Chapter 8: I Don’t Know If I’m A Virgin

MONDAY

On Monday Danny and Paul were at the garages early. They had only just opened up when a delivery lorry arrived. With it’s grab it easily unloaded all the timber roof beams. Thanks to a small bribe from Paul, instead of unloading them onto the ground, he lowered them all onto the garage walls at the far end. That would save them having to lift them up themselves.

Finally, the lorry unloaded the heavy steel beam. That was also laid across the walls in exactly the correct place. Then the delivery lorry departed and left them to it.

By the end of the day, they had the roof beams in place. They were all nailed together where they overlapped. The ends of the timber beams that should have sat on the dividing wall that they had removed, now sat inside the new steel beam.

Paul had brought some roof straps with him, so once the beams were in place, they fixed one to every third beam. The straps dropped for a metre down the wall and were then screwed into the brickwork. They would stop the roof lifting off in a storm.

At each end of the garages where there where gaps between the ends of the beams, they filled in with bricks, laid with a sand and cement mix.

TUESDAY

Danny and Paul had another early start. Today the delivery was twenty of eight feet by four feet plywood sheets for the roof. The same driver dropped the pack of twenty boards onto the roof beams at the nearest end of the garages.

The two of them then worked as a good team positioning the boards then nailing them down. Every board was nailed along every beam at four-inch spaces, using two-inch galvanised nails.

At mid-day whilst Paul had gone for the chips, a delivery of eleven rolls of roofing felt arrived. They were unloaded straight onto the roof on the end where they had finished nailing the boards.

Then Danny carried on nailing until Paul returned. They had a welcome break in the cab whilst they ate their lunch. After lunch they carried on nailing boards down. Then for the last two hours, Paul started laying felt on the boards. The felt had to be heated with a powerful blowlamp so it’s underneath melted. Then as it was lowered onto the board and pressed down with his feet, it stuck to the boards.

WEDNESDAY

The next day was all felting. By the end of the day the whole roof was felted and the felt went over all the edges and down over the nine-inch by two-inch beams. The garages were now waterproof.

Paul explained to Danny that it needed a second layer of felt all over, but the first layer would keep it dry, so now they could work inside as well.

THURSDAY

The forecast had shown two more fine days, so Paul had ordered more felt. That was unloaded straight onto the roof and Danny was given a lesson in felting before he was allowed to have a solo go. When Paul went to get lunch Danny just carried on. During the day another delivery arrived.

This one was timber for Dannys bench, Polystyrene insulation slabs and timber for lining the walls. The polystyrene would keep some warmth inside, but mainly it would be a sound barrier. Now the roof was on, materials could be left inside secure overnight.

FRIDAY

The last of the second coat of felting was done and fascia boards were now fitted all round. That was a two-handed job as each board was five metres long. Danny had to hold one end in place whilst Paul fixed the other end.

After all the fascia boards were fitted, they then attached a removable ‘L’ shaped piece of timber all round. Then when they laid the concrete roof cover, it would overhang the fascia boards by two inches all round.

When they had laid the beams, which ran across the garages, starting from the front, each beam had been raised by a small packer. The first one was an eighth of an inch thick. Then the one under the second beam was a quarter of an inch with all the rest increasing by an eighth of an inch each time. That would give the finished roof a two-inch slope falling towards the front. Then the water running off would be collected into the inside storage tank.

The rest of the afternoon they spent fixing four-inch by two-inch timber strips vertically all around the inside of the external walls ready for the insulation.

At four o’clock Paul decided they had done well and would knock off. He was spending the weekend with Grace at his house. Danny had work at Johns tomorrow and a day with Lorraine on Sunday.

When he got home, Danny spent an hour putting finishing touches to his design for the table.

SATURDAY

Danny arrived at Johns and let himself in. When John came through to the kitchen to welcome him, he gave him a hug and a kiss then said, ‘I hope you don’t mind but you’ve got a visitor due at one o’clock. I’ll leave going shopping until then.’

They sat down for a coffee and John explained. ‘On a Wednesday afternoon,’ he said, ‘I have been going to the local Civic Centre for a cuppa and a cake with group a similar age to me. We chat about the state of the world and about getting old mainly.’

‘Like all groups, there are some I took a liking to more than others. George, Arnold, and I tend to sit together most of the time. Occasionally someone else will join us at our table and we all try to make them feel welcome.’

‘Last Wednesday Sarah joined us. During the conversation that followed we learned that she was a widow with a son of forty still living at home. ‘Ken’s a lovey lad,’ she told us, ‘He looks after me well and is always happy.’

‘At least,’ she said, ‘He used to be. A few months ago, I noticed a change in him. He stopped being happy is the best way I can describe it.’ ‘Did you ask him what was up?’ I asked her. ‘Yes, numerous times,’ she said. ‘All he says is, ‘Stop worrying mum, there’s nothing the matter.’ ‘But I know my son, something is definitely bothering him.’

‘Have there been any changes in his or your life around that time?’ I asked her. ‘No,’ she said, ‘I’ve thought back many times and I can’t think of anything that has changed at home.’

‘Sounds like he needs a visit to see Danny,’ I said. I was immediately aware of three pairs of eyes fixed on me. ‘Who is Danny?’ Arnold asked. ‘He’s a very good friend of mine,’ I told them, ‘He’s a young lad who does my garden every Saturday. He has an amazing ability to relax people and get them to tell him what’s troubling them. Then he manages to come up with a solution.’

‘I’ve lost track of the number of people he’s worked miracles for.’ ‘What sort of problems does he deal with?’ Sarah asked. ‘Just about everything,’ I said. ‘I can’t tell you exactly because he never repeats anything anyone has told him. I see people arriving to see him looking very down. Those I’ve seen again afterwards always look very happy.’

‘Is he expensive?’ George asked. ‘I told them you don’t charge, you do it voluntarily. But some people have been so pleased they’d given you some cash towards university fees. Although there is no obligation to do so.’ I added.

‘What would Ken have to do and where would he go?’ Sarah asked. ‘I explained about coming here and that I always went out and left you to it. So, she took my number and said she’d have a word with Ken.’

‘He rang me yesterday evening,’ John said. ‘He sounded nervous and said his mum had pushed him into ringing. I told him it didn’t matter why he came. I was sure he’d go away happy. I said Danny stops for lunch around twelve thirty, why don’t you call round and have a coffee with us and meet him. If you decide to stay, I’ll go out shopping and leave you in private.’

‘If you decide not to stay, it’s no problem, you won’t have put either of us out. At least your mum will be happy if you can tell her that you’ve met him. I told him. I think that decided it, so he’s coming at one.’

‘I’d better go and get some work done then,’ Danny said getting up. ‘I’ll give you a shout at half twelve.’ John told him.

The next few hours flew past, and soon John’s head came out of the back door to call him in. They sat and chatted as Danny ate his butty’s. ‘How’s Llandudno going?’ John asked him. ‘Hopefully it should be sorted by next weekend.’ Danny told him.

Danny was just finishing his lunch as the front doorbell rang. As John went to answer it Danny put the kettle on and prepared three cups of coffee.