"Hello, may I speak with Alma Genestra, please?"
"Speaking."
"Ah. I thought it was you, but I didn't want to assume."
"There's never anyone here but me."
"This is Adonie."
Silence.
"I've been thinking over how you were with the wood at the house. How you approached it and treated it. Would you consider doing some work for me?"
"At the house?"
"Yes."
"No."
"But---"
"I won't work there."

"Hello, Alma?"
"Yes."
"This is Adonie. I'm still thinking of you applying your skills to the work to be done at the house."
"Well, stop thinking of it."

"This is Adonie, Alma. If you get in this evening, any time, would you give me a call? The number is 894-5656. I have a chance to get some native oak and cherry wood for the house but am uncertain of a just price. I expect you know."

"This is---"
"I know."
"Hello, Alma. Would you prefer I called you something else?"
"It doesn't matter to me."
"Then I'll stay with Alma. I haven't yet found a specialties carpenter I approve of. There's a team under Virginia that I use frequently, and they're here, working on the roof, but I need someone with special skills to work with me on the interior. Would you---"
"No."
"I'm willing to wait until you're free from your current job."
"No."
"This house was built by a craftsperson. Someone very skilled and, I think, devoted to the house, to those who would live in it. I'd like it to remain that way. This house deserves it."
"I'm not interested."
"You've got jobs lined up."
"No. I won't work there."
"But why?"

"Can you come out Saturday? We'd have the place to ourselves that way and could get some thinking done and some decisions made."
"No."
"What if---"
"I could come Sunday. Early," I added, to test her.
"Fine. Early as you like."
"Six."
"Right. I'll be there."