My husband, Scott, called to tell me he had received an Angel
Bump from my dad on his way to work. Scott was thinking
about the memory of my dad buying a new truck off the lot.
My dad had arrived wearing striped pants and a flannel plaid
shirt, and wearing his Irish cap. He had a brown paper Acme
Market bag in his arms.
He strolled the line of shiny new trucks while the salesmen
Watched from the window. Not a single person approached
him. Finally, a black gentleman did walk by. My dad
introduced himself as Jimmy.
They shook hands and Frank asked if he could help him. “I’m the
manager of the detail division, but I know these trucks well.”
Pop and Frank chatted as they walked between the cars. Frank
gave him facts on the different models. When Pop decided on the
tan and brown pick up with four-wheel drive, fully loaded, Frank
walked him into talk to the showroom.
The salesmen remained seated. Frank said, “Jimmy here would
like to buy a truck today.” They looked at Pop thinking he’d never
get approved for credit. “Our credit application is pretty tough,”
the salesman said, looking down his nose at Pop.
“Well, I have cash in this Acme bag, so I don’t need credit. I do
have one stipulation. I will buy the truck right now if Frank gets
the commission. He helped me in the lot while you all watched me
walk around for half an hour.”
Their mouths dropped. Pop emptied the wrapped one hundred-dollar
bills onto the desk. “Do we have a deal?”
Pop shook Frank’s hand and thanked him for being an honest
salesman. Frank beamed and thanked Pop for being a great
customer.
We often laugh at that story, wishing we could see the salesmen’s
faces when Frank got the commission.
On my husband’s way to work, a tan and brown 1982 pick-up
truck, just like Pop’s, pulled up next to him. An older black
gentleman was at the wheel. As they waited for the light to
change, the gentleman in the truck smiled at Scott, nodded, and
pointed his finger to the sky. Scott returned the gesture with a
big smile. As he pulled off Scott noticed the classic license
plate JIM-2GO. “Thanks for the Angel Bump!
Pop or should I call you Jim?”
Angel Bumps come in all shapes and sizes, especially at
Chevy truck dealers.
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