One day, at the end of a very long work day, Pete’s truck wouldn’t start. I was also stuck there, since he’d picked me up that morning. So, together, we stared under the hood at the cold engine.

“What’s wrong with it?”
“Do I look like the Amazing Kreskin?”
“A little bit.”

He shook his head and reached in and grabbed the spark plug cables. “Maybe these are no good.” He shook them a little. “Get in and try it.”
I wanted to tell him to go do that himself but thought he’d likely leave me there, stranded, if the truck actually started. I was certain he could drive a mile or so with the hood up. He’d probably just keep the truck in reverse.
I tried the key. This time, it made no sound at all.

“It doesn’t work.”
“Did you turn the key?”
“No. I turned on the radio.”
“Turn the key!”
“Yes, I turned the key. I doesn’t work.”

So, he started to kick at the bumper with his heel. “Damn piece of–” You can guess the rest of that speech.

“Maybe the battery is dead?’
“The battery isn’t dead, you nitwit.”
“Did you leave the headlights on, you old fart?”
“Do I look like an idiot to you?”
I said nothing.
“Maybe I just knocked something loose.”

He reached in and grabbed more wires. This time, he aggressively shook them and pushed at every connection.

“Why do they have to make these things so complicated?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they need to be complicated?”
“A lawnmower isn’t complicated.”
“Then maybe we should have come in one of those.”
“Get in and turn the key again.”
I got in and the engine cranked. But the truck did not start.
“I think that fixed it,” he said.
“What?”
“I think it’s out of gas.”

We were not in a good place for getting gasoline. The nearest station was at least two miles away. Lucky for us, however, there was a plastic gas can under the jobsite trailer with what seemed like three cups of gas in it.
“Is that gas or diesel?”
He said nothing but dumped it in the tank and threw the empty container toward the building. He got in the truck and started it.

“Are you coming?”
“Make sure you stop and get some more,” I said as I got in the passenger side.
“When’s the last time you paid me for gas, anyway? This is your fault.”
“Yup.”