It had been a long day. I was on a pretty good roll with my work, but I didn’t really need extra hands. I was being given a pair anyway.

I reached to shake hands with Manny. He looked down at my hand, like he wasn’t sure what to do. He finally shook my hand with a weak grip.

“How old are you, Manny?”

Manny sort of scowled. “Fourteen.”

Hmm. I didn’t really need any help, and the help I’m getting has a bad attitude. Then the thought occurred to me: Maybe Manny wasn’t the only one with a bad attitude.

I took a quick survey of the room I’m working on. I had a series of holes to drill along the bottom of a wall. I hadn’t drilled them yet. “Manny, you ever used a drill?” “Oh, sure, I’ve used a drill.”

“Ok, then. I’ll make marks on the wall where I want holes drilled. You come behind me and drill those holes.” I handed him the drill and showed him how it worked. I started making my marks. He started drilling the first hole crooked.

“Hold on, Manny. See the little bubble on the back of the drill? That’s a level. Put the bubble in the middle of the circle and that will tell you if you’re holding the drill straight. You’ve got to keep the drill straight in order to have a straight hole.”

I kept making my marks, but kept an eye on Manny’s drilling. He got the hang of it right off. I reached to shake his hand at the end of the night. “You did a good job tonight Manny. I appreciate your help.” He nodded, and said: “Thanks.”

Manny showed up a couple of evenings later. This time I had him sand pretty birch plywood. I showed him how to remove scratches with the sander. “You can fix most anything with a little effort, Manny.” He nodded and kept sanding.

When he left that evening, I was sitting on the floor working on a baseboard. He told me was leaving. I said goodbye but noticed he was still standing there. I looked up at him, and his right hand just barely moved from his side. I reached up my hand, and he took it immediately. This time his grip was a little stronger. Manny asked: “Will you be here tomorrow?” I told him I’d be there. “Ok, I’ll be back.”

Tonight was Manny’s fifth night. He sanded two pretty boards and coated them with polyurethane. He’s learned he likes making things look good. He likes doing a good job. The bad attitude is gone.

And tonight his handshake was a firm one. When he turned to leave, he stopped and looked back and said: “Hey, thanks.”

(Editor’s Note: Write David Clark at P.O. Box 148, Cochran, GA 31014, or email him at dclark@outofthesky.com.)