Bow'd studs beneath a Cold front a short story By Esteban Erik Stipnieks about building in the Texas hillcountry
The wind howled 15-20 miles an hour from the northwest. It cut through jeans and jacket like a bunch of small daggers. Clomp clomp clomp work boots trudged with an additional pound of mud down the asphalt street. Hands growing red had clenched two levels and a can of orange spray paint. 800 feet overhead warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico met the cold try plains air. The result was a mist and rain that mixed with howling wind. Clomp clomp clomp got closer to the sounds of air hammers driving nails in pine through a set of prefab wall and roof panels.
The hand on the levels and spray can were attached to a brain that was rapidly losing all romantic touch with the Texas hill country. The brain processed the weather picture. A quick analysis was made a look on the clouds revealed they were getting closer. Eventually the warm front would shove through in the mean time mud would dominate. San Antonio weather from late October through April was good training for marriage he thought perpetually the woman on the 28th day. The rest of the year it was blazing hot, punctuated by day time heating showers of various degrees of intensity. The boots got heavier they were now over mud. The double sock and the ankle brace the boots acted like heavy counter balance and could wreak all kind of havoc on the lower legs he found out the hard way a day in bed with pain from the lower legs. He approached the frame the white hard hat on the head meant one hand could be placed in a pocket protecting some heat.
The crew was sub of a sub contractor. It was called plausible deniability. The sub contract was on a specific scope of work signed and agreed to by builder and framer. Then the framer would contract to a crew leader. The crew leader if Immigration Customs Enforcement acted would be liable. You never shouted La Migra on a job site you banished the thought. The joke “What do you call a white house framer in San Antonio?” Its punch line different on both sides of La Raza line even if the words were the same. Walking both sides of the line was not without its advantages. The answer to the question was “unemployed” or “electricians helper.” The builder’s assistant arrived to the garage still without a door. The mud came off the boots. Within a week the mess would be his responsibility to sweep up. Schedules had to be maintained.
The detailer was still naïve a degree from Schreiner meant a fading detachment from real life. The builder’s boss was slowly in a mess and the mess was swallowing him. The detailer had started doing more and more work of a builder. He could handle a level check a house for bowed studs, read much of a set of plans, handle a sheet rock punch and relished typing. The quirks of a learning disability were there but they were worked around except the detailers back mess highlighted a dysrpaxic inability. It’s cold its wet its miserable send the cannon fodder to check for bowed studs. Antonio Cisneros was not apologetic about it he was a left over from a hill Billy super previous was had all the manners of a hillbilly. Antonio Cisneros was a remnant of old Spain manners and politicking meant much. He got the job because he knew head of construction. So the architect was now a builder. As he started placing purchasing orders and read a walk from the regional manner who liked the hill Billy he was feeling that the development was getting out of his control and blaming the detailer was not helping.
In the house the smaller level was placed on a frame the big level was going to be used first. The spray paint can was placed in an armpit for five minutes. The detailer winched his own body heat heated the can 18 degrees Fahrenheit. Precious body heat was lost. Exercise course at Scheiner paid off. The long level was placed on the first stud down a wall line. Echos of Winston School paid off the procedure to avoid losing the level was cumbersome but it as the best one level at a time idle level on the mini framed out island. The short term memory would lose it otherwise. Even in the garage the spray paint can could lose heat rapidly becoming in effective more body heat would be shared via the arm pit movement was not wasted lest the hands become worthless thanks to frost bite. The right arm pit was also growing frosty and cold more discomfort at least in sided frame there was relief from the howling wind. Still the temp of the can had to be above a certain temp and the very act of spraying paint reduced the temperature of can. The process was cumbersome smaller level for a section of wall or under a steel wind brace hammered in. A pattern had to be followed ever stud in the house had to be checked in alignment for the coming sheetrock crew. The rain fell and wind howled garage check first bath check bedroom #1 back wall for living area master bedroom, master bath closets, the small hall way. The house was a small house 2700 square foot about $300,000.00 the inclination was to rush but a moral compass remained strong this was cold this was wet this was a mess but each wall stud including those on either side of the windows in the large living area. The Jacuzzi was framed out and had been delivered that required a stretch. The block glass window had its own challenges. As bad as it was for the detailer he was out of wind and that was a far better place to be then on the frame and having to handle an air hammer in the rain and the icy cutting wind. Near the end it became a race as body heat slowly continued its dip and the daggers in hand and blood flow was reduced the aluminum had wicked much heat away stubborn pride drove on. Shivers emerged as the last wall studs of the formal dining area and the cub bard were checked. About 20 studs have been marked with a squibbly line and B with an arrow head pointing on the slab. The slab that was eventually covered with flooring became scratch pad orange, black, red spray paint different sets of eyes different marks a scratch paper in addition to the plans the job was one. The detailer was shivering and has he picked up the second level his hands were losing feeling. He walked out.
A black Dodge Ram appeared “Need a lift” the smile was warm. The Navy guy had a no non-sense reputation. He also hid his own loyalty to those subordinates who cared. The look on the face the hands for a career navy guy was unmistakable mild frost bite decreasing body temp. It was not dangerous....yet! I will have to sweep it out when dries out it will clear out day after tomorrow. A few seconds later the weather report said the same thing. The detailer had camped many a night within 20 miles of where. His bosses boss made a note in his scoreboard. He had made chief before he was commissioned. When they arrived at the construction trailer he barked “Drink some water and get warm!” the regional manager had issued an order to his subordinates subordinate. The tone had a threat the builder did not pick up on. If you can organize you stuff. As he did the builder said “When you are warm I got a punch list you can do since its muddy”
The detailer sat in 2 minutes feeling got clear on the hand a wave pain as blood flowed back to the extremities. He then went to work. The regional manager handed the builder a couple walks. He could see things were slowly getting out of control. He would wait three days see how things were going then he would blast. His boss liked the guy and now it was a matter of showing his gross incompetence. He might have worn eagles in the Navy but at heart he was a chief.
“How did you guess the weather?” the hands now lose went to the computer a couple websites produced winds a loft and observations the explanation was that of quarter native, quarter pilot half weather man. There was on observation. The regional manager had seen enough. The weak link was not the detailer it was builder now it was a matter of gathering enough evidence to convince a hostile judge of it.