Race With a Heart
Chapter 70: Sometimes a Conversation is Enough

Chapter 70: Sometimes a Conversation is Enough

"If the boy had a family," Moore continued, "a decent aunt, grandparents, he could live with them without major complications."

Martin began to think hard. The cogs in his brain, though lightly oiled, began to turn faster and faster.

"So since Sid is almost of legal age," he began to think aloud, "enough for him to move out?"

"Sounds simple, right? Lots of kids think it’s enough just to get out of the house. They often don’t realize that they have to live somewhere, pay bills and eat something. The simple solution ’I’ll leave the home’ very often ends up with kid becoming either a criminal or a victim. Therefore, it is not enough to run away from home, you must have somewhere to run away. "

So Sid didn’t really need much. He may not earn much, but he has enough to eat. The only problem would be finding an apartment for him.

But it doesn’t have to be the whole apartment, right? Maybe a room in someone’s house is enough? Martin knew that some people, especially older people, rented rooms to students. Of course, such a shared flat was not ideal, but at least it was cheap and saved money to rent something of your own.

Damn it! It may not be perfect for either of them, but Sid can even move in to Martin if necessary! It is true that his apartment was terribly small and consisted of one room, a tiny kitchenette and an even smaller bathroom, but it is probably a better place than a house where you live in constant fear of being beaten?

"Thank you Kevin!" Martin exclaimed enthusiastically, getting up from his seat. "I don’t know if I’ve found a solution, but I think I have an idea!"

Moore smiled broadly.

"Really? I’m glad!"

"Therefore, forgive me but I will go! I have to tell the boys as soon as possible! "

"If so, I will not stop you."

"Thank you! Thank you really! "

With this joyful feeling that he had found a solution to his younger friend’s problem, Martin ran out of Moore’s house.

On the way to the workshop, his own idea began to seem poor to Martin. He had known Sid only for a few days, and although the boy made the best impression on him, they were still only colleagues and living together was a kind of intimacy. Strangers live with each other in a dorm, but these are people who really have a clean slate between them and start the relationship from scratch, while Martin and Sid already knew each other a bit. Will they feel weird about it?

Martin had siblings, so he was used to sharing a bathroom and a room, but Sid? Especially after this clash between them?

It’s not like they’ll live together forever. Sometimes you have to take a risky, not very pleasant step to achieve good results. At least Martin won’t hit Sid.

Martin did not know the boy’s address. He knew that he and Dave both lived in the same neighborhood as the workshop they work in but nothing more. He decided to take the address from his boss.

The lights were on in the auto repair shop. Only now Martin noticed that it was already dark. Would this late hour be a good time to visit Sid’s house? Or should he wait until tomorrow and talk to the boy when he comes to work?

Martin was usually not a man who had trouble making decisions, but so far his decisions have not affected others.

The boy entered the workshop and called out:

"Teddy? You are here?"

"I am I am!" cried the old man from the office. "Is that you, Martin?"

"Yes."

The boy entered the office and saw Teddy with glasses bending over the books. How old could Teddy be? He looked like he had at least eighty years.

"It’s good that you are here!" the old man looked at his new employee. "We have already agreed a date with the hospital for the operation."

"Really? When?"

"Next Tuesday. If there are no complications, I will leave on Wednesday. "

"They definitely won’t be! How long will you have trouble seeing? "

"Doctors say even a few days."

It would really have to be an inconvenience to him. Martin promised to be his eyes at work during this time, but the man will also need help with these smaller, everyday activities for a few days ...

Suddenly Martin had a thought.

"Teddy, you live alone, right?" he asked feeling excited. If it goes well, two problems can be solved simultaneously!

"Yes" confirmed the owner of the garage.

"Would you have an empty room where you can put a bed?"

"Why do you ask? Do you need an apartment? " the white-haired man asked suspiciously.

"Not me. Sid. "

"Sid?" Teddy was surprised. Martin seemed to surprise him completely. "Why? Something happened?"

"No, just ... Sid is almost of age and you know how he likes your workshop and you. I figured it might be difficult for you to move around in your own apartment for a few days. You know, pour some boiling water to make tea or fry scrambled eggs ... "

Teddy shook his head.

"There would be room," he announced, "but I’m not going to use a decent boy as my social worker. It’s unfair to Sid. "

"In fact ..." Martin hesitated. He had promised not to tell Teddy about the violence the boy was experiencing, but he wanted so badly to get him out of this house that gives him bruises instead of love!

"In fact, I think Sid needs to get out of the house a bit. At his age, I was already driving around the country in amateur races. Sid is so shy that he probably won’t leave the house until he gets old if we don’t force him to. Helping you would be a good excuse. "

The old man looked at him carefully. His eyes made Martin feel as if he had just been scanned. He was under the impression that Teddy saw his lie, but he still doesn’t say anything about it. The boy, ashamed, lowered his eyes.

���I’ll talk to the boys tomorrow. It will be strange living with someone again after all these years, but it can be quite interesting. "

"Really?!" Martin was sincerely pleased. Is it really that easy to find a solution to a difficult problem?

It occurred to Martin that people could possibly solve many difficult situations by talking to each other. If Steve hadn’t started talking to him when Martin asked him to tell him about Hannah, the mechanic would have gotten lost in his conjecture and wouldn’t be able to understand Paxton.

Of course, Martin understood that not everyone can talk about everything and some topics are really very difficult to deal with, but if we close our problems and our pain in ourselves, no one will even know that we need help.

Martin didn’t know if he had done the right thing to interfere with Sid and Teddy, but he had a feeling he was. He wanted to share his success with Paxton as soon as possible, but their relationship was not yet at a level where the experiences of the passing day could be shared with each other. It would take a closer relationship than what they had now. Martin believed that they would reach that level very soon.

That would be something really wonderful, Martin judged as he plunged into fantasy. He was already on the bus on his way home, very pleased to find a solution to Sid’s problem, so he stared out the window at the passing cars and houses with a smile. It would be lovely to be able to write to Steve now or call him and say how much he is happy about today’s success and how much he misses. Steve would tell him how he fared in training.

Martin missed a stable. He missed the roar of racing car engines, the smell of gas being poured into their tanks and the exhaust ejected from their exhaust pipes. He missed the garage, the changing rooms, the track but most of all the people. In the Fergus Stables, Martin left a piece of his heart and instead took a piece of this place. Probably the Fergus Stables - his dream job - will remain etched on his heart forever.

Martin closed his eyes. Under his eyelids he saw the slim figure of a tall, dark-haired man leaning nonchalantly against the wall of the building. A cloud of cigarette smoke surrounded the man. Through the smoke, Martin could see sharp, masculine but very beautiful features, and absent, staring into space, dark eyes.

Probably at that moment Martin fell in love with Paxton.

The young mechanic remembered the shyness with which he had planned to approach and say hello to the famous driver. But it was Steve who took the first step towards their relationship by offering to give him a lift when Martin missed his bus to town. Who could have guessed that the relations between them would then take on such an unexpected shape.

The phone ring woke him from his dreams, and Martin was amazed to realize that he had actually dozed off a bit. Fortunately, he did not miss his stop.

Martin yawned, covering his mouth and glanced at the display.

"Heather?"