Tia was a little early arriving at the Habitat Housing site, but there was a handsome man with a friendly face already there. He was leaning on the door of his truck drinking coffee.
He watched her approach until he was sure she was there to help with the house. “You must be Tia?”
“Yes, This is my first time do this.”
“I’m Kent. I’m a volunteer, too, but Shay delegates well. She’s in the Bronx today on another job.”
“I spoke to her.” Tia thought about the conversation and how it had seemed a little uncomfortable, but Shay had clearly been trying to be friendly.
Kent pointed behind Tia. “There’s Merritt, Hannah, and Devon. The other guy’s already inside.”
Tia turned to see two men and a woman approaching. Kent quickly introduced everyone.
“Glad to see another woman here,” Hannah replied. “Last week, it was me and a house full of men.”
Kent motioned to the front door. “Devon, you up for sheetrocking? Back room with Cliff?”
“No problem.” One of the guys smiled and nodded.
“I was thinking if you two,” he said to the others, “could knock out the outlets and switches, we’d have this one ready for flooring pretty quickly…”
Tia waited and assumed Kent had a plan for her. He did. The front of the house was ready for paint, and he suggested Tia and him could do that.
“I’ll have to check behind Hannah and Merritt… but mostly I’ll paint.” Kent went on to explain he was an electrician and would have to sign off on the work, but that Hannah and Merritt knew what they were doing.
A little while after everyone was working, Hannah came into the front room to do some switches and struck up a conversation. Tia told her about her job and that it was growing into a long term project. They talked for a while, then Hannah invited her to a potluck she and her friends were having.
“It will be nice, and if you’re going to be in town, you might as well make some friends!”
“You should come,” Kent added. “It’s a good group of people.”
Tia thought about it a little and decided she’d come.
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