Eli stood in front of the makeshift garage at the back of his Uncle Angel's scrapyard, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. The summer sun was high, casting long shadows and making the air shimmer with heat. After weeks of hard work, he was finally ready to test drive the old bike he had been fixing up. His heart raced with anticipation.
Felix's older brother's ex-girlfriend, Daisy, walked over, her hair tied back in a messy bun, and a streak of oil on her cheek. She had been helping Eli with the restoration, her knowledge of bikes surprising him at every turn. Daisy's wealthy 09er father didn't acknowledge her existence, so she worked weekends for Eli's uncle, helping between shifts at her other job in the Dirty Nickel launderette. On top of that, she was doing an unpaid internship at the same hospital where her father was a fancy consultant surgeon, working hard to become a nurse.
"Eli, ¿estás listo?" Daisy asked, a playful smile on her lips. She handed him a helmet, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Más que listo," Eli replied, grinning. He secured the helmet and swung his leg over the bike, feeling the weight of it beneath him. It was an old Yamaha, beat up and rusted when he first got it, but now it looked almost new, with fresh paint and a tuned-up engine.
Daisy stepped back, giving him a thumbs-up. "Bueno, let's see what this baby can do."
Eli turned the key, and the engine roared to life, a deep, satisfying sound that made his heart leap. He revved the throttle a few times, feeling the power beneath him. With a final nod to Daisy, he kicked the bike into gear and eased out of the garage.
As he navigated through the scrapyard, he couldn't help but think of Chardo. His cousin had always chided him about the time he wasted on this project. Chardo would say, "Con todo el tiempo que has perdido, ya podrías haber construido una nave espacial," while boasting about his own bike. Chardo's bike, a prized Harley-Davidson, had been inherited from their mother's older brother, "El Diablo." The bike had been stashed at their grandmother's house before El Diablo was sent off to San Quentin. It was a legacy of sorts, and Chardo never let Eli forget how great it was.
Eli also thought about the night Daisy and he had become good friends. He had come home to find Ofelia alone and scared with his grandmother passed out at the dinner table with a suspected heart attack. He had called his Uncle Angel for a ride to the hospital because Chardo had been at a late football practice before his accident. Daisy, who was dating a trainee paramedic at the time, had been summoned by Angel to see if they needed an ambulance. She had arrived quickly and reassured him that they could make it to the hospital in time. Since then, she had remained a familiar presence in his grandmother's life, often stopping by after work to check on her blood pressure and help translate the medications Angel managed to 'acquire' when the free clinic's supply ran low.
Eli's resentment toward the Echolls family festered as he remembered how his grandmother seemed to live more at their house than her own. They paid her so little that they couldn't afford decent health insurance, yet she never complained. The extra handrails installed for her sister, who had passed two years ago, made their rent almost three times the market value. His life felt like a cage. Being able to get out of the house with his sister and cousin arguing over his behavior and constant threats to drop out of school, compounded by her losing her hotel cleaning job after some douchebag grabbed her ass, was exactly what he needed.
The scrapyard stretched out before him, a maze of twisted metal and abandoned cars. He navigated through it with ease, the bike responding smoothly to his touch. As he reached the open road, he felt a rush of freedom, the wind whipping past him as he picked up speed.
Daisy followed on foot, her smile widening as she watched him ride. "¡Vas muy bien, Eli!" she called out, cupping her hands around her mouth to be heard over the engine.
Eli felt a surge of pride. The weeks of labor, the late nights, and the frustration had all been worth it. The bike handled beautifully, each turn and acceleration a testament to their hard work.
He rode down the deserted road, the landscape blurring around him. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of escape, of leaving behind the troubles and worries that usually weighed him down. He thought about the long hours in the scrapyard, Daisy's patient guidance, and the support of his friends and family. This moment was a culmination of all that effort and camaraderie.
After a while, he turned back, slowing as he approached the scrapyard entrance. Daisy was waiting for him, leaning against a rusted car, her arms crossed and a proud look on her face.
"How was it?" she asked as he pulled to a stop and removed his helmet.
"Increíble," Eli said, his grin wide. "Couldn't have done it without you, Daisy."
She shrugged, but her smile was warm. "You did most of the work, Eli. I just pointed you in the right direction."
He laughed, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "Well, your pointers were pretty damn good."
Daisy's eyes softened, and she patted the bike's handlebars. "It's a good bike. Treat her well, and she'll take you far."
Eli nodded, looking at the bike with newfound respect. "I will. Thanks, Daisy."
She nodded, her smile lingering as she watched him. "Anytime, Eli. Anytime."
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the scrapyard, Eli felt a sense of accomplishment and hope. This bike was more than just a machine; it was a symbol of his determination and the support of those around him. He knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he had the strength and the people to help him face them.
And with that, he revved the engine again, ready to take on whatever came next, one ride at a time.