Michel and Campy rode the tricycles laden with tools toward the Estate du Claude. There were other stops they needed to make but first the Du Claude. Once past the gate the old man again greeted them and took them to the work shop on the side of the garage. There was another bike there, no sign though of the De Rosa and, as expected, the two men playing cards.
"I'm going to put the belt on the washer. I'll let you work on the bike. It needs new tires and a new chain. Can you do that?" Michel asked Campy.
"Sure boss."
"Okay, I'm counting on you, this is your first time without my supervision."
"I can do it boss."
With that Michel left with the old man and some tools along with the belt needed to repair the washer leaving Campy to himself and the two men. Campy left to retrieve the things he needed, some in sacks and others hauled by hand.
He placed the bike to be repaired near the table with the two men at cards. They looked at him a bit annoyed but went back to their game. Campy then began to assemble the bike stand but when he slipped the base of the bike stand to the frame, tilting it to put the base on, the frame hit against the bike to be repaired and fell into the table knocking everything on the floor.
"You idiot. Get away!" exclaimed one of the men.
"Sorry your lordship. Sorry," Campy said bending down to retrieve the cards and bottles scattered about. But as he did, his foot caught the bent bike stand sending it down on himself and one of the men.
"What a fool. You imbecile!" The man screamed shoving Campy off him.
Girlymann got up quickly and moved the stand back, grabbing a box inside a sack nearby as he did so. While the one man helped his friend up and they both began to right the table and cards, Campy pulled the cables on an identical black box hooked to the screens and exchanged it with the one from the sack. It took only a few seconds. Before the men had their affairs back Campy was trying again to put the stand together.
One man grabbed his arm, "Look you idiot, go over to the wood bin and work there. If you can that is." He pulled on Campy's arm until they were at the wood bin before the man went back to his cards.
While Campy worked, the two men made rude comments as to Campy's ancestry, his mother and even his dog if had had one.
Campy played along with dropping a tool or trying to figure which side to take the tires off. 'Let them laugh,' he thought, 'I'll laugh too.'
To be continued.....
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