At Wick's End - Tim Myers [8]
“So all our money problems are over,” I said, feeling slightly better about the payments looming over my head.
Eve frowned for a moment, then said, “Not necessarily. Anne Green at Crewel World said something to offend her, quite by accident, I’m certain, and suddenly Anne was blacklisted at all the craft shows. It nearly put her out of business. So what did Her Highness say?”
“She wants me to teach her how to make candles,” I said. “And she wants to start Thursday.”
Eve looked grim as she said, “Then you’d better get your first lesson right away.”
We moved to the smaller working area in the back where it was obvious the regular classes were taught. There were six benches around the room, with enough space for twenty-four students. Sinks and storage took up the rest of the tight quarters. I picked up a chunk of translucent wax and said, “Let’s get started.”
Eve took it from me and put the wax back on the counter. “We don’t have time to go into dipping or pouring just yet. Hmmm, I suppose sheet rolling would be the best place to start. Let me collect some materials and we can get started.”
I followed her to one of the shelves near the front and saw an array of honeycombed sheets in a variety of hues, along with wicks, knives, straight edges and cookie cutters. She chose a packet with sheets of golden-yellow wax a little narrower than a piece of notebook paper but quite a bit longer. I picked up a pack myself so I could get a closer look. The wax had a definite raised imprint throughout. “This is neat. It’s like a soccer ball.”
Eve took the packet from my hand and said, “It’s a hive pattern. We only need one for now,” she added as she returned mine to the shelf behind her.
Eve motioned me to one of the workbenches, a long countertop with overhead lights that illuminated the entire tabletop. After she removed the wax and wicks from the pack, I grabbed the sheet and flexed it in my hands. “It’s kind of thick, isn’t it?”
Eve shook her head and easily located a seam I’d missed. She peeled one sheet from the other and handed it to me. I was expecting it to be sticky for some odd reason, but it wasn’t at all. The single sheet was really pliable as I made waves with it, shifting it in my hands. I held it to my nose and caught a pleasant, faint scent that did indeed remind me of honey.
I caught Eve smiling at me, something she quickly stifled the second she saw me notice. “Here’s the wick we’ll be using,” she said as she handed me a piece of string that was thicker than kite string but thinner than a shoelace.
“It’s pretty long, isn’t it?” I asked.
She said, “We can cut it to any length we need. Now today is rather warm, so we can skip the preheating process. Sometimes in winter I like to use a blow-dryer to make the wax more malleable.”
“Blow-dryer. Got it,” I said as I fiddled with the wax. “What do I do now?”
“Lay the sheet out flat,” she said. “Then trim the wick within three-fourths of an inch beyond the edge of the wax. No, not that way, go along the width, not the length.”
I did as I was told, and she continued. “Now fold the wax over the wick tightly. Don’t be afraid to use your thumbnail to clinch it into place along the entire length. Remember, the tighter the candle is rolled, the better and longer it will burn.”
I finished that step, and she reluctantly nodded after inspecting my work and adding an extra pinch or two. “Now it’s simply a matter of rolling the candle up tightly till you get to the end.”
I did as I was instructed, amazed at how simple the process was. Until I found that somehow I’d gotten off course and my candle now had a definite diagonal slant to it. “Okay, how do I fix this?”
“You rolled your candle too quickly. Unroll it, the wax is very forgiving, and try it again. Take your time and watch the edges.”
It was just like unraveling paper towels from the roll as I started over at the cinched wick. This time I was more careful with the edges and produced what I thought was a decent candle.
“What do you think?