“I got the stuff you asked for,” Hasha said.“Mind giving me hand?”
“Sure.”Mike set the second bottle of water on the table where Joesph had been sitting, his computer still open.
“Might need to move this table, though,” Mike indicated the little table.“I think the first one should go here.”
“Let me clear it off,” Joesph said, closing his computer and grabbing the water bottle and the nearly finished glass of Coke he’d been drinking.
“Hasha picked up the table with one hand and the chair with the other.“Where to?”
“Uh, why not put it under the stairs for now?”Mike suggested.
A few moments later, there were two wooden trestle tables and four benches along the back side of the diner.
“Wow, those are great,” Joesph said, inspecting them closer.“Where did these come from?”
“I made them this morning,” Hasha answered.“Could I get a Coke, please?”
Joesph looked in the back door and shook his head.“Sorry, but it looks like the drinks station is out of commission at the moment.The best I can offer is a bottle of water.”
Hasha shrugged.“Okay, that’ll work.”
Joesph handed the water to Hasha.“You made these in one day?”
“Yep.”Hasha drank half the bottle of water.“Woodworking is kinda my thing.”
“I see that.”Joesph was still looking closely at the tables.“This is good quality work.Do you have a shop somewhere?”
Hasha laughed.“I work for the US Army.”
“Hasha is the best woodworker I’ve ever known.It’s like second nature to him.You should see the bridge he and I designed and built.It’s not all that big, but it is a beauty.”Mike smiled at Hasha.“Whenever I need something made of wood, I call on Hasha.”
“To be honest, I was glad to get your call,” he said to Mike.“I was pretty bored.We don’t have any real projects until after Memorial Day.”
“Damn,” Joesph murmured.“I could really use a good craftsman like this.”He stood up, looking at both Mike and Hasha.“It’s hard to find someone with these skills.”
“What do you do?”Hasha asked.
“Technically, I’m an interior architect.It’s a fancy way of saying I’m an interior designer.”
“Oh.Cool.”Hasha drained the rest of the water.“If’n there’s nothin’ else, Sarg?”
“No, nothing else, soldier,” Mike answered.
Hasha saluted the Sergeant and left.
“He’s pretty quiet,” Mike said to Joesph.“Not much of a talker, but he’s damn good at what he does.”
“I see that.”Joesph sat on one of the benches.“Amazing.”
