At work early, Hana made a private call to a local hardware store and rented a floor sander. Every evening over the next week would involve stripping the rimu floors of Culver’s Cottage. If that didn’t cure a broken heart, a lung infection might at least distract it. Hana arranged to pick the machine up on the way to the house that evening and asked the man to leave some varnish at the Customer Service desk. “Sure, what sort?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” Hana faltered at the first hurdle and fiddled with her credit card. “What do you recommend?”
“If you’re going to the trouble of stripping rimu, get a nice clear varnish and let the wood do the work,” he said. “You know it’s going to take you hours though, don’t you?”
“Yep.” Hana sighed. “Looking forward to it.”
“Right you are then,” the
