\u201cCongratulations, Brett. Or maybe condolences would be more appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duffy Jenkins held my receipt across the counter of Mid-Kansas Plumbing Supply without releasing it.<\/p>\n
It was seven on a Saturday morning. Outside, the November wind was pushing dry leaves across the parking lot, and my service van was idling beside the loading dock. I'd come for a forty-gallon water heater and two replacement fittings. Mrs. Halpern had called before six because her old heater had finally surrendered, and I had promised to restore her hot water before lunchtime.<\/p>\n
I wasn't in the mood for riddles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about, Duffy?\u201d<\/p>\n
He gave me the uncomfortable look people wear when they're trying to decide whether bad news is theirs to deliver.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn't hear?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHear what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He withdrew his hand, reached into his shirt pocket, and unfolded a phone that belonged to his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarsha showed me this before breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned the screen toward me.<\/p>\n
There was my younger sister Bethany, smiling beside her husband Chase in my parents' dining room.<\/p>\n
My father stood behind them wearing the dark green sweater Mom bought him every Christmas. My mother had her hand resting on Bethany's shoulder.<\/p>\n
The table was covered with Mom's white embroidered tablecloth, the one she used for birthdays, Thanksgiving, and the occasional dinner she considered important enough to risk a gravy stain.<\/p>\n
In the center sat a platter of pot roast.<\/p>\n
I recognized the dishes.<\/p>\n
I recognized the room.<\/p>\n
What I didn't recognize was the occasion.<\/p>\n
Duffy moved his thumb across the screen.<\/p>\n
The second photograph made my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
Dad was handing Chase a brown leather key fob stamped with a brass letter D.<\/p>\n
I knew that key fob.<\/p>\n
I'd hung it on the wooden hook behind my desk every evening for fourteen years.<\/p>\n
Below the picture, Bethany had written a cheerful announcement congratulating her husband on becoming the new president of Dave's Plumbing.<\/p>\n
There were dozens of comments.<\/p>\n
People from church offered congratulations. A former customer praised Dad for keeping the business in the family. One of Bethany's friends called Chase a natural leader.<\/p>\n
I looked back at the photograph.<\/p>\n
Six people around the table.<\/p>\n
My parents.<\/p>\n
Bethany and Chase.<\/p>\n
Their two children.<\/p>\n
Nobody had squeezed together to leave room for another chair.<\/p>\n
Nobody had set an extra plate.<\/p>\n
My absence wasn't an accident.<\/p>\n
I handed the phone back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou all right?\u201d Duffy asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n
It sounded convincing enough that he didn't question me.<\/p>\n
I signed the receipt, carried the heater to my van, and secured it with two heavy straps.<\/p>\n
The cartoon face on the driver's door seemed to grin at me.<\/p>\n
Dad's face.<\/p>\n
Same broad smile, same ball cap, same exaggerated thumbs-up that had been painted on every Dave's Plumbing vehicle since 1988.<\/p>\n
Underneath were the words:<\/p>\n
DAVE'S PLUMBING \u2014 WE SHOW UP.<\/p>\n
Dad had always been proud of that slogan.<\/p>\n
He came up with it after a customer told him she'd called four plumbers before finding one willing to repair a burst pipe on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n
Dad showed up.<\/p>\n
He charged a fair price.<\/p>\n
The woman told her neighbors.<\/p>\n
That was how he built a reputation long before people checked reviews on their phones.<\/p>\n
And for most of my adult life, I had worked to make sure the company continued earning that reputation.<\/p>\n
I climbed into the van and turned off the engine.<\/p>\n
For several minutes I sat with my hands resting against the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
Then my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Halpern.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, I hate to bother you, but I wanted to make sure you remembered the heater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm bringing it now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, good. I've got three grandchildren coming this afternoon, and I can't have them washing up in cold water.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou'll have hot water before they get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I put the phone down.<\/p>\n
Whatever my family had done Friday night, Mrs. Halpern still needed her heater.<\/p>\n
So I drove.<\/p>\n
That was what I had always done.<\/p>\n
Dad started Dave's Plumbing when I was three years old.<\/p>\n
The original operation consisted of one rusty van, a garage full of tools, and a little folding table where Mom answered the telephone between laundry and supper.<\/p>\n
Dad was a good plumber.<\/p>\n
He could listen to the sound of a running toilet and tell you which part was failing. He could walk through a house and recognize a poorly planned installation before anyone had opened a wall.<\/p>\n
He also understood people.<\/p>\n
He remembered customers' dogs, knew when somebody's spouse had been sick, and occasionally left a bill unpaid until a family got back on its feet.<\/p>\n
Mom handled everything he disliked.<\/p>\n
Invoices.<\/p>\n
Bank statements.<\/p>\n
Scheduling.<\/p>\n
Paperwork.<\/p>\n
The business grew steadily.<\/p>\n
When I was fifteen, I started riding along during school holidays.<\/p>\n
At first, my job was mostly carrying buckets and collecting dropped screws.<\/p>\n
Dad used to tell customers I was his apprentice.<\/p>\n
Then he'd grin and explain that my greatest qualification was being young enough to crawl beneath things.<\/p>\n
I didn't mind.<\/p>\n
I liked the work.<\/p>\n
There was satisfaction in solving a problem that someone else couldn't solve, especially when the problem had soaked a kitchen floor or stopped a household from functioning.<\/p>\n
By eighteen, I could recognize most common plumbing failures.<\/p>\n
By twenty, I could handle plenty of repairs without Dad standing over my shoulder.<\/p>\n
His knees were deteriorating by then.<\/p>\n
I still remember one afternoon in a house near Indian Rock Park.<\/p>\n
Dad had crawled beneath a bathroom sink to replace a corroded connection.<\/p>\n
When he finished, he couldn't get himself upright.<\/p>\n
His knees locked.<\/p>\n
He tried to laugh it off.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive the old man a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
But his forehead was wet, and his face had turned pale.<\/p>\n
I crouched beside him and helped him slide backward.<\/p>\n
He gripped my shoulder while I eased him onto a chair.<\/p>\n
For the first time, I realized there would come a day when Dad couldn't do the work he loved.<\/p>\n
We didn't discuss it on the drive back.<\/p>\n
Instead, he asked whether I'd remembered to close the outside shutoff.<\/p>\n
I had.<\/p>\n
He nodded approvingly.<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
Within a few years, I was doing most of the physical work.<\/p>\n
Dad moved into the office and concentrated on permits, suppliers, and customer relationships.<\/p>\n
Then even those responsibilities began shifting toward me.<\/p>\n
He trusted me to run the crews.<\/p>\n
He trusted me to bid projects.<\/p>\n
He trusted me to handle emergencies when a contractor called in a panic.<\/p>\n
At twenty-four, I received a job offer from a commercial plumbing contractor in Wichita.<\/p>\n
The salary was good.<\/p>\n
The benefits were better than anything Dad could provide at the time.<\/p>\n
There was even a promise of advancement into project management.<\/p>\n
I wasn't looking to leave Salina because I hated the family business.<\/p>\n
I was thinking about my future.<\/p>\n
I wanted to buy a house someday.<\/p>\n
I wanted the kind of financial stability that didn't depend on Dad deciding how much money the business could spare.<\/p>\n
When I told him about the offer, he didn't speak for almost a minute.<\/p>\n
We were sitting at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
Mom was washing dishes.<\/p>\n
Finally, Dad said, \u201cWhat would it take to keep you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn't have an answer ready.<\/p>\n
He leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're doing more than half the work already. We both know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom turned off the faucet.<\/p>\n
Dad continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about half the profits?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter expenses. After payroll. Half to you and half to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that he would retain legal ownership because the business carried his name and he wanted to control the transition while he was alive.<\/p>\n
Eventually, when he retired completely, I would take over.<\/p>\n
That was how he described it.<\/p>\n
Mom came to the table with a yellow legal pad.<\/p>\n
She wrote down the profit-sharing arrangement, including the date.<\/p>\n
Dad and I shook hands.<\/p>\n
It wasn't a detailed ownership agreement.<\/p>\n
We didn't bring in lawyers.<\/p>\n
We didn't discuss voting rights or stock transfers.<\/p>\n
We were a father and son sitting across from each other at the same kitchen table where I'd done my homework.<\/p>\n
I thought his word was enough.<\/p>\n
For fourteen years, the arrangement worked.<\/p>\n
At least I believed it did.<\/p>\n
The business expanded from three vans to five, then seven, then eleven.<\/p>\n
I developed relationships with general contractors.<\/p>\n
I negotiated supply prices.<\/p>\n
I found a reliable dispatcher.<\/p>\n
I trained younger plumbers and hired experienced technicians who understood that customers remembered the quality of their work long after they forgot a company's advertisement.<\/p>\n
Some years were better than others.<\/p>\n
A couple of construction slowdowns forced us to tighten spending.<\/p>\n
A particularly ugly winter nearly exhausted everyone on the emergency rotation.<\/p>\n
But our reputation kept us working.<\/p>\n
In a normal year, my share of the profits came to roughly ninety thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
Dad received about the same.<\/p>\n
It was fair enough for both of us.<\/p>\n
He had created the company.<\/p>\n
I had helped build what it became.<\/p>\n
There were moments when his comments bothered me.<\/p>\n
At Christmas dinners, he sometimes told relatives, \u201cI built the business. Brett just keeps it running.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everybody laughed.<\/p>\n
I laughed too.<\/p>\n
Dad liked being recognized as the founder.<\/p>\n
I could give him that.<\/p>\n
I didn't need to correct the story every time he told it.<\/p>\n
What mattered was what we understood privately.<\/p>\n
Or so I thought.<\/p>\n
Bethany had never shown much interest in plumbing.<\/p>\n
She was five years younger than me and had always preferred office work.<\/p>\n
She'd occasionally helped Mom sort invoices during school holidays, but she never worked in the business long enough to learn how it operated.<\/p>\n
When she married Chase, I was happy for her.<\/p>\n
He was outgoing and friendly.<\/p>\n
He could walk into a room full of strangers and leave knowing half their names.<\/p>\n
He worked at Cottonwood Motors, a car dealership in Salina.<\/p>\n
He had a business degree, liked expensive watches, and spoke enthusiastically about investment opportunities.<\/p>\n
At family dinners, he'd sometimes ask about our company.<\/p>\n
Mostly numbers.<\/p>\n
How many trucks?<\/p>\n
How much revenue?<\/p>\n
How much could one plumber bill in a day?<\/p>\n
What would it cost to expand into Wichita?<\/p>\n
Dad enjoyed those conversations.<\/p>\n
I found them harmless.<\/p>\n
Once, Chase asked to ride along with one of our crews.<\/p>\n
I put him with Rooney, who had been doing residential work for years.<\/p>\n
They spent the morning replacing a water line.<\/p>\n
At lunch, Chase asked whether copper pipe cost more because it contained gold.<\/p>\n
Rooney told that story for months.<\/p>\n
Chase laughed along when he heard it, but I noticed he never asked to ride with the crew again.<\/p>\n
Instead, he spent more time talking privately with Dad.<\/p>\n
They discussed growth.<\/p>\n
Marketing.<\/p>\n
Margins.<\/p>\n
Leadership structures.<\/p>\n
I didn't object.<\/p>\n
Dad was getting older, and there was nothing wrong with considering the company's future.<\/p>\n
I simply assumed I'd be included when those discussions became decisions.<\/p>\n
Friday's photographs told me otherwise.<\/p>\n
By the time I finished Mrs. Halpern's installation on Saturday, I had checked the announcement three more times.<\/p>\n
Bethany had tagged Chase.<\/p>\n
Chase had shared the post.<\/p>\n
Dad had commented that he was excited about the company's next chapter.<\/p>\n
Not one of them had called me.<\/p>\n
I finished my remaining jobs before four.<\/p>\n
Then I drove home, showered, and sat at the kitchen table with a notebook.<\/p>\n
I wrote down every question I wanted answered.<\/p>\n
Who had appointed Chase?<\/p>\n
Had ownership changed?<\/p>\n
What did president mean?<\/p>\n
Was my profit-sharing agreement still in effect?<\/p>\n
Had they already changed access to the company accounts?<\/p>\n
The questions filled half a page.<\/p>\n
I called Dad once.<\/p>\n
He didn't answer.<\/p>\n
At six that evening, Bethany sent me a text.<\/p>\n
Dad wants everyone over tomorrow at two. Hope you can make it.<\/p>\n
I stared at those words.<\/p>\n
Everyone.<\/p>\n
Apparently I qualified again.<\/p>\n
I replied that I'd be there.<\/p>\n
Sunday came cold and gray.<\/p>\n
I drove to my parents' house shortly before two.<\/p>\n
The driveway was crowded with familiar cars.<\/p>\n
Chase's black SUV sat nearest the garage.<\/p>\n
I parked on the street.<\/p>\n
Mom opened the door.<\/p>\n
She looked tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stepped aside.<\/p>\n
The house smelled of roast beef, carrots, and the cinnamon candle she burned when company came.<\/p>\n
Nothing about the place had changed.<\/p>\n
That made what happened next seem even stranger.<\/p>\n
Chase was sitting in my usual chair at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
He wore a brand-new navy polo with Dave's Plumbing embroidered over the left breast.<\/p>\n
The company name looked unfamiliar on him.<\/p>\n
Dad sat at the head of the table.<\/p>\n
Bethany was beside her husband.<\/p>\n
Their children had gone to a friend's house.<\/p>\n
Nobody mentioned Friday's photographs.<\/p>\n
I pulled out a chair but didn't sit.<\/p>\n
\u201cNice dinner Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom's hand stopped halfway toward the serving bowl.<\/p>\n
Bethany began folding her napkin.<\/p>\n
Dad sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I'll stand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't make this difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm not the one who announced a new company president on Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase shifted in his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were going to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday,\u201d Dad answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter everybody else knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom quietly said my name.<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
She glanced toward Dad.<\/p>\n
That was an answer.<\/p>\n
Dad straightened in his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm seventy-three years old. I'm not going to run this company forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou haven't been running the daily operation for fourteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's still my company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know whose name is on the paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen let me explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spoke about succession planning.<\/p>\n
The need for modern management.<\/p>\n
The increasing complexity of running eleven vehicles and multiple crews.<\/p>\n
He said Chase had a college degree and valuable business experience.<\/p>\n
He said I was an excellent plumber but needed someone to handle the business side.<\/p>\n
That last part stunned me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho do you think has been handling it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad hesitated.<\/p>\n
Chase answered instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been doing a lot of operational work. Nobody's denying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOperational work?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScheduling, estimates, customer management. But we're looking at a broader corporate structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
I studied him.<\/p>\n
He had positioned a thin black folder beside his plate.<\/p>\n
The corner of a printed spreadsheet protruded from it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been president for two days,\u201d I said. \u201cMaybe you should learn what the company actually does before telling me what it needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethany frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, there's no reason to insult him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm asking a question.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound threatened,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that what you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you're reacting emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase opened the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet's discuss the compensation package.\u201d<\/p>\n
He removed a sheet and slid it toward me.<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
The first line identified me as Field Operations Manager.<\/p>\n
The next listed an annual salary range.<\/p>\n
Sixty thousand to sixty-five thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
Below that were general descriptions of performance reviews, management authority, and departmental reporting.<\/p>\n
I searched for the profit-sharing agreement.<\/p>\n
It wasn't there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere's my half?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour half of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual profits.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's part of the old compensation model.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me he's joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad avoided my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to formalize salaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFormalize?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChase thinks the existing arrangement is difficult to manage.\u201d<\/p>\n
I tapped the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're reducing my income by about thirty thousand dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's not how I'd characterize it,\u201d Chase said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how would you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're receiving a stable salary. A lot of people would appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I noticed another number on the spreadsheet.<\/p>\n
Fifty-five thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat's this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy president's salary.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're paying yourself fifty-five thousand to manage the company I've spent fourteen years growing, and you want me to work under you for sixty?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially sixty-five,\u201d he corrected.<\/p>\n
I laughed once.<\/p>\n
It wasn't because anything was funny.<\/p>\n
Dad lifted a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Dad. Not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.<\/p>\n
The table creaked beneath my arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Wichita offered me a job, you promised half the profits to keep me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also told me this business would become mine when you retired.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked toward Chase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you mean it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn't answer immediately.<\/p>\n
Bethany spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad has every right to make arrangements for his company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't ask you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're acting like Chase isn't family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why can't you be happy for him?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked around the table.<\/p>\n
Mom's eyes were wet.<\/p>\n
Dad was irritated.<\/p>\n
Bethany looked offended.<\/p>\n
Chase appeared almost bored.<\/p>\n
Not one of them seemed interested in the promise that had shaped fourteen years of my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad,\u201d I said quietly, \u201cdid you ever intend to give me the company?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the tablecloth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings change.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was all.<\/p>\n
Two words.<\/p>\n
Fourteen years reduced to a change of circumstances.<\/p>\n
I leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Chase ask for the presidency?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethany stiffened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was offered an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad,\u201d she answered.<\/p>\n
Chase smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the important thing is that we're moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ignored him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas any part of this discussed with me before Friday?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
He drew a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I knew you'd make a fuss.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
They hadn't forgotten me.<\/p>\n
They had deliberately excluded me because they knew I wouldn't agree.<\/p>\n
Chase closed the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, you're a valuable part of the company. Nobody wants you to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood and came around the table.<\/p>\n
I watched him approach.<\/p>\n
He stopped beside my chair and placed one hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n
His voice softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't worry. You'll still have a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up at him.<\/p>\n
Then I looked at his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cMove that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He removed it.<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
For a moment, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys.<\/p>\n
The office key.<\/p>\n
The service van key.<\/p>\n
The small key to the supply cage.<\/p>\n
I separated them from my house keys and placed them on the table beside the pot roast.<\/p>\n
Mom made a small sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can keep the name. You can keep the trucks. You can keep the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face turned red.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't be dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I'm not working for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chase folded his arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might want to consider how difficult the market is before you make a permanent decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting over isn't easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad pushed his chair backward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're walking away from everything we've built?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I'm walking away from what you've decided it belongs to.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you leave, don't expect me to come begging.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
I started toward the kitchen door.<\/p>\n
Behind me, Bethany said, \u201cYou're being selfish.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped.<\/p>\n
For a moment I considered telling her about the winters I'd spent sleeping in my work clothes because emergency calls came so frequently.<\/p>\n
About the holidays I'd missed.<\/p>\n
About the weekends when her husband had been shopping for a nicer car while I was crawling through freezing basements.<\/p>\n
Instead, I looked at Mom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm sorry this happened in your kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
Then I left.<\/p>\n
Dad followed me as far as the back porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
His shoulders were hunched beneath his sweater.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you going to Wichita?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question almost made me smile.<\/p>\n
He had remembered the job offer.<\/p>\n
He had remembered enough to fear losing me to it fourteen years earlier.<\/p>\n
But he hadn't remembered why I'd stayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked beyond him toward the garage where I'd helped him change oil in the first company van.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm staying right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
I got into my truck and drove home.<\/p>\n
My garage smelled of sawdust, old motor oil, and the grass clippings I'd tracked inside after mowing.<\/p>\n
I turned on the light and stood looking at the tools I'd collected over the years.<\/p>\n
Some had belonged to Dad.<\/p>\n
Most were mine.<\/p>\n
My master plumber's license hung in a simple frame above the workbench.<\/p>\n
I took it down and looked at the renewal date.<\/p>\n
It was current.<\/p>\n
I had no noncompete agreement.<\/p>\n
I had never surrendered my license or my right to work independently.<\/p>\n
The realization wasn't dramatic.<\/p>\n
It was practical.<\/p>\n
I took a clean notebook from the shelf.<\/p>\n
On the first page, I wrote:<\/p>\n
BRETT'S PLUMBING.<\/p>\n
Then I began listing what I would need.<\/p>\n
A vehicle.<\/p>\n
Insurance.<\/p>\n
Registration.<\/p>\n
Basic inventory.<\/p>\n
Accounting.<\/p>\n
A dedicated telephone number.<\/p>\n
I worked until almost midnight.<\/p>\n
Monday morning, I went to the appropriate offices and began registering the business.<\/p>\n
I spent the next several days arranging insurance and opening accounts.<\/p>\n
A used Ford service van cost fourteen thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
It wasn't pretty.<\/p>\n
The paint had faded, and the passenger seat had a cigarette burn.<\/p>\n
But the engine sounded healthy, and the cargo area had enough room for my tools.<\/p>\n
I bought it.<\/p>\n
The first time I backed it into my driveway, I felt the oddest mixture of relief and terror.<\/p>\n
Eleven vans had become one.<\/p>\n
A large company office had become my garage.<\/p>\n
A dispatcher had become my own cell phone.<\/p>\n
For the first time in fourteen years, there was nobody to blame if I failed.<\/p>\n
I was responsible for everything.<\/p>\n
I also didn't have to ask permission.<\/p>\n
Dad didn't call.<\/p>\n
Neither did Bethany.<\/p>\n
Mom sent one message asking whether I was eating properly.<\/p>\n
I told her I was.<\/p>\n
She replied with a heart.<\/p>\n
I didn't know what else to say.<\/p>\n
A few days later, Duffy called.<\/p>\n
\u201cGot your new account request.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny problem?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour dad knows?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want me to call him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then his voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what it's worth, Brett, people know who actually answered the phones over there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thanked him.<\/p>\n
But I didn't want people choosing sides.<\/p>\n
I wanted to work.<\/p>\n
That distinction mattered to me.<\/p>\n
I could have called every builder I'd worked with.<\/p>\n
I could have contacted customers whose projects were still underway.<\/p>\n
I had enough relationships to cause serious problems for Dave's Plumbing if I'd wanted revenge.<\/p>\n
I didn't.<\/p>\n
I didn't download customer records.<\/p>\n
I didn't copy estimates.<\/p>\n
I didn't take employee files.<\/p>\n
The company belonged legally to Dad, and whatever had happened between us didn't give me permission to steal from it.<\/p>\n
I started with the people who contacted me independently.<\/p>\n
One morning, Mr. Austerman called.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've got a problem with the bathroom remodel.\u201d<\/p>\n
I recognized his voice immediately.<\/p>\n
His house sat on the north side of town.<\/p>\n
I'd designed the plumbing layout several weeks earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shower valve?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. The new crew says they can't find the main shutoff.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
The shutoff was behind a removable basement panel.<\/p>\n
I'd marked its position on the job drawing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the plans?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently nobody knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sounded exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you come?\u201d<\/p>\n
I explained that I no longer worked for Dave's.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid somebody at the company give you my number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I've had your number for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the notebook beside my phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I'll come take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I drove over in the Ford.<\/p>\n
Mr. Austerman met me on the porch.<\/p>\n
He looked at the new van and smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame plumber?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what I was hoping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside, I located the valve in less than two minutes.<\/p>\n
The problem wasn't complicated.<\/p>\n
The replacement crew had failed to remove the basement access panel and hadn't understood the layout.<\/p>\n
I showed Mr. Austerman where it was, completed a small repair, and wrote an invoice.<\/p>\n
He paid it without complaint.<\/p>\n
At the door, he asked whether my new company would handle emergency calls.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven at night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have an emergency, call me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook my hand.<\/p>\n
It was the first time since leaving Dad's house that I felt something steadier than anger.<\/p>\n
The months that followed weren't easy.<\/p>\n
There were afternoons when my phone stayed silent.<\/p>\n
There were evenings when I sat at the kitchen table calculating how many jobs I needed to cover insurance, fuel, and materials.<\/p>\n
Some customers wanted discounts.<\/p>\n
Others assumed that because I was working from a garage, I could take on projects immediately.<\/p>\n
A few expected me to criticize my father's company.<\/p>\n
I wouldn't.<\/p>\n
When they asked about the split, I told them I had started my own business.<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
Dad's attorney sent a letter asking me to return any company property and confidential records in my possession.<\/p>\n
I replied through an attorney of my own, confirming that I had returned company keys and retained no customer database, financial records, or proprietary documents.<\/p>\n
I offered an inventory of my personal tools if there were questions.<\/p>\n
No further demand came.<\/p>\n
Then, two weeks after the Sunday dinner, an envelope arrived in the mail.<\/p>\n
The return address was Dave's Plumbing.<\/p>\n
Inside was a check.<\/p>\n
My final profit distribution.<\/p>\n
I examined the figures.<\/p>\n
They were correct.<\/p>\n
Every dollar.<\/p>\n
Dad had always been precise with money when he wanted to be.<\/p>\n
I turned the check over.<\/p>\n
Then I looked at the memo line.<\/p>\n
He had written a single word.<\/p>\n
Final.<\/p>\n
I sat at my kitchen table with the check between my fingers.<\/p>\n
I wasn't angry about the amount.<\/p>\n
I wasn't even surprised that he'd ended the payments.<\/p>\n
What hurt was the neatness of it.<\/p>\n
Fourteen years of partnership, hundreds of emergency calls, thousands of invoices, and eleven service vans had been reduced to a number and a word.<\/p>\n
Final.<\/p>\n
I deposited the check.<\/p>\n
Then I returned to the garage, where my phone was ringing.<\/p>\n
There was work waiting.<\/p>\n
And for the first time in my adult life, that work would be done under my own name.<\/p>\n
The first winter after I opened Brett's Plumbing nearly convinced me I'd made a terrible mistake.<\/p>\n
Not because customers weren't calling.<\/p>\n
Because I was doing everything myself.<\/p>\n
I drove the van.<\/p>\n
I answered the phone.<\/p>\n
I prepared estimates.<\/p>\n
I ordered materials.<\/p>\n
I completed repairs and sent invoices from the small desk I'd squeezed between the garage freezer and a stack of storage boxes.<\/p>\n
I also cleaned the van, reconciled payments, maintained equipment, and worried about taxes.<\/p>\n
At Dave's Plumbing, I'd coordinated eleven trucks and a dozen different demands before breakfast.<\/p>\n
But I had employees, dispatchers, established supplier accounts, and an office to help carry the weight.<\/p>\n
Now every responsibility landed on me.<\/p>\n
I was grateful for the independence.<\/p>\n
Some evenings I was also so tired I fell asleep sitting upright.<\/p>\n
By December, my business had developed a modest but steady flow of work.<\/p>\n
Most came through referrals.<\/p>\n
A homeowner told a neighbor.<\/p>\n
A general contractor recommended me to a property manager.<\/p>\n
An old customer called to ask whether I was available.<\/p>\n
When someone contacted me about an unfinished job originally contracted through Dave's, I explained that their existing agreement remained with that company.<\/p>\n
If they wanted to terminate it and hire me separately, that decision had to be theirs.<\/p>\n
I was careful.<\/p>\n
I had no desire to give Chase a legitimate reason to accuse me of interfering.<\/p>\n
Dad had been silent since sending the final check.<\/p>\n
At Christmas, Mom invited me to dinner.<\/p>\n
I asked whether Chase would be there.<\/p>\n
She said yes.<\/p>\n
I told her I would visit another day.<\/p>\n
There was a long pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father misses you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has my number.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I don't want you caught in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n
She exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI've been in the middle since that Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked out my kitchen window.<\/p>\n
There was frost along the bottom of the glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few days after Christmas, she stopped by with a container of leftover ham and a small box of cookies.<\/p>\n
She walked through the garage, examining the shelves I'd installed for fittings and replacement parts.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've made this into quite a place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt works.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at my desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always did keep things organized.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened the freezer to put away the ham.<\/p>\n
When I turned around, she was studying my new company sign.<\/p>\n
BRETT'S PLUMBING.<\/p>\n
Simple blue letters.<\/p>\n
Nothing fancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father saw one of your vans,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only have one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knew it was yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said you hadn't chosen a very imaginative name.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe chose Dave's Plumbing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI reminded him.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, we both smiled.<\/p>\n
Then she lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe's having a difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned against the workbench.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I'm gone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause things aren't going the way he expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
She looked toward the garage door.<\/p>\n
\u201cChase has made some changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom had stopped doing regular bookkeeping years earlier, but she still knew more about the company than most people realized.<\/p>\n
She had spent decades beside its accounts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat has Dad said?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the business needs time to adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it does.\u201d<\/p>\n
She studied my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't sound pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I be pleased?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you might feel vindicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I considered that.<\/p>\n
At Sunday dinner, I'd imagined Dad regretting his decision.<\/p>\n
I'd imagined Chase discovering that managing plumbers wasn't like selling cars.<\/p>\n
I'd imagined someone calling me and admitting I had been treated unfairly.<\/p>\n
But when Mom described the company struggling, I didn't feel satisfaction.<\/p>\n
I thought about the employees.<\/p>\n
The families depending on their paychecks.<\/p>\n
The customers expecting repairs.<\/p>\n
The years Dad had invested in creating something dependable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope they figure it out,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Mom reached across the workbench and squeezed my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do I.\u201d<\/p>\n
January brought the coldest weather we'd seen in several years.<\/p>\n
An arctic front pushed through central Kansas, and temperatures dropped below zero.<\/p>\n
Pipes froze in crawl spaces.<\/p>\n
Outdoor faucets split.<\/p>\n
Poorly insulated lines burst behind walls.<\/p>\n
The first emergency call came shortly after midnight.<\/p>\n
The second followed before I finished the first.<\/p>\n
By two in the morning, I was driving toward Mrs. Fenwick's house on the north side of Salina.<\/p>\n
She had called sounding close to tears.<\/p>\n
Water was spreading across her kitchen floor.<\/p>\n
Her husband had tried to turn off the supply but couldn't reach the valve behind the washing machine.<\/p>\n
She'd called Dave's Plumbing first.<\/p>\n
The recorded message told her the office would reopen at eight.<\/p>\n
She tried again.<\/p>\n
Same recording.<\/p>\n
Then she remembered the number I'd given them years earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrett, I'm sorry to call so late.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't apologize. Tell me where the water is coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n
She described the pipe.<\/p>\n
I asked her to shut off the main water supply if she could safely reach it.<\/p>\n
She couldn't.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right. I'm coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
The streets were nearly empty.<\/p>\n
Snow drifted across intersections, and my tires made a dry crunching sound over patches of ice.<\/p>\n
When I reached the Fenwicks' house, the front porch light was on.<\/p>\n
Mr. Fenwick stood inside wearing a robe and slippers.<\/p>\n
His hands shook as he opened the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped into a kitchen smelling of wet wood and coffee.<\/p>\n
Water had seeped beneath the cabinets.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Fenwick had spread towels across the floor, but they were already saturated.<\/p>\n
I located the supply valve, shut off the water, and began checking the damaged line.<\/p>\n
Mr. Fenwick stood nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cDave used to come out himself when something like this happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you started coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's right.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at my toolbox.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess some things haven't changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced up.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the important ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
The repair took almost two hours.<\/p>\n
I replaced the split section, tested the connections, and helped them move some wet items away from the cabinets.<\/p>\n
Before leaving, I showed Mr. Fenwick which valve to use if another emergency occurred.<\/p>\n
He tried to pay me extra for coming so late.<\/p>\n
I refused the additional amount.<\/p>\n
The emergency rate already covered the visit.<\/p>\n
When I reached the van, dawn was beginning to lighten the eastern sky.<\/p>\n
My phone showed three missed calls.<\/p>\n
I leaned against the driver's door and drank the last of my cold coffee.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I remembered Dad doing the same thing beside the original company van.<\/p>\n
His hands had been red from the cold.<\/p>\n
He'd told me that winter plumbing wasn't glamorous but kept people safe in their homes.<\/p>\n
I hadn't thought about that conversation in years.<\/p>\n
I drove to the next customer.<\/p>\n
By the end of the cold snap, I'd worked almost continuously for four days.<\/p>\n
The garage was littered with empty coffee cups.<\/p>\n
My boots stayed wet.<\/p>\n
I slept whenever I could.<\/p>\n
The invoices were adding up, but I was beginning to understand the limits of being a one-man operation.<\/p>\n
I couldn't keep promising emergency service if I didn't have help.<\/p>\n
That was when Lefty came to see me.<\/p>\n
His real name was Leonard Whitaker.<\/p>\n
Nobody called him Leonard.<\/p>\n
Dad had hired him in 1991, and by the time I started working full-time, Lefty was practically part of the building.<\/p>\n
He had a thick gray mustache, a permanent squint from years of working outdoors, and a habit of carrying two pencils because he didn't trust either one.<\/p>\n
He was also the kind of plumber who could repair a complicated valve while explaining exactly why the original installation had failed.<\/p>\n
He arrived at my garage on a Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
His truck stopped outside.<\/p>\n
He climbed down slowly and lifted a dented metal toolbox from the bed.<\/p>\n
When he walked in, I was sorting copper fittings.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n
I checked the clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's three in the afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill morning if I haven't had lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWant coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if it's hot.\u201d<\/p>\n
I poured him a cup.<\/p>\n
He sat on an overturned bucket.<\/p>\n
For a while, we talked about the weather and a supplier who had recently retired.<\/p>\n
Then Lefty set down his coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI quit Dave's.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed his thumb across the handle of his cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cChase has us working on commission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome jobs pay decent. Others don't. Makes the younger guys rush.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's changing the way everybody thinks.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned against the workbench.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of asking what's wrong with the plumbing, they're asking what they can sell.\u201d<\/p>\n
He described a new pricing system.<\/p>\n
Technicians were expected to recommend replacements even when repairs might be sufficient.<\/p>\n
The company had stopped providing overnight emergency service.<\/p>\n
Chase had begun ordering lower-cost water heaters and emphasizing installation volume.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe keeps saying we're leaving money on the table,\u201d Lefty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes we were,\u201d I admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure. You always charged enough to keep the lights on. But there's a difference between making money and taking advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast week I went to see Mrs. Gertrude Haskins.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew her.<\/p>\n
An elderly widow on Elm Street.<\/p>\n
Her husband had been a schoolteacher.<\/p>\n
They had used Dave's Plumbing for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat's wrong at her house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKitchen faucet dripping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lefty took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cWasn't much. I replaced a worn part. Took hardly any time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChase billed her a hundred eighty-nine dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cService call and repair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you approve it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Invoice came through the office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lefty's mouth tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called because she thought there was a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChase told her those were the new standard rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
Lefty continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she couldn't afford it. Told him I used to fix things for her husband when he was sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cChase said charity wasn't a sustainable business model.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked away.<\/p>\n
Lefty reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded receipt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave her the money myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou paid her bill?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't going to let her sit there crying over a faucet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He placed the receipt on the workbench.<\/p>\n
\u201cChase told me I was undermining management.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Dad say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDave wasn't there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lefty nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said we needed to give Chase a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slowly set down the fitting in my hand.<\/p>\n
Lefty looked around the garage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, I brought my tools.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at the toolbox.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you asking for a job?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm asking whether there's somewhere left in this town where doing a repair properly still matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about the growing number of calls I couldn't answer.<\/p>\n
About the nights I was sleeping three hours.<\/p>\n
About the notebook full of upcoming appointments.<\/p>\n
Then I looked at Lefty.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you feel about working out of a garage?\u201d<\/p>\n
He grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorked out of worse places.\u201d<\/p>\n
We shook hands.<\/p>\n
I hired him at a straightforward hourly rate, with overtime and clear terms for emergency work.<\/p>\n
He brought years of experience and more patience with customers than almost anyone I knew.<\/p>\n
I made sure we had the insurance and payroll arrangements needed before sending him onto jobs.<\/p>\n
Within a month, I purchased another used van.<\/p>\n
It had more rust than I liked.<\/p>\n
Lefty inspected the engine, kicked one tire, and declared it suitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't need it to win a beauty contest.\u201d<\/p>\n
I agreed.<\/p>\n
Two vans.<\/p>\n
Two plumbers.<\/p>\n
A small operation.<\/p>\n
But it felt like progress.<\/p>\n
Around that time, I heard about the new paint job on Dad's fleet.<\/p>\n
Duffy mentioned it first.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeen the trucks?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ought to.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn't go looking.<\/p>\n
A few days later, one pulled alongside me at a traffic light.<\/p>\n
For a second, I didn't recognize it.<\/p>\n
The familiar white body had been repainted with broad blue and silver graphics.<\/p>\n
A stylized mountain rose along the side.<\/p>\n
The old cartoon of Dad had disappeared.<\/p>\n
Even the company lettering looked different.<\/p>\n
The driver noticed me.<\/p>\n
It was one of the younger technicians.<\/p>\n
He gave a small wave.<\/p>\n
I waved back.<\/p>\n
Then the light changed.<\/p>\n
Later, Lefty told me Chase had spent about twenty-two thousand dollars repainting all eleven vans.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says the old design looked dated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered watching Dad paint the first cartoon onto the side of his original truck.<\/p>\n
He'd used a hand-drawn stencil.<\/p>\n
Mom had laughed because the cartoon looked ten years younger than he did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Dad think?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Lefty hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says change is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
Maybe Dad believed it.<\/p>\n