Jerry Zezima: The diamond's in the details
Published in Lifestyles
Edgar, who was very impressed with my handiwork, has a car that has seen better days.
“It’s a 2004 Prius with 295,000 miles on it,” said Edgar, who bought it three years ago for $2,000.
“It keeps going,” he added. “And my guys clean it. I don’t have a girlfriend right now. The only reason to have a beautiful car is to impress the ladies.”
Edgar, who is 61, with three children and two grandchildren, has had many jobs over the years. His most memorable one was in Brazil.
“I was in the jungle working in a diamond mine,” he remembered. “One of the guys brought up a diamond that was 326 karats. He said I could buy it for $775,000. I called friends in the U.S. and asked them to send me the money. The next day, somebody else bought the diamond. Then he sold it for $25 million.”
“Do you have any more diamonds?” I wondered. “My wife would be interested.”
“No,” Edgar said. “But you did such a good job on her car that you could work here.”
“Will you pay me enough to afford a diamond?” I asked.
“You won’t become a millionaire in this business,” Edgar said. “But if you save enough money, you can buy your wife a new car.”
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