PHOENIX - The Rebirth Of Hope

Chapter 3 : A New Job

After two days of just watching, it was the third day of really doing something. Samarth had been given the job of a glassblower. It was a little difficult for his first time and he managed quite a few blunders which came near to being more deathly as Samarth nearly incinerated himself. It was the first day of it and his legs were slow and his hand unsteady. It would take quite some time to get accustomed to it.

Samarth had called his mother at the first opportunity and told her. She had been quite happy and there was a slight tremor to his voice. His father had been encouraging and told him quite practically not to be lousy in his work and not to get hurt while mentioning other precautions. After making small talks concerning the weather and talks of the city life, they ended the call.

Pay attention, idiot. Or you will set yourself on fire. Samarth chided himself. He kicked out the distracting thoughts and focused on his work.

The work was easy than the overly sophisticated ones. In due times, after having done it properly enough times, he was starting to get the hang of it. Most times he was pretty much enjoying himself.

When Samarth was small, he would have laughed on hearing that glass was made from sand but now well.....nature had a sense of humor just like human beings.

Samarth took the melting glass out from the oven after it had endured at least 1200 degrees temperature.

He let the end of the rod, where the deformed shape was, rest at the edge of the cool metal counter and then tilted it from side to side, rolling it slowly and steadily because the surface was smooth and at one time the rod had nearly rolled off the table and had fallen. Another blunder Samarth had managed to successfully make. So now he calmed his nerves and rolled it cautiously. Then he lifted it and put it inside the oven.

It started cooling and hardening as it came in contact with the air. So Samarth melted it, again and again, brought it out and dipped it in some crushed colored glass, and melted it again until the glass crumbs melted and got mixed it. That took less than a minute. As it started drooping down, Samarth brought it out, rolled it again, and this time he brought out a tweezer and teased and twisted the melting glass. With the jack, another equipment, he removed some pointed ends that were distorting his whole structure.

He again put it in the oven, then brought it out. He twisted and teased it a little and finally left it for annealing.

He was just able to make small glass structures because he was new and not trusted with bigger ones. Gradually he would start with them too.

The salary was not much of all problem. Rs. 200. In a day in the slum, he would just have been able to make till Rs. 20.

So..., Samarth shrugged his shoulders as he thought. Not bad for a small start.