“Tomorrow’s my wife’s birthday, and now I’m in big trouble because our kitchen remodel isn’t done.”
Roman struggled to keep his temper from flaring. He should have insisted he help Luke tie on those cabinets, and he shouldn’t have trusted the kid to do them alone. “It’ll take me a few weeks, but I’ll make good on the cabinets,” he promised.
Steven shook his head. “Don’t bother; I’m done.”
“Done? What do you mean?”
Steven squinted his beady brown eyes as he rubbed the top of his balding head. “You’ve been late with work I’ve contracted you to do before, your work’s not the quality I expect, and now this! I’ll be taking my business down the road from now on.” He turned on his heels and marched out the door, slamming it with such force that the windows rattled.
Roman rushed to the door, but by the time he got there, Steven’s car had peeled out of the driveway, sending gravel flying in all directions.
A short time later, Luke showed up, looking more than a little sheepish. “Sorry to be telling you this, but—”
Roman held up his hand. “I already know. Thanks to you, I won’t be getting any more of Steven’s business.”
“I—I thought I had those ropes tied real good, and I can’t figure out how it happened.”
“Jah, well, what’s done is done, but now I’m out the money Steven owed me, so I’ll be takin’ it out of your pay to make up for what I lost today.”
Luke’s face turned bright red. “But those cabinets weren’t cheap. It’ll take me several weeks to pay you back.”
Roman gave a curt nod. “And you’ll work twice as hard as you’ve been workin’, too.”
Luke opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then he closed it with an audible click. “What have you got for me to do now?” he asked, turning toward the workbench.
“You can start by sweeping the floor in the back room, and when you’re done with that, I’d like you to clean the front windows.”
A muscle on the side of Luke’s neck quivered, but he just grabbed the broom from the closet and headed for the other room.
“Always trouble somewhere,” Roman muttered under his breath. “I knew I shouldn’t have hired that irresponsible fellow.”
The door to Roman’s shop opened again, and this time Martin Gingerich stepped into the room.
“Can I help you?” Roman asked as he turned to face the young man with light brown hair.
Martin nodded and glanced around the room as if he might be looking for something. “I ... uh ... came by to see if you’d have the time to make something for me.”
“All depends on what it is.”
Martin removed his straw hat and fanned his face with it a couple of times. “My folks’ anniversary is coming up soon, and I was hoping to give them something nice.”
“Did you have anything particular in mind?” Roman asked as he headed for his desk and took a seat in the chair behind it.
Martin followed and continued to fan his face while he stood on the other side of the desk, facing Roman. “Thought maybe they might like a new rocking chair.”
Roman leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “I’m not braggin’, mind you, but I think the rocking chairs I make are pretty nice—real comfortable, too.”
“Can you have it ready in three weeks?” Martin asked.
Roman nodded. “Jah, sure. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Danki.” Martin’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he twisted the brim of his hat in his hands.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Uh ... no, not really.”
Roman pushed his chair aside and stood. “Okay then, I’ll put a card in the mail to let you know when the chair’s ready.”
Martin’s head came up. “Oh, no! Better not do that, or my folks will know about my surprise gift.” He shuffled his feet a few times. “I’ll just plan on dropping by here once a week to check on it.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m sure I’ll have it done in plenty of time for their
Roman struggled to keep his temper from flaring. He should have insisted he help Luke tie on those cabinets, and he shouldn’t have trusted the kid to do them alone. “It’ll take me a few weeks, but I’ll make good on the cabinets,” he promised.
Steven shook his head. “Don’t bother; I’m done.”
“Done? What do you mean?”
Steven squinted his beady brown eyes as he rubbed the top of his balding head. “You’ve been late with work I’ve contracted you to do before, your work’s not the quality I expect, and now this! I’ll be taking my business down the road from now on.” He turned on his heels and marched out the door, slamming it with such force that the windows rattled.
Roman rushed to the door, but by the time he got there, Steven’s car had peeled out of the driveway, sending gravel flying in all directions.
A short time later, Luke showed up, looking more than a little sheepish. “Sorry to be telling you this, but—”
Roman held up his hand. “I already know. Thanks to you, I won’t be getting any more of Steven’s business.”
“I—I thought I had those ropes tied real good, and I can’t figure out how it happened.”
“Jah, well, what’s done is done, but now I’m out the money Steven owed me, so I’ll be takin’ it out of your pay to make up for what I lost today.”
Luke’s face turned bright red. “But those cabinets weren’t cheap. It’ll take me several weeks to pay you back.”
Roman gave a curt nod. “And you’ll work twice as hard as you’ve been workin’, too.”
Luke opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then he closed it with an audible click. “What have you got for me to do now?” he asked, turning toward the workbench.
“You can start by sweeping the floor in the back room, and when you’re done with that, I’d like you to clean the front windows.”
A muscle on the side of Luke’s neck quivered, but he just grabbed the broom from the closet and headed for the other room.
“Always trouble somewhere,” Roman muttered under his breath. “I knew I shouldn’t have hired that irresponsible fellow.”
The door to Roman’s shop opened again, and this time Martin Gingerich stepped into the room.
“Can I help you?” Roman asked as he turned to face the young man with light brown hair.
Martin nodded and glanced around the room as if he might be looking for something. “I ... uh ... came by to see if you’d have the time to make something for me.”
“All depends on what it is.”
Martin removed his straw hat and fanned his face with it a couple of times. “My folks’ anniversary is coming up soon, and I was hoping to give them something nice.”
“Did you have anything particular in mind?” Roman asked as he headed for his desk and took a seat in the chair behind it.
Martin followed and continued to fan his face while he stood on the other side of the desk, facing Roman. “Thought maybe they might like a new rocking chair.”
Roman leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “I’m not braggin’, mind you, but I think the rocking chairs I make are pretty nice—real comfortable, too.”
“Can you have it ready in three weeks?” Martin asked.
Roman nodded. “Jah, sure. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Danki.” Martin’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he twisted the brim of his hat in his hands.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Uh ... no, not really.”
Roman pushed his chair aside and stood. “Okay then, I’ll put a card in the mail to let you know when the chair’s ready.”
Martin’s head came up. “Oh, no! Better not do that, or my folks will know about my surprise gift.” He shuffled his feet a few times. “I’ll just plan on dropping by here once a week to check on it.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m sure I’ll have it done in plenty of time for their
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