I get dressed and go downstairs. Mikey and Joey are out on the green messing about with a football and I put on some chillax music. I make proper tea and sit in Jenny’s chair and wait for something to happen, some divine inspiration or something. It isn’t long before I take it upon myself to go out and clean the car. I grab the red basin and a sponge from under the sink. As soon as I start soaping the car I curse myself – Mikey and Joey move away from their game to get in on the action. After a lot of mucking about and my temper frayed, I finally tell them to very kindly fuck off back to their game, because if anything, they’re causing me more work. I sit down on the kerb to try and relax. The sunlight shining quickly draws out the streaks on the surface of the car windows and I am at a loss as to how to eradicate all these marks. It does cross my mind that there are real problems of war and other such heavy and loaded issues going on in the world. But still the imperfection irks me.

I go back into the house and sort through Jenny’s art supplies laid out on her desk. I like to do this when she is out. Jenny and her friend have gone into town, each hoping to get their hair cut in some way that will make them seem more alluring. I don’t believe that Jenny needs to make herself any more attractive to anybody except me.

I select a gouge; a type of chisel with a curved blade – designed to remove large layers of wood, smoothly. I run my hand over its handle and it feels cool to my touch. I place it beside a slightly smaller instrument with a flat cross-section. I take hold of a rasp, which gives the wood a very smooth surface. There are bottles of linseed oil and walnut oil to gently treat the woods. Varnish is too strong and can leave an unwelcome glossy effect that looks like the sheer finish of a toffee apple.