Erica Sawdust

People travel from all over the state to see Erica Sawdust’s garage. They have never even dreamed of having their cars repaired here, the lines are a few years long. In fact, it is not clear who gets their cars repaired and how they achieve this privilege. It is not about money or fame, that is certain. For example, Matt Damon wanted to get one of his expensive cars looked at once, but Erica’s front desk girl, Lucy, refused him, no matter how much money he threw at her.

So, people travel just to see the garage. There are hundreds of cars parked around the garage all the time, creating a makeshift town in the middle of the desert. There are facilities as well, and music, and merchants.

Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can get all the way to the front and see Erica at work. Maybe welding with sparks all around her sturdy frame, or maybe just walking by the garage door with a giant wrench over her shoulder. She is a blonde, but some people swear she is a redhead. She usually wears a pony tail, although some claimed to have seen her with braids. Some say she is tiny, others say she is nine feet tall. One guy said she smiled at him and he became an instant celebrity. Ended his career a few years later in a crash-and-burn reality TV show.

There are also legends about cars that got out of her shop. An old Volkswagen that one of Hitler’s aides drove, now restored to life, won all races in a local NASCAR circuit. A Chevy that was fitted with two engines could now drive up vertical inclines. A small Japanese car flew away and was never seen or heard from again.

Me? I pitched my tent outside Erica Town, a mile or so away. At night, I like to lay on the hood of my car, listen to the muffled music of the encampment, look at the stars above. I await my appointment.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk