AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Buddy barked and I laughed as a few more drops splashed on his nose.
I can do this on my own,I told myself.Plus, I can find all the information I need on the Internet. There’s nothing I can’t do without a bit of research and a couple of YouTube videos!
* * *
I walked down the aisles of the hardware store with a list of the things I needed clutched in my hand. After a bit of rest and research, I had determined that I was going to need a few tools and wood to patch up the leaky roof of the veranda.
I had never done any of it before so I figured I would have to get some protective gear myself.
Like goggles and gloves.
I had to admit that after I did a bit of research and watched a couple of videos on what I needed to do, I felt a bit excited at the prospect of fixing the roof by myself. It wasn’t something I had ever done before—the most I had ever done to fix the house was probably change a lightbulb.
However, I knew without a doubt that I could do it.
It just takes a bit of confidence, I told myself as I walked down rows of tools.And maybe a push in the right direction.
That morning, I had taken those double rainbows as a sign to finally get moving on my project. I could almost hear Grandma Margaret and Grandpa Frederick encouraging me as I searched for the things I needed.
“You can do it, darling girl,”Grandma Margaret would say.“There’s nothingmygranddaughter can’t do when she puts her mind to it!”
“You meanourgranddaughter,”Grandpa Frederick would lovingly correct her.“If I can do it, so can you, Amanda!”
I smiled to myself and pushed my way further down the aisle, making a mental note of the things I saw there.
Someday, I thought to myself.I might need more than just the things on my list.
“Excuse me, miss. Do you need any help?”
I turned around to find one of the workers in the hardware looking at me oddly. He had a maroon shirt on and gray pants—the colors of the hardware—and a maroon cap withDale’s Hardware and Toolsemblazoned on top. He wore a nametag that said his name was Ned.
On the other hand, I was dressed in the most rugged denims I could find, as well as a gray fitted shirt. I had chosen the most appropriate outfit I had for working on my DIY project but I knew that I still looked a far cry from the usual patrons of this store.
I gave him my most reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m looking for a circular saw. Can you show me the best one you have?”
He gave me that odd look again but I stood my ground.
“Follow me, then,” he said, his voice still tinged with doubt.
I happily followed him down a couple more aisles until we came to a shelf of power tools. He looked warily at me as my eyes ran over the different brands. I had read a couple of articles on the best ones for home DIYers and saw one of them on the shelf.
“I’ll take that one,” I pointed at it.
“I’m not sure you can handle that one, miss,” he told me uneasily.
“Don’t worry about it!” I told him breezily, a smile on my face. I looked at it and felt excitement pounding in my heart.
This is it! My first power tool!
I loaded it into my cart. He was probably wondering if I was a bit eccentric, but managed to ask me if there was anything else I needed.
“Oh, yes,” I told him, nodding excitedly. “I would need some protective glasses and a helmet. A ladder, too. Then some wood and primer.”
“That sure looks like a heck of a project,” he said, shaking his head. “Is your husband going to be helping you with that?”
“Oh, goodness, no,” I laughed. “I’ll be doing it myself!”
He looked at me with his mouth wide open and I had to resist the urge to laugh at his expression so as not to seem rude. However, despite his disbelief, he helped me find all the things I on my list and even suggested other things that I needed to fix my roof.
