeves of his shirt and dumped some water on his head. His wet hair dripped over his damp shirt, as he held the bottle can close to the back of his neck. The poor can was no match to the blistering California temperature.

"Hey, Hondo! You ever thought of using the van to camp out and be in the wild? You know? Van life style." Street asked, curious. 

"Street, you serious?" Hondo snapped, with Luca giggling, "Do I look like a guy that does camping?"

HAHAHA

The other two shared a giggle and stared at him.

"C'mon, Hondo, Street's right. Many people take these vans and transform them into small homes. Then, they travel around the states, living off grid." Luca said

"Again, do I look like one of 'em people?" Hondo snapped, annoyed.

"I mean, you did say Nichelle doesn't want to give up on it. If she takes it and transforms it, she can even rent it out like a mobile AirBnb and make some extra cash." Street said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Or...how about a mobile unit? I think I heard her complaining once of how much she wanted to reach old people and bedridden with services and groceries, but she didn't have the stuff to do it." Luca said.

"Luca!" Hondo exclaimed, placing the beer down, "You're a genius, man! Hicks was complaining about how LAFD had done those donations for the back to school across four neighborhoods, them making us look bad. Plus, the chief's been on the phone pleading for someone to come up with something easy that can impact several communities with a low budget. We can make this our project!"

"Yeah! We fix her up, then work with the center to take the resources to those who can't get there." Luca added.

"That's a good idea. I think I can find us some good parts. Let me talk with Whip, a friend of mine. He can get me some fair prices for the engine parts and maybe even the transmission and batter yholder." Street said.

"Ok. Got smart men in my crew. I like this!" Hondo said, nodding his head.

"Yeah, buddy of mine works in a shop and has a guy from the junkyard in speed dial.  He owes me a favor, so he can definitely fix up the bumper in no time! New paint job and fix lose screws and bumps." Luca added

"Aight. I'll talk with Hicks about the money. I'll also call Darryl for the tires. Thanks guys!" Hondo said, excitedly.

"Hey baby! How was work?" Hondo said excitedly, as the door closed behind Nichelle.

She looked exhausted, as she dragged her feet to the sofa. She slumped down, and took deep breaths. She kicked off her shoes and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm exhausted!" she said, with a smile. Deep breath.

"I can see" Hondo said, holding a dish taken straight out of the oven and placing it on the dinner table. "Nothing a good dinner can't fix. With ice scream sundae as desert!"

Nichelle immediately stood up from the couch and giggled, as she fixed her eyes on the table full of casseroles, plates, a bottle of grape juice and shiny cutlery. In the middle of the table stood a beautiful small bouquet of red roses.

"Wow!" she said, suddenly with a burst of energy. She stood and approached the table, observing every inch, taking in all the delicious aromas and admiring the symmetry of the decoration. "What's the occasion?"

"Nottin!" Hondo said taking off the apron, and grabbing two wine glasses from the counter. "I don't need no occasion to spend a romantic evening with my girls."

"Awww" she said as he poured grape juice into the glasses. They both giggled, knowing full well that wasn't the liquid intended for those delicate vessels.

"And I got good news!" Hondo said softly, placing the bottle down and grabbing her by the waist, pulling her close to his body.

"I don't know how you can beat fried catfish" she paused to sniff, "sweet cornbread, mmmmhhh" she paused again, leaning towards the last casserole, as Hondo smirked, "and kickin' collard greens! Delish! You can't beat that!" she said shaking her head slowly, wetting her lips and leaning towards him, tilting her neck backwards.

He wasn't going to let her beg, so he gave in. He softly grabbed her back and her neck, pulling her closer to his body. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. They closed their eyes and smiled, as they stayed forehead on forehead for some seconds, deep into their thoughts, enjoying those seconds of bliss.

"I got the department and the guys to help out with the van!" he said softly.

"Really?" she said snapping back to reality. She opened her eyes and slowly pulled back. "You did?"

He pulled one of the chairs back and gestured for her to sit. Then, he sat on the chair next to her. He grabbed his drinking glass and took a sip, as if it was the liquid of fermented grapes. She did the same, even taking a second to imagine the taste of the expensive drink.

"I gotta ask" Hondo said, placing the glass down, "Why not just buy another one? I know you said you didn't want to, but...the center must have some money left from the donation. Right?"

Nichelle grinned, and took a deep breath. "It's not about the money."

Silence.

"Then...what?" Hondo asked curious.

Nichelle smiled shyly, then turned to face him. "It's the only physical memory I have of the day I met the love of my life."

Wow! Hondo thought. Never in a million years would he have guessed it.

He grabbed the glass again, this time lifting it towards her direction. "To us. To our family."

She smiled, and followed suit. "Cheers!"

CLINK