"George," Edna said, greeting him as Buck pumped his hand up and down. "Buck and I wondered if we'd see you here. Where's Leila?"
"Home sleeping. She's worked so hard today at the hospital in Bakersfield. Scrubbing floors and all that other I can't mention politely. This here the lady who needs a mechanic?"
Edna introduced them, and George Jackson told Barbara about himself.
"I'm a mechanic over to the Bakersfield Airport. I did some auto repair work for these real nice people a while back. Mrs. Genda called me at the airport and asked me to come here tonight if I could. You need work done on some planes at your 'port?"
He dropped from heaven to help me, Barbara thought, then explained briefly about her plans to make America West a going airport again.
"The two old planes there, a Piper and a Jenny, need some attention. My partner says they fly, but I wouldn't want to risk my life going up in either. I don't want you to, of course. But maybe if you can get them in flying condition again, I could start to get my business going. I want to put on air shows and give flying lessons, and do some air delivery. Maybe eventually get a US Mail contract."
"I can get just about any plane flying again," Jackson said. He sounded confident in his abilities, but without braggadocio.
"I can't pay you until I get some money coming in," Barbara admitted.
He laughed. "Nobody can pay anybody for anything these days. But that's okay. I'd rather keep my hands and head doing things than sleep all day on Sundays. I work at the Bakersfield airport every day but Sunday. I can come tomorrow morning, if you want, and start. Just one thing..."
If he didn't expect to be paid right away, Barbara couldn't guess what the "one thing" could be that he wanted.
"Have to ask my boss first. Not that my Sundays aren't mine. But seein's how you're both in the same business..."
I'm competition already? Barbara loved it, even though she could hardly believe it.
"He's here tonight," Jackson said. "Name's Ken Knowland.
I'll ask him. Excuse me for a minute or two?"
Barbara watched with Buck and Edna as her maybe new mechanic walked to some white men talking near the wrestling ring.
"George is the salt of the earth," Edna assured Barbara.
"A fine mechanic and all-around fixer-upper. And something rare around here, a total gentleman."