Meet Angel
Angel is a body guy over at Bubba's shop. Tonight is the first time I have ever hung out with him. Angel is a true-blooded Mexican who has been working body for over 22 years and this is his story.
I got to Bubba's a six where he promptly told me he was off to his second job dishing pies (look forward to a future feature where I do a ride a long with him for a night coming soon.) So there we were, Angel and I, looking at my car and one BIG ASS LANGUAGE BARRIER... all alone. In the silence.
So, being how I used to date Spanish Satan™ for eight years, I found myself digging deep for that ounce of memory when I used to have long gringo vs. padre talks over at her pop's crib back in the day. As soon as I look back, Angel is already feverishly grinding my hood down to bare freaking metal shouting "sirty!"
Two minutes later, I have this.
Angel lights up a menthol cigarette and asks me who the skinny girl was... "oh, es mi esposa." (I totally didn't remember what girlfriend was but it did feel kind of cool to break out the "ole esposa" talk). Angel told me he has a family back in Mexico. He works in the states to help them live.
Angel then laid down a coat of Polyflex. I said "es Polyflex?" and Angel breaks out a smile and tells me "yes. yes." His menthol was teetering on his lip while he talked, sanded and smoothed over the car body with his hand over and over again.
Angel's daughter just had a baby making him a proud grandfather. The shite thing is is that the daughter just had appendicitis.
He lays down another layer and then tells me "sisty!"
I ask if she is ok and he replies yes, today she just had surgery. I stupidly ask if she has health insurance and he laughs. "No, all cash" he stutters, "five thousand dolares."
I cough and tell him that sucks hardcore. He then lays down more skimcoat on my attempt at a shaved bumper and ask "is first time? Is good. Except here. This shit" and points to my fuckups and then skims em right on over.
Sand sand sand. Skim skim skim.
Then back to the hood. I ask if he has more kids and he starts to tell me that he not only has to pay for his oldest to go to university in mexico, he also has to pay for his other sons high school.
Jesus, this guy is crazy. I then ask if he is saving to bring them to America and he laughs, "they don't like America. They are happy in Mexico. America is only good for making money." We both laugh and agree.
More sanding.
Back to the bumper.
"How long have you been doing this? This work body."
"Oh, dunno, 22 years."
I smile... noting that I am getting this near master at such an unbelievable price, I nearly laugh out loud.
"You like it?"
"Yeah, is only thing I like doing." I smile as he continues to work.
It's been 2 straight hours of non-stop work. I start to get bored and give those who drive behind me a kind message.
And there is Angel, still working, so I decide to walk on over to see his progress and lo and behold, what do I see?
So, uh, what's the white? VW never used a primer before color? That should be metal. Um, yeah what the fuuu... and then it clicks. That is fucking bondo. The douche owner before me almost filled the entire arch with filler and never told me.
Angel laughs when my eyes bug out and tells me "no problemo" while laughing some more.
It's dark now. Been close to 3 hours and I take some pics of the body filler glow on the pavement.
It's alost 10 now. Angel tells me to meet him here at 10 in the morning to finish. This man is a machine. I help him close up shop and lock the gate. He hops in my car, rolls the window down and doesn't say a word for almost 20 minutes while I drive him home. He's probably worked since 8 in the morning and now he's going to go sleep and do it all over again tomorrow.
I'm not gonna end this with a cheesy doogie howser ending but today has taught me a lot of things.
I got to Bubba's a six where he promptly told me he was off to his second job dishing pies (look forward to a future feature where I do a ride a long with him for a night coming soon.) So there we were, Angel and I, looking at my car and one BIG ASS LANGUAGE BARRIER... all alone. In the silence.
So, being how I used to date Spanish Satan™ for eight years, I found myself digging deep for that ounce of memory when I used to have long gringo vs. padre talks over at her pop's crib back in the day. As soon as I look back, Angel is already feverishly grinding my hood down to bare freaking metal shouting "sirty!"
Two minutes later, I have this.
Angel lights up a menthol cigarette and asks me who the skinny girl was... "oh, es mi esposa." (I totally didn't remember what girlfriend was but it did feel kind of cool to break out the "ole esposa" talk). Angel told me he has a family back in Mexico. He works in the states to help them live.
Angel then laid down a coat of Polyflex. I said "es Polyflex?" and Angel breaks out a smile and tells me "yes. yes." His menthol was teetering on his lip while he talked, sanded and smoothed over the car body with his hand over and over again.
Angel's daughter just had a baby making him a proud grandfather. The shite thing is is that the daughter just had appendicitis.
He lays down another layer and then tells me "sisty!"
I ask if she is ok and he replies yes, today she just had surgery. I stupidly ask if she has health insurance and he laughs. "No, all cash" he stutters, "five thousand dolares."
I cough and tell him that sucks hardcore. He then lays down more skimcoat on my attempt at a shaved bumper and ask "is first time? Is good. Except here. This shit" and points to my fuckups and then skims em right on over.
Sand sand sand. Skim skim skim.
Then back to the hood. I ask if he has more kids and he starts to tell me that he not only has to pay for his oldest to go to university in mexico, he also has to pay for his other sons high school.
Jesus, this guy is crazy. I then ask if he is saving to bring them to America and he laughs, "they don't like America. They are happy in Mexico. America is only good for making money." We both laugh and agree.
More sanding.
Back to the bumper.
"How long have you been doing this? This work body."
"Oh, dunno, 22 years."
I smile... noting that I am getting this near master at such an unbelievable price, I nearly laugh out loud.
"You like it?"
"Yeah, is only thing I like doing." I smile as he continues to work.
It's been 2 straight hours of non-stop work. I start to get bored and give those who drive behind me a kind message.
And there is Angel, still working, so I decide to walk on over to see his progress and lo and behold, what do I see?
So, uh, what's the white? VW never used a primer before color? That should be metal. Um, yeah what the fuuu... and then it clicks. That is fucking bondo. The douche owner before me almost filled the entire arch with filler and never told me.
Angel laughs when my eyes bug out and tells me "no problemo" while laughing some more.
It's dark now. Been close to 3 hours and I take some pics of the body filler glow on the pavement.
It's alost 10 now. Angel tells me to meet him here at 10 in the morning to finish. This man is a machine. I help him close up shop and lock the gate. He hops in my car, rolls the window down and doesn't say a word for almost 20 minutes while I drive him home. He's probably worked since 8 in the morning and now he's going to go sleep and do it all over again tomorrow.
I'm not gonna end this with a cheesy doogie howser ending but today has taught me a lot of things.