“This is normally too early for me to have sugar,” Grace says, talking fast, and I notice that her eyes are wide. “But wow! What a great milkshake. Wow!”
Leon raises his frosty glass. “I knew a double shot of coffee was the right idea!” he says, excited. “I’m going to cut so much hair this morning!”
“And crash all afternoon,” Kenneth mumbles.
I rub my hands together as more people filter in. “Hopefully, this meeting won’t take too long,” I announce, getting everyone’s attention. “I received some positive news from the garage lastnight.” As everyone gets set up, I grab the papers that I printed earlier today.
Miranda knocks two metal scoops together. “Call to order!”
Leon raises his caffeinated drink high. “Call to order!” he yells happily and sucks the straw.
I take a deep breath. “Thanks, everyone. When I arrived to the shop this morning, a letter from the garage was waiting. Chase has agreed to implement some major changes to try to accommodate the rest of us. He sent along a list of concessions that they’re going to make, along with a friendly and sincere-sounding note about wanting to bury the hatchet, apologize for the conflict, and become a part of the gayborhood.”
Leon twitches. “What? Really?”
I nod, and Kenneth takes the stack of paper, the list of changes that I printed out this morning, which he begins to distribute.
“They’ve stressed that they’ll always need to make some noise, but they’re willing to do quite a bit, including some soundproofing, revised policies, even a running sale on mufflers for all their regulars, as well as a strict policy of not serving customers who disrespect the gayborhood.”
As everyone looks over the list, I smile to myself, pleased that we seem to be landing at a peaceful resolution.
“This will help,” Sonia says, “no doubt. But will it be enough?”
“That’s the other reason I wanted to get everyone together this morning,” I continue. “If Liberty Garage is taking action, I think we should do the same.”
Miranda nods. “Good deeds deserve more good deeds in return.”
“What could we possibly do?” Grace asks. “We’ve already agreed that soundproofing each of our buildings would be cost-prohibitive. And they’re the ones who disrupted the block.”
Sonia nods. “I’m still salty about how this went down, and I know I’m not the only one.”
“Right,” I agree. “We didn’t start the problem, but we can use it as an opportunity to improve our shared spaces. Ever since the city had to cut down the shade trees on this block, we’ve only planted flowers to replace them. Nicholas and Kavya told me about a program from the state that would help cover the cost of native trees and shrubs. Not only would they be beautiful, they’d provide a visual barrier, a little sound remediation, and attract butterflies and birdsong.”
Grace smiles broadly. “I love that! Birdsong wouldn’t cover up the motorcycles, but it would help distract.”
“Exactly,” I agree.
“I’ve always loved the music you play in here,” Leon says to me. “What if you installed speakers outside, broadcast it onto the street, too?” He looks over to Sonia. “We could make sure to direct it away from your office, so your clients aren’t disturbed.”
As Sonia nods, Kenneth stands up straight. “The entire block would get to enjoy my playlists. Damn, that would be cool.”
“Great!” I say. “I thought I could do something symbolic, since they all came by the shop as an act of goodwill during Pride. Maybe come up with a custom flavor? Rev-it-up raspberry, or lúcuma low-rider. I’m still brainstorming. But I’m looking for ways to bring them into the neighborhood instead of pushing them out.”
“I’ve been doing classes focused on healthy movement for different occupations at the dance studio,” Charli says. “We’ve done one for nurses and one for wait staff at restaurants. Mechanics could be next.”
The shop lights up with a buzz as everyone starts talking, imagining new possibilities for the block. We quickly start to work together, creating a vision of a neighborhood that includes us all.
Miranda slides next to me. “Very nicely done,” she says.
I chuckle. “I’m not sure if I get credit for this. Everyone is playing a part.”
“Yes, and your part starts with bringing us all together,” she says. “You’re good at that, Finn. It’s a rarer talent than you might realize.”
I give her a smile. “Thanks, Miranda. Luckily, it’s a group of people who have plentiful ideas of their own, too.” As Leon blurts out something about a bubble machine, I grin. “Not all practical ideas, but plentiful,” I joke.
She winks. “That part, I get a little credit for. Who do you think recommended the coffee milkshakes?”
Soon enough, everyone starts to depart, hurrying off to their busy days. We’re left with a big list of ideas to consider, and everyone is amenable to my last suggestion. As part of our response to the letter, I’ll invite Liberty Garage to an ice cream social, and the entire block can enjoy a fresh start.
