Carpenter's Mate

We still have the heat here - the thunderstorms the rest of the country has had completely bypassed us. We've had almost 3 months of hot weather - the ground is so dry it's dust. But a nice dry day was perfect for little Barbara to come out to play.

It took a little longer to get all the permissions - different site, different rules - but we did it. And then the plumber had an idea and so we went through the process again - but much quicker this time. More on that later.

Barbara's mother managed to find a pair of kiddie-sized khaki trousers with lots of little pockets and a loop that looked as close to carpenters' trousers as was humanly possible. Barbara wore those, and her toy, plastic, safety-hat, and some boots that resembled work boots. And then she and her mother caught the buses to the site, arriving mid-morning, where I met them at the cabin, with the carpenter. Introductions all round, and then Barbara was left to our tender mercies while her mother caught a bus into town to go shopping. (One of those femme-type shopping trips, the sort where you try on scores of outfits in dozens of shops and buy none, The kind of shopping trip where I would rather go to the dentist than go anywhere near a shop.)

I'd managed to find a "junior carpenter kit" that contained a retractable tape measure - plastic though, not steel, so no sharp edges - and a flat pencil, and a 15cm/6 inch rule, and a measuring square. I gave Barbara these, plus a smallish Philips screwdriver. I'd even found a hammer small enough for her to use. OK the handle was pink - pink!! - but you can't have everything. Barbara liked it anyway. And the carpenter gave her a small canvas holdall that looked like the larger one she carries her tools in. Barbara was chuffed to little mint-balls.

That done, off we went.

The carpenter was fixing skirting boards. She showed Barbara how to measure for them, and how to make a mitre cut for the joint, and how to use a mitre block. She let Barbara measure the mitre on several pieces. Barbara turned out to very good at it. She concentrates and likes to get things just so. The carpenter sawed the pieces - we didn't think it would be appropriate for Barbara to do that. Then I showed her how to seal the knots with knotting solution. Then we stopped for lunch while the knotting dried.

I had a surprise for Barbara.

She loves my lunch-tin. I bought it almost 10 years ago in San Francisco. I couldn't get her one like it here, and anyway it's metal, not a good choice for a kid. But I did manage to get a couple of large plastic stickers with Rosie on. So I bought a red plastic lunch box and stuck the stickers on the sides. Barbara was absolutely overjoyed. She immediately emptied the little tupperware container with her lunch in and put everything in the tin.

And then she hugged me!!

I do not do hugs. I immediately did my usual rigid-fence-post impression. (After all, when it's a little girl hugging you you can't exactly belt her into the middle of next week, can you??) She didn't seem to care and hugged me again. The carpenter was howling with laughter - either at my posture or the look on my face, not sure which.

After lunch - which Barbara managed to eat despite talking non-stop for 25 minutes. Asking question after question about carpentry. We went back to work. Barbara learnt how to place the shirting, how to set the nails, how to hammer them in just right, so they don't bend, and how to set the joins right. She was a little over-enthusiastic with the hammer but no damage was done so all was well.

At around three o'clock her mother came to collect her. We presented her with her framed "Qualified Trainee Carpenter's Mate" certificate. She hugged the carpenter - who's comfortable with hugs and hugged her back.

And then the plumber came over to tell her about her other surprise.

I had asked Barbara's mother if Barbara would like to come to the site again, or if she'd be bored. She said that Barbara loved it and would be on-site with her building lady every day if she could. It had taken a lot of phone calls, a hurried meeting between me, Barbara's mother, and the plumber, so that she could see what kind of bloke he was. And a lot of pleading with the Heath & Safety Executive rep. But we'd done it. Permission granted.

The plumber has some plastic push-fit piping, rather than copper, to put in, and it would be ideal - no tools. So we asked Barbara if she'd like to come back next week and learn about plumbing.

She hugged me again!!

The she hugged the carpenter, and the plumber (who blushed so much I was worried he'd pass out from too much blood to the brain), and her mother, and then me again. I figured that meant yes.

So Barbara is coming back next Wednesday to be a trainee plumber's mate.

Now - if I can just get her to stop hugging me - especially without warning - we'll be perfect.

See you next week, goodnight and may your God/s go with you.


Ze

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