Swim! by Walter Bond

Author:Walter Bond
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119573555
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2019-06-29T17:00:00+00:00

“‘Stand up for each other. Back each other up,’ I finished for him. He nodded and gave me a small smile.

“‘So we’re going to fix this. All of us,’ Drew said with determination. He stood up and walked out of the office, and I followed. He got in his truck and motioned for me to get in. I was surprised to see that the rest of the shop was empty, and even more surprised to see the rest of the guys in their trucks, revving and waiting for me. Drew led the way and we caravanned straight to the place of my botched AC job. My stomach was in my chest, but I watched all of the other guys get out of their trucks and wait for me. I felt protected, like I was surrounded by big brothers. Drew motioned at me to knock and I did, twice, and stepped back. The homeowner answered and, without a word or a smile, let us all in. We stood in the entryway of the home, and I could see contractors working on replacing the water-damaged floor behind him. We were silent, until someone not-too-subtly poked me in the back.

“‘Mr. Davis, I’m really sorry for my mistake. I take full responsibility for the incorrect installation. My newness in the industry is no excuse for my mistake, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Then Drew spoke. ‘Clint, Scotty’s a good kid and made an honest mistake. But his mistake is our mistake, and we are all here to formally apologize. We’d also like to cover the cost of the floor repair. And, if it is okay with you, we would like to send Scotty back out here, under my supervision, to fix his mistake,’ Drew said with confidence.

“‘Scotty’s a good AC tech. One of the best we got,’ said one of the guys from the back.

“‘He’s hard-working and always willing to learn. He comes early and stays late and we are proud of him and happy to have him on our team,’ said someone else. Mr. Davis started to smile. Their kind words made me blush. I had thought they had my back, but that day I knew that they had my back for real—each and every one of them, including Tracey, vouched for me. I had never felt this way before. My bottom lip quivered as I shifted uncomfortably in my tennis shoes. This moment changed a lot for me. It is why I’m always looking for ways to encourage and speak light into people, because I remember how life-changing it was for me. I had screwed up, but fixing it felt good.

“‘And,’ Drew interjected, as he slid an envelope into my hand, ‘Scotty wants to give you something,’ he said as he nudged my elbow. I handed Mr. Davis the envelope and he opened it. It was a $100 gift card to a steakhouse down the street. He was impressed and thankful and open to letting me fix the mistake.

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