John and Jill Ch. 06

John got out of his truck and walked over to where the men were standing at the back of the F-250 and he could hear the conversation getting a little louder.

"But Rans, this table is been in my family for years. My grandfather had it imported from France 100 years ago. There's got to be something you can do. It's an heirloom." This was spoken by the man in the three-piece suit with obviously dyed black hair and a thin mustache.

The white-haired man in the work clothes said in an eastern European accent of heavily broken English. "In old country this be fixed... I could fix ... but too old now, no more skills; table finished. Make good firewood."

The black-haired man just slumped and said, "Could you try to find another one like it for me in France, at least, Rans."

"No Mr. Mendelson, no make anymore, too much run run run... no take time anymore... Everyone busy busy busy. This only make good firewood."

"Oh no Mr. Rans, you can't destroy a beautiful creation such as this. This has to be saved," John interjected to the amazement of both other men.

Rans just looked at John like he was crazy and said, "You crazy man, short and long rails split, have ornate flourishes with raised lions heads carved on each. You not get joints apart to even replace rails. Leg is damaged and needs to be remade. Cannot be done. You a crazy man."

The black-haired man looked at John almost beseechingly and asked, "Could you do the work, young man?"

"Yes sir, I could," said John proudly. "I could do it in about three weeks."

"How much would this cost me, and would it look original?"

"It will look original, but how did it get broken?"

"My son had a party while we were gone and his football friends decided to have a football game. One of the 250 pound tackles tackled my table instead of his buddy. What's this going to cost."

John just said rather confidently, "Mr. Rans, what will we charge for a job like this."

Rans just looked at John like he was crazy and said, "$2000 Mr. Mendelson, Scottish Oak very rare; and artwork like this cost much money."

"Okay, Rans, it's a deal and your employee's name is..."

"John, sir, John Trainor."

"I've heard that name before, son; are you ready relation to George?"

"Yes sir, his youngest son."

Mr. Mendelson just smiled broadly and said, "Your dad and I went to school together and I've seen some your work, son. Mr. Simmons is a friend of mine and has bragged on some of your pieces at his house. You do excellent work and I can't wait to see what you do with this. Now that I know who you are, I have more faith in your craftsmanship."

Mr. Mendelson helped Rans and John carry the table and the leg to load into John's truck for him to take home to his shop.

After Mr. Mendelson left, Rans just looked at John and said, "What you do here young man?"

I came to apply for your salesman job Mr. Ranskovyk."

"It Petor or Rans. You fix that table; you got job, boy."

**********************

John spent two weeks working on training at Fenster's and trained Jody Howard, one of his coworkers, to set up and operate the Woodmaster.

The day before his three weeks were up on a Friday afternoon, John rolled up to Rans furniture with the table in his truck and Rans came running out as fast as he could from the front of his building. When he saw the completed table in the back of John's truck, he was elated. He hollered into the store for one of the boys in the back to help unload the table. The table was so heavy that they yelled for one of the other guys in the back for help. They carried it inside the store through the front double doors and set it down gingerly on the showroom floor.

"You did it boy, you did it. It beautiful work, you old world craftsman," Rans said, hardly disguising his emphatic approval. "You got job, you got job." Rans hurried over making a show of tearing up the help wanted sign in the window. "You start Monday."

"No sir I can't, said John noticeably deflating Petor Ranskovyk."

"You no want job now?"

"Yes sir, but I need to give Jim Fenster a two-week notice."

This obviously appeased Rans, and he patted John hard on the back, thanking him for his work.

"How you do this?

"I steamed the joints apart to get the rails off and got the new wood from Fenster's to replace the rails, being careful not to raise the grain. Then I matched up the wood and made a pattern of the flourishes and carved them in the new rails after I cut the mortises and tenons. I carved new lions heads for the rails and glued them on. I re-carved the claw leg and used hot coffee to stain the wood and rubbed it all to a finish with Danish oil to complete it. The longest and hardest part was the carving, which took me two weeks."

"You make masterpiece; you wonderful craftsman."

John looked at Petor and asked, "That's what I'd like to talk to you about Rans; what about a semi-partnership. When I'm not selling on the floor; I would like to build custom furniture for people and sell it. I would give you a percentage of the sale of course. I notice you have several good tools in the workshop portion of the building."

"Anything boy, anything."

When Mr. Mendelson showed up to pick up his table, he was blown away. He was never so satisfied with anything in his life. He realized that he was in the presence of an artist as he stood there with John and was in awe of his table.

"Simmons didn't lie, son. No wonder he had you do custom work. I can't tell it looking that it isn't original. You're truly gifted. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Mr. Mendelson, I know it's supposed to give furniture character, but I fixed some of the scratches on the tabletop as well."

Mendelson took his checkbook out and wrote Rans a check for $2500 and told him to give the 500 extra to John. He looked at John and said, "I've got some ideas I'd like for you to look at for some work for me as well, Mr. Trainor."

"Call me John, Mr. Mendelson. And I'd be glad to look at your ideas and see what we can do for you. I'll be working here full time now."

"It's Harold, John. And, Rans, you have a good man here. Try to hold on to him."

Rans shook Mr. Mendelson's hand and said he definitely would.

Then, the shocker came when Rans yelled into the back, "Amyleese, come."

John instantly knew that there was not two ladies in this area by that name and was shocked when Amyleese came out front. She stopped suddenly when she saw John standing there.

Petor looked at her and said, "Amyleese, this John Trainor. He work with you to sell the furniture. He good man. John is my granddaughter Amyleese. She good sales girl. She really sell furniture good."

John just said, "Hello again, Amy."

Rans looked at the two of them and said, "You know each other, is good, is good."

Amy just looked at John and looked at her grandfather and said, "So you hired another of Fenster's woodchucks, huh, grandfather? Just because he can build something doesn't mean he can sell furniture. It's a little bit different selling something than making something, Bozo."

"It'll be a pleasure to work with you as well, Ms. Ranskovyk," replied John, wondering what he'd gotten himself into by taking the job from Rans. He knew this was going to be interesting.

To be continued...