He Who Can Fix Anything (aka Richter - after the earthquake scale as a measure of his temper at any given time) is a motor sport fanatic and 'amateur' racing driver. He is in fact last year's winner of the Fine Car category at Killarney, Cape Town, and is the proud displayer of the No. 1 sticker on his car for the 2012 season. Not bad for a 1968 Ford Escort 1600 racing against 3 litre monsters. Of course it is all the years of driving around Chapman's Peak, honing his cornering skills, late braking (if at all) and overtaking in the most unlikely places, that has contributed to his success.
I was hoping that he would retire while he was at the top, but that hasn't happened. All modifications and repairs are done by him and barely a weekend goes by without taking out the gearbox to replace a gear or the head cylinder to replace a gasket - and as for chasing those elusive oil leaks! The air turns purple when things don't go smoothly (most of the time) and the garage is a place to avoid. I suspect the neighbours can hear his inventive language, as they never seem to come outside on weekends. He assures me that he is enjoying himself, but I'm sure working on cars is the cause of his high blood pressure.
Needless to say, I am the mechanic's assistant and have to stand by at all times to pass the 12 spanner or long-nosed pliers, but mainly to help lift the gearbox back into place and bleed the brakes, one of my least favourite occupations. After a hard day in the garage, he then expects me to have also produced dinner of restaurant quality, even though the cook hasn't been in the kitchen. He doesn't even help with the ironing.
But at least I can spot an oil leak and change a tyre!
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