Bradford Lad: Carpenter
Mike Coatesworth is given good advice to guide him through life by his Aunt Chrissie.
I remember the time that my Aunt Chrissie placed me on her knee on one of the occasions that I needed cheering up. I had just got belted by my stepmother for accidentally losing half a crown whilst out shopping for her. No matter how hard I searched, I was unable to find it. So it was a very slow walk home that day and I resigned myself to the punishment that I knew I would receive. Afterwards I went to my Aunt Chrissie as I knew I would receive sanctuary there in her arms. My stepmother wouldn't come near my Aunt, as she was afraid of her.
So here I was once again on my Aunt's knee, and as she brushed away my tears and hugged me close to her, I could smell the carbolic soap that she used. It wasn't unpleasant. It is an aroma that once smelled, you never forget. For some reason it always tends to bring back memories, a bit like unlocking a door to part of the brain that has not been visited for years.
She told me of my Uncle Eddie, he was a carpenter on board a ship Of course his nickname was Chips. Unfortunately, his ship was sunk in WW2 and he didn't make it back. In the corner of my Aunt's room was a huge sea chest that had once belonged to him. She told me it contained some of his tools that he used when he did some of his carpentry at home.
She said she would often sit near him and watch him at work. "He had the patience of a saint," she added. "When he was creating something, he put every ounce of his skill and knowledge into it to making an object to admire.'' She told me how he would carefully clean his tools afterwards, ensuring that they were wrapped up neatly and placed away in his chest ready for use the next time.
Taking me off her knee for a moment, she walked over to the corner of her room and picked up a large covered object and brought it over to me. Removing the cover she revealed a five-foot high by three-foot wide solid wooden board that had the Lord's prayer carved onto it, surrounded by other ornate carvings. Aunt Chrissie informed me that this was her Brother Eddie's last present to her before he was lost at sea.
I ran my fingers over the carving and thought to myself that my Uncle Eddie sure knew his work. This was something that had not been rushed. He had taken pride in his work, creating something that I admire to this day.
Putting the masterpiece back in the corner, she took me on her knee again.
"Whatever you decide to do in life," she told me "make sure that you do something that will make people proud of what you have achieved, then you will be remembered for all the good things you did. Any mistakes that you make along the way will be forgotten."
Time for a Cuppa!
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