Introducing the car

A scene introducing the car that Johnson and Kyle will "borrow" for their adventure in A Dragon on the Wall. Frank is Kyle's father and the car belongs to his neighbour.

Frank crosses the street to where Lawrence, Alex’s father, is standing with head under the hood of a car. Lawrence regularly brings home cars that are 10 or 12 years old, often on their last legs. Then he repairs them with a few dollars worth of parts. It seems to Frank a thing worth doing. He really must encourage Kyle to learn a thing or two about cars from him.

Lawrence’s arm is covered with grease up to the elbow. He is trying to reach a faulty hose that is making the car overheat.

“Cheap plastic ring holding it on – don’t know how they expected that to hold up,” says Lawrence.

“Well, nothing is made to last. They plan it that way,” says Frank. “Good thing too or you and I would be out of business.”

“Mona,” Lawrence calls to his wife. “Got any beer.”

“In the fridge,” she says from the porch.

“Well, girl, look at my hands,” he says, holding up the dirtiest one and she clucks and goes in the house to get it for them.

“Works every time,” Lawrence says to Frank.

“Those boys of ours got a girl thing going,” says Frank, suddenly remembering Alex, coming out of the basement laundry room.

“That so,” says Lawrence.

“Pretty girls,” says Frank.

“I remember that. Wanting her to just grant you one little minute of attention. There was a girl I knew in Trinidad…” Lawrence stops then, because Ramona has come out with beer for both of them.

“You know our son has a girlfriend?” he asks her.

She laughs. “I know, but I don’t know anything. Haven’t been let in on the details.” She goes back into the house.

“I had this car – ’69 Mustang,” says Frank. “Big bucket seats, used to recline.”

“That’s a nice car,” says Lawrence. “Girl would like a car like that.”

Frank shakes his head in appreciation of the thought. He remembers driving around Atlanta in the Mustang, trying to get a girl to climb in – lame, really, when you recall it now. He’d never been what was termed “successful” with women. That car had been a beauty, though. He and Lawrence compare the Mach I and Boss engines, and then debate the merits of Ford vs Chrysler. Lawrence puts his head back under the hood. The evening passes amiably as they revisit the vehicles of the past and Frank gives unsolicited advice to Lawrence on bringing his latest clunker back from the grave.