Chapter 7 — The owner of the car shop behind the school gate

The heavy rain came on Thursday afternoon, right when the parking lot was at its busiest.

Dark clouds rolled across the yard, then water poured down onto the corrugated iron roof like someone was throwing buckets. Students jostled each other to lead the carts, the wheels slipping on the wet ground. Ms. Van shouted to close the door to the tool room, but a 10th grader was still standing outside because the car lock was stuck.

Khoa took his raincoat and covered his shoulders and went out to check. Vy was about to follow, he pulled her sleeve.

“You stand in the roof.”

“I can help too.”

“Help from a place that doesn't slip.”

“You always talk like I'm fragile.”

“I talk as if the floor is wet.”

Vy looked down at her shoes. A puddle of water was spreading to the doorstep. She took the wiper, pushed the water into the gutter, then called Huy to channelize the students.

Khoa knelt next to the blue car. The rope lock is stuck because of mud. He didn't pull too hard; He took a towel, dripped oil into the joint, then patiently turned it little by little. A 10th grade friend stood next to him, his eyes red because he was afraid of coming home late.

“What if I can't open it?”

“Shall I cut the lock?”

"No. Once you cut it, you no longer have the lock."

Vy looked in the toolbox for a suitable pair of pliers. Accept and proceed. After a few minutes, the lock popped out. You thanked him, then ran to get a raincoat.

The garage started to flood in the back corner. The gutters were clogged with leaves, but the corrugated iron roof also had a hole. Ms. Van asked everyone to move the car to a high platform. Bao distributed number cards, Quynh Chi recorded the cars that had been towed through the safe area.

“Need someone to stand on the left,” Khoa called.

Vy stood in position, holding the steering wheel of a children's car. Water splashed on the hem of his pants, his hair was wet on his forehead. A parent came to pick up his child, saw her and immediately asked if he needed to call someone.

“Need a broom and two sandbags,” Vy replied.

The parent ran to look for him. Vy did not call her father's private car. She also didn't think about calling. In the rain, the need is so clear that no logo is needed to solve it.

After nearly an hour, the rain lightened. There were twelve cars with wet saddles, three mud-stained chains, a box of screws that had fallen over, and a borrowed board whose edges were swollen. Ms. Van ordered the garage to be closed, but Khoa wanted to check each car before the students left.

" Khoa, I've been here since the beginning," Ms. Van reminded.

“I know.”

“Still studying tomorrow.”

“I know.”

Vy holds the list. "Let's divide into groups. If the car is just wet, clean it and take notes. If the car has a brake problem, leave it alone and report to the car owner. No one does it alone."

Khoa looked at her, then nodded.

They worked until the yard was almost empty. Uncle Tu brought a flashlight, Mrs. Man brought an old towel, and Miss Van called the school to ask for a water pump. An 11th grader stayed behind because his car's chain was stuck; You say your house is far away but you don't want to leave your car. Khoa instructs you to clean it yourself, Vy holds the light.

When the chain runs again, you breathe a sigh of relief. “I thought I had to abandon the car.”

“The car hasn't broken down yet,” Khoa said. “It just takes time.”

Vy looked at that sentence and thought it was true for more than just a car.

The next morning, the garage had a damp smell and the sound of dripping water. The borrowed sign had to be discarded because the letters were blurred. Huy suggested switching to the online form, but Ms. Van said she must keep the paper copy because not everyone has a stable network.

Vy suggested using plastic boards and waterproof labels. Bao asked the price. Huy found three places to sell it. Faculty check the size so as not to block the path. Quynh Chi suggested adding a box stating "checked after rain".

Father Vy called while the group was cleaning. He asked her if she needed someone from Van Hung to fix her roof. Vy stood in front of the blurred board, silent.

“You can recommend independent workers to the school,” she said. “But don't send the company team to do it without any margin copy."

“Are you setting conditions with father?”

“I'm talking about how to let everyone know who's responsible.”

“If you just want to help quickly?”

“Help quickly without recording it might make everyone wait for me again next time.”

Father sighed. He said he would send a list of two local contractors for the school to choose. Vy thanked her, then turned off the phone.

Khoa stood nearby and could hear part of it. “You upset your father again.”

“I'm learning how to speak.”

“Tuition seems high.”

“You don't know.”

“I guess.”

At noon, the group held an inspection after the rain. Each car is recorded in three states: dry, needs further cleaning, needs repair. No one took pictures of cars with license plates. Quynh Chi said information about students' assets should not appear on public boards.

One person suggested building a temporary shelter with tarpaulin. Khoa said he needed to ask the teacher in charge of safety. Bao was holding the rope, but stopped. He asked instead of doing it himself. Vy sees it as a bigger step than any slogan.

In the afternoon, Ms. Van announced that the school would re-survey the entire area behind the gate after the rain. No decision on renovation has been made yet, but sketches will be reviewed sooner.

Huy said they should make their own proposal. Khoa said not to do it just to protest. Vy asked the group what the garage needed to operate better. Everyone wrote on the board: the roof didn't leak, the walkway wasn't blocked, the tools had books, the repair place didn't take away parking spaces, Mrs. Man's shop wasn't pushed away without explanation.

He added, "There is a place to eat cake off the shelf". No one deleted it.

At the end of the day, Vy stood under the corrugated iron roof and listened to the trickle of water. Khoa gave her a dry towel.

“You're wet.”

"I know."

“Wipe your hair.”

“You gave me the towel as if giving an order.”

“Because you don't clean it yourself.”

Vy received the towel. “This department.”

"YES."

“If this area is really demolished, where will your mother's shop go?”

Khoa looked at the water outside the door. “I don't know yet.”

“Are you scared?”

"Have."

Vy waited for him to say more. Khoa did not say. He just pulled open the tool room door, checked the lock and wrote in the book: "After the rain, the roof needs to be repaired first Monday."

Vy looked at the text. Their fears were not resolved, but there was a day to come back and check.

After the rain, the garage smells of moisture and rust. Khoa used a squeegee to wipe away the water while Vy stood outside holding a lamp. They discovered a crack running under the wall, where water was entering. Ms. Van called a technician but was told she would have to wait four days.

Huy suggested applying temporary waterproofing tape. Khoa said that doing so could cover the crack, making the next person think it had been repaired. They used a ruler to mark both ends of the trace, write the date and take a photo with the ruler. Vy added a red warning to the board.

A parent passing by asked why the school still allowed students to use dangerous places. Ms. Van replied that she was limiting the area, but also admitted that there was not a clear enough sign. Huy immediately went to print a new sign, this time not using the phrase "the area is being improved", but specifically stating: "Avoid standing under the west roof; Report immediately when you see water touching the electrical outlet.”

Department checks electrical sockets. A plastic box is cracked, the connection wire has a burning smell. He turned off the power and called security. Huy asked if it could be fixed quickly to continue operating. Khoa shook his head. Vy understands that community work sometimes requires saying "no" even though everyone is waiting.

During the four days of waiting for the worker, the team moved the repair table to the side gate. The new place is tighter, but has a roof. Mrs. Man lent her an oil tray. Vy made a sign, and Quynh Chi asked users if they were getting in the way.

On the first day, your father parked his car blocking the road. Huy guides They lead them aside, without shouting. On the second day, a sixth grader spilled a bottle of oil. Mrs. Man sprinkled sand, Khoa put the bottle in a sealed container. Vy noted the incident and then asked why the bottle didn't have a safety cap. They changed to a type with a stopcock.

Father Vy called to ask about the situation. He said Van Hung could send a maintenance team immediately. Vy asked if the team was certified to do school electricity. He said he would check. She said that if you qualify, please send the information to Ms. Van, not to her personally.

Father was silent and then said: "You are forcing me to work according to your process."

“You're forcing your whole child to follow suit.”

He sent the application via school email. The maintenance team was not selected because the schedule did not match, but Van Hung still sponsored part of the independent inspection costs. Vy finds that way better than the company appearing right in the middle of everyone's panic.

Wednesday night, the worker came to fix the crack. The group is allowed to observe but not touch the tools. The technician explained that the waterproofing layer is just the first step; If the foundation sinks, it must be handled from below. Huy took notes, then asked about the warranty period. The technician was surprised that the student asked, but answered fully.

When the garage was dry, Khoa wrote on the board: "Repaired does not mean the job is over. Check again after heavy rain." Vy sets a reminder every month. Their fear doesn't go away, but now it has a name, an inspection date, and the person responsible.

The next day, a student read the board and asked how much "heavy rain" was. Vy doesn't have enough numbers for all seasons. They asked Ms. Van, then wrote down easy-to-understand criteria: if it rains for a long time, if the water touches the ground, or if there is thunder, then stop the electricity area. Khoa said good rules should help non-professionals recognize when they need to call others.

Vy adjusted the sign, adding the security phone number. One person said the words were a bit small. Huy reprinted, this time using contrasting colors. The board isn't much prettier, but anyone standing outside the gate can read it.

Faculty try reading remotely. He said he was still missing an arrow. Huy drew more, then tested it at three corners before choosing the final position. Vy recorded the sign testing in the book like any other thing.