National Adult Literacy Database

November 18, 1996

This week, we are featuring a story written by Vince Molloy, from Marystown, Newfoundland. Vince is married and is the father of three children. A carpenter for twenty-five years, he was forced by an on-the-job accident to give up construction work. He enrolled in an ABE Program in September 1994. After being out of school for so many years, he finds it very challenging but rewarding.

A Surprise for My Wife

by Vince Molloy

One day last year, I decided to surprise my wife and make her a cedar chest. The first step was to draw up a plan of how I wanted it to look when it was finished. Next, I had to go to the lumber shop and pick out the wood I was going to use.

The process of assembling then began. I cut the boards to the desired length and then I ran them through my planer so they would fit properly. After this process I had to use my biscuit joiner to glue them together.

After they were secured together, the next step was to sand them down and transfer patterns to the wood. I used my hand saw to cut out the patterns and then I assembled them into the final product.

The last step was the finishing. I wanted the chest to match the bedroom set that we already had. I took a sample of the wood and tried different types of stain until I got one to match.

I was pleased with the final product. The moment came to show it to my wife. When she came home that evening, I said I had something to show her. I took her to the workshop. She was very surprised and happy that I had made it for her.

[This story was taken from a collection of stories written by students in basic education programs in Newfoundland, entitled, A Newfoundland Spell, p. 72]