The Wood Shop
he feeling of the workshop was like home, this was his favorite place. This was a place where he could feel creative and at peace. His whole life was wood work. He created toys for his daughter, shelves for the kitchen and little presents he present his wife at birthdays and anniversaries, he felt things meant so much more when they were made and not bought. His passions was here, not in some stuff office, he never felt comfortable in a suit so his leather apron and steel toe boots were his style and Maggie loved him for that.
Tonight he was working on a Christmas present for his daughter Julie. She wanted a rocking horse small enough for her favorite doll. It needed to be fancy since her doll was a princess and she was the queen. The pieces for the gift were almost all cut. He had cut out the body and head and already done all the intricate painting. He had decided to go with a British them of painting and made it look like a horse that Queen Elizabeth herself would ride. The only pieces he had left was the base which involved cutting the post that would would attach the body to the rocking base.
He was using the the lathe creating intricate shapes along the piece of wood. He laid the blade upon the last piece of wood and was really getting into it when all of the sudden the blade slipped and his hand slid across the wood. He started to swear and curse, damn it hurt like a son of a bitch. Just as he was starting to get up his wife walked into the wood shop. She ran into the room and asked what had happened. “I just got my hand caught across the wood and I think it took a layer of skin off” he said.
“Awe, c’mere and let me take care of that for you “ Maggie said.
Jeff looked at her an smiled, she was a loving person and always wanted to take care of him. He loved this woman with all his heart. She took his hand and washed it out under the sink in the shop. “This doesn’t look to bad” she said. “It doesn’t hurt to much”. Maggie smiled at him and said “But just to be safe I’ll put some anitbacterial cream on it since it does look like there is a cut and bandage it up for you.”
Once she had finished cleaning and dressing his wound she gave a small kiss on his hand like his mom would have done and smiled. “I think you will survive. How is the project coming along, besides the wounded hand?” She asked. “It is coming along fine, but I’m going to take a break from it for now and finish it up tomorrow” he said.
He turned off the light to the workshop and walked in with his wife. He would get it finished tomorrow and then begin work on Maggie’s gift, a brand new rocking chair for her to sit on the porch. He truly loved building things with his hands; and building a family with his heart.
©Chris Chonos
Words Flow 