Good Days And Bad Days

Tim Botos: EAST CANTON — In the shadow of a sleek BellStores Marathon, a father and son cling to their livelihood in a simple block building.

A customer stepped to the counter at Bay's Auto Service. He laid a $10 bill on its glass top, as Harold Bay reached to the shelf below. Like a seasoned bartender, Harold slapped a box of Mail Pouch chewing tobacco onto the counter.

"Hi Mike," he said as he scooped up the currency.

"Hi Harold," the customer replied.

Harold Bay whirled around from the cash register with $3.61 in change.

The entire transaction was done with that four-word exchange. The men have completed the same sale over and over for so long, there's no need to mince words. Now, more than ever, Bay's lives and dies with regulars.