Using the daylight to their advantage, the dozens of men hired to achieve the unachievable set their minds on the scaffolding while a few of Samson’s most trusted workers began dismantling the patio nearest the house in preparation for the planks and frames. Promised double their rate if their work was sound and safe, not one dared to make a mistake, so once the first level was completed, safety harnesses were donned before they worked their way slowly upward. Dawkins Construction would accept nothing less. Before lunch was called, the first row of scaffolding was in place around the house, and by Sunday night, The Oaks was entirely surrounded by wooden planks, aluminum rails, and men fastened in safety harnesses.

True to Samson’s word the work was noisy and dirty, but after a while, no one in the house seemed to notice. Even Chauncey, who had barked at every snippet of unknown sound during the first few days, had quieted his growls. Occasionally he’d let out a yip when something was louder than he wanted, but for the most part, he stayed snuggled on Joanna’s lap while she read, oblivious to what was happening around him.

Using steel brushes, propane torches, and gloved hands, the crew of men spent eight days removing every sign of the ivy, while another group demolished the old patio and began to build the new. For the most part, there were no surprises. Loosened mortar discovered under the ivy was expected, and masons were already on call to repair it. Rotted wood around windows and flaking paint was also commonplace on homes encased with ivy, and painters and carpenters were a mere phone call away, but late Thursday afternoon, there was one surprise. As the workers were making their way across the roof, one of them concentrated on the dome directly in the middle of the house. Pulling here and there, he tore off the invasive plant, but when he took a step closer to the uppermost part of the sphere, he heard something crack. Covered in years of dirt and vines of green, the glass panels in the dome had long ago been forgotten until the worker’s boot had just found them.

In an instant, the young man found himself falling into the house. The slate floor of the foyer was approaching at breakneck speed, but his safety tether stopped him twenty feet before he met his maker. It was the only day work was halted for something other than meals, but after some slaps on the back and playful teasing, everyone went back to work. There was no time to waste for their bonuses were on the line.

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