“Winners Never Quit”
By
Gerry Niskern
“You’re not coming back, are you?” The voice startled me as I was unlocking my car and preparing for a fast getaway. A current of anger had carried me quickly out the door of my first writing class. ‘How dare them criticize my treasured family story?’ I thought. I was hurt and humiliated. ( I had a lot to learn about writing and class critiques!) I turned and recognized the pretty, brunette woman from the class.
“No, it was probably a bad idea. We are remodeling a house we just bought and I have lots of work to do on it.” I replied. “Oh, where is it? I would love to see what you are doing.”
Why wouldn’t this pushy woman just leave me alone?’ When I explained our new home was at the end of Central Avenue, up against the North Phoenix Mountains, she said, “Do you mind if I follow you home?” I reluctantly agreed.
As we got out of our cars at the top of the steep driveway the steady beat of my husband’s hammer drummed us up the stairs to the second floor. All of our white furniture was piled in the middle of the future great room, covered in heavy plastic). We learned that Mary, my new friend, had plenty of knowledge of home construction as she and her spouse, an electrician, had built more than one house.
As she talked with Ken he explained that he was doing the work of tearing out walls, flooring and putting in new baths and a kitchen himself; all this in his spare time as he was still working. She marveled at the renovations we were planning and recommended men’s names in various trades that we could use. She gave us a French door for our intended master bedroom. She cheekily volunteered her husband’s welding services in putting together a wrought iron railing and gate for the inside stairway Ken still had to design somehow.
She spotted my paintings down stairs and I explained that the lower floor was going to be my studio eventually. I was supplying several galleries and needed to get back to work soon. In the meantime I thought I would start writing, that’s why I had been in her class today. Mary
offered kindness and support. When she left, leaving us warmed by her enthusiasm she turned to me and said, “ I’ll see you in class next Tuesday Gerry.”
And the rest is history.