One day, Jedidiah came back and lifted me out of the hay. He didn’t measure me, but instead carried me gently out of the stall and through the barn.
At the other end of the barn was a long wooden table with an assortment of tools on it. Wood shavings covered the table top and surrounding floor. Off to the side was a dresser three drawers high. Or rather, it would be three drawers high. At the moment, there were no drawers – just the emptiness they would fill.
Jedidiah lifted me higher as we approached the dresser. Out of the corner of my glass I caught a glimpse of a ridge along the back edge of the dresser.
It hit me in an instant. Jedidiah was making Dear Elizabeth a vanity! Not only was I a gift for Dear Elizabeth, but I was being lovingly, deliberately, and carefully crafted into something beautiful and useful.
Was I to become a priceless family heirloom? The thought made my silver sparkle and my glass gleam. I could not wait to see Dear Elizabeth’s face when she saw me.
All those days waiting in the hay suddenly made sense. I had never been forgotten. Jedidiah had been preparing a place for me. A special place. A beautiful place.
Jedidiah carefully set me in the groove he had made. He slid me to the side a little bit to center me. The top of me rested against the wall of the barn and when he was sure I was secure, he let go and stepped back. He eyed me critically, then slowly a big grin slid across his face.
“A little more needs to come off the right,” he muttered to himself, “but this will work.”
Once again being careful and moving slow, Jedidiah lifted me from the groove and took me back to the stall where he again buried me with hay. This time, I didn’t mind the wait. Instead, I was very excited to see the dresser next time.
I didn’t have to wait long. Just a day or two later (it’s hard to tell when buried with hay,) Jedidiah came back and took me to the far side of the barn. The dresser didn’t look much different, but the legs had been carved to be more rounded.
As before, Jedidiah set me down then stepped back to critique. He seemed more serious this time. At first, I was apprehensive, but then I realized what he was doing. He was preparing for action.
Jedidiah kept his gaze on me as he grabbed his hand planer and took a little bit of wood off an edge. He stepped back to look again. He nodded once, seemingly satisfied, then grabbed a rectangular piece of wood and approached me. To my surprise, he fit my side into a groove on the wood, set me upright, and began to attach the wood to the dresser.
If I’d had lips I would have smiled so large my glass would have burst. I wasn’t going back to the hay pile tonight.
Jedidiah worked until both sides and the top support firmly held me in place. He even shook them gently to make sure I wasn’t going anywhere. My only regret was that I couldn’t see how grand I looked. But I could see his smile in his eyes. I couldn’t wait to see Dear Elizabeth’s reaction when she first saw me.
Jedidiah continued to work on me when he was able. He also had to tend to the fields and animals, so the going felt slow to me. But I loved watching him take the wood scraper to my wood surface, and the hand planer to smooth out the rough spots. He worked carefully and delicately, making sure everything was perfect.
Dear Elizabeth had to be something real special to get such care and devotion. I couldn’t wait to meet her!