August 27, 2021
Short Story
Submitted under the pen name Tony R.
I thank the author for submitting this work. It has been approved for release today. I hope to see more work along these lines. Also I would like to recognize this author for his involvement in Super Burrito the Movie.
Making that Car Wash Money!
By Tony Rigatoni
( A pen name )
Moniker de Plume
So there I was, a broke, broken, broken-down, and down-and-out, 9 year-old, pre-entrepreneur-era Tony. I was in a hard place both financially and emotionally, but an ambitious budding young Rigatoni none-the-less. Constantly looking to put some food in his stomach as well as fill my mother’s kitchen with groceries as well.
Her and I had both been scrambling to make ends meet, but we always kept it positive, and always made efforts everyday to enjoy life and live our best lives. But these were most uncertain days, for certain.
My mom and dad were separated and didn’t really get along that well, so I split my time between the two. I was young, I had a plan but I also desperate for resources at the time, so I asked my father for a loan to buy materials to start a small neighborhood carwash hustle.
My dad was doing better than my mother, but still was not a man of great means so he could not help. However he did subconsciously deliver half the lesson that Tony was about to learn for myself.
He kind of made fun of me and told me to get a job, and that was the advice that ultimately helped me achieve my goal and learn the greater lesson.
Young Tony Hustle then hit the streets. My dad had a neighbor named Mr. Scaglia who owned a bunch of really nice cars. He may have even been the one who nicknamed me Tony Hustle, but I’m not really sure. He’s known my family since before I was born and was somewhat of a godfather figure to Tony and my late brother.
I asked Mr. Scaglia to help, but instead of asking him for money outright, I asked him a few questions. I asked him how he would describe the best carwash of his life. Better than one on the 4th of July, with his beautiful wife in the passengers seat and its also his birthday, and it was very sunny outside,..
I wanted to know what he thought the best carwash in history would be like, and what exactly he does to detail his own cars. And also on a daily basis what he would typically expects from the best carwash in town and universe.
We chatted for an hour or so, and Tony took in every word like a sponge. He had a ton of great ideas and a garage full of cars and more cleaning supplies than I could have ever imagined.
The old man was impressed with Tony’s questions. He saw the spark in Tonys eyes and knew that even though Tony was young, that he had the guts and smarts and WOULD indeed deliver.
Scaglia then loaned Tony all the cleaning supplies that he would need for months of washes for many customers, all from the surplus of his own garage. Then he asked me to detail four of his cars and he paid me for those. And told me I could start paying him back for the supplies in 3 months once I was off the ground.
The greater lesson that Tony understood that day didn’t necessarily come from either my father or his neighbor Mr. Scaglia individually, but from a combination of both encounters. The lesson that I leaned myself that day was this,.
If you want advice, ask for money.
If you want money, ask for advice.
Thats all for now..
And remember folks,..
you heard it here first, but you didn’t hear it from me..
~ signing off, Tony R.