AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thanks, Mr. Holloway!” I smiled at him and flashed him a thumbs up.
He just shook his head and went back into his house, probably wondering what in the world had come over me.
I just laughed at his reaction. When I thought back to the reactions of Ned and the cashier at Dale’s Hardware and Tools, I just shook my head.
Somehow, it feels good to be able to astound people in a good way, I thought to myself.Besides, this is a very handy skillset. I should have taken the time to learn this sooner…
I looked at Buddy and winked at him. “Okay, Bud. Let’s get back to work!”
He barked at me and I started the circular saw again.
It felt good to be working on something that was close to my heart.
* * *
There! All done!
I gave the wood a final stroke of the brush and beamed at the fresh coat of stain-blocking primer gleaming back at me. I read somewhere that it would protect the wood from the weather influences.
I gathered up the primer and my brush and carefully stepped down the ladder to where Buddy was waiting for me on the ground with a worried look in his soulful brown eyes. When he saw me coming down, he barked excitedly and I laughed.
“We’re done for the day, Bud,” I told him. I took a step back and smiled proudly at my work. “Now, we won’t have to worry about the leaky roof again. I hope Grandpa Frederick is proud of what we did with the veranda today.”
I had just taken off my gloves and tucked them into my back pocket when I saw Mr. Holloway coming out of the back of his house from the corner of my eye.
“Thought I would come around to see how you’ve been doing, Miss Ross,” he said over the hedge. “Since it’s starting to get dark and all.”
I beamed at him. “I’m already finished, Mr. Holloway. I just gave the wood a final coat of stain-blocking primer.”
He nodded and smiled in approval, his eyes on my roof. “Looks like you did a pretty great job there. Not bad for a first time DIYer.”
I laughed at him. “Thanks, Mr. Holloway. I’ve been putting this off for a long time now. I’m glad I was finally able to accomplish it.”
“Well, you should be proud of yourself, Miss Ross,” he grinned at me before heading back inside.
I looked up at the sky and noted that the sun was starting to set. It was still quite bright but it would probably be dark after a short while. I started to pack up my tools and placed them into the small shed at the back of the house where I knew Grandpa Frederick used to keep his tools, too.
Buddy trailed after me all the while.
“Come, Buddy,” I told him, after I finished packing up. “Time to head back inside and wash our hands.”
He barked in agreement and followed me into the house.
After I washed my hands, I gave him a fresh bowl of water and made a glass of sweet iced tea for myself. The cold liquid running down my throat felt rather good after working the whole afternoon.
My shirt was damp with the sweat from my exertions and I could still feel the little drops trickling from my forehead down to the side of my face.
I laughed at Buddy. “I think I might need a bath.”
He barked at that and I chuckled, shaking my head.
As I walked past the living room, I saw the painting that Cora had given me on the last day of school. The paper was creased in the places where she had folded it and I had smoothed it as best as I could before I put it into the frame.
“Miss Ross, if you’re sad, you should be like the little duck, too,” Cora had told me. “You can spread your wings and fly and follow your dreams, too. Don’t be afraid of the winds and the buildings and the trees. The magpies and the starlings will help you!”
I smiled as I thought of the shy little girl and the earnest look in her eyes when she handed me her little painting.
From the thin wall of glass that separated us, the little duck stared back at me with a defiant look in its dark eyes, its wings stretched out as it prepared to take flight.
