I have this friend who called to say
that he is ready to work away at
replacing the stone out in the front
and would I come to show him how
it should be done.

I asked him “Why do you want it gone.
What is wrong with it that it needs to be changed”?
He thought for a bit and then replied, “My girlfriend
doesn’t like it there and as it’s her house, what can I do
except as she really wants me to”.

I answered him and said,” Well, if that’s the case who am I to stand in the way. I’ll be round tomorrow and then we can start, removing the old stone and
stacking it high into my trailer better I say,
I’ll help with your project and show how it’s done
and you can be the number one man
with the shovel and do the hard work
and I will plan and make sure you don’t shirk
any of the stuff she wants you to do”.

So I showed up with BMW X5, towing my trailer behind
and George had a friend helping him work.
He said “I’m Abel and I’m helping George
level the sand and place the new bricks
into place to fix it up and make it look good
just the way we know we should”.

I said, “How do you do, we can do with your help.
Here, let’s lay out the square using this metal edge
and then when we’re through you and George can help load
my trailer this day as back to my house
where I will stop to unload the rock”.

But first I had to get close to the pile
of rock that I wanted them to load.
They both helped direct me to where I should drive
the car and the trailer with one on each side.
One would say”Left” and wiggle his hands
The other said “Right” with all of his might
I knew that between them we were not going far
so I ignored them both and used all of my skill
to back that trailer back up the hill until
I had it where it needed to be.

It took longer to back the trailer between
the trees and bushes that were in the way
not counting the poor directions I had
than it did to load out the trailer that day.

I bid them goodbye as they started to work
on leveling sand and replacing the dirt
for the base must be level, no hollows or hills
in order to lay stone without using fill.

For not only do they want the stone to look good
not Abel or I want George to feel sad
with the wrath of his girlfriend for he is the one
that will suffer this day if it’s not done
the way she envisions, straight and true
to enhance her house so she too can feel proud.

Contemporary resort geometric stone tile walkway with repeating pattern 2 (Photo credit: Brian Reynolds)

Tomorrow I plan on going back
to reload my trailer with more of the rock
and take a look at the work they have done
and to cast my very experienced eye
with suggestions to make if it doesn’t fly
in the eyes of the boss-lady with the final word
as she is the one that we need to please
if George is to live in any kind of peace.

She knows that I’m kidding
or I hope that she does
because unreasonable she is not
and she knows how hard it can be
working out in the heat of 90 plus degrees.
At a job where the workers are doing their best
in conditions and work that has put us all to the test.