HiveComb

A Clean Sweep: My Experience In A Tailoring Shop

Photo by cottonbro studio

Just after I graduated from college, I began to see the need to get a skill. Tailoring was something I desired right from childhood but my parents were more concerned about school than anything else.

Reality began to dawn on me when I brought my certificate home but had nothing to do to earn a living.

So many wonderful ideas flowed through my mind but I had no money to give them life. So, I decided to sit and watch life play.

One of those days, I was in my room in the evening pondering about life, when I heard a knock at my local door made of galvanized iron sheet.

Initially, I didn't want to open up but the sharp sound coming from the consistent knocking wouldn't let me be.

"Oooh, who's that?" I murmured, as I stepped down on my bed and walked to the door.

Funny enough, the person refused to respond. "Mtchew," I hissed and peeped from one of the large holes in the door, and behold, it was Esla, my childhood friend.

I shouted, "boss," as I opened the door.

He tilted his head left and smirked, "What were you feeling like in the first place that made you delayed before opening the door?"

"Nothing bro, I am sorry, come inside please," I said after giving him a warm hug.

Esla has been one of my best friends but since I got admitted into college, things have gone cold. We all got busy and forgot about each other.

"So, how have you been?" Esla asked, after sitting on the bed by my left.

"Well, I am good, but I am still in shock seeing you in my house. I thought you weren't in town," i replied.

"Why won't you be surprised, when you totally cut me off? I was in the market some minutes ago and I stumbled upon your mom. She said you are home so, I decided to come and check on you," he responded.

Hmm! I sighed, "I know I have been such a bad friend but I am sorry, I promise to mend things. So what are you up to now?" I asked curiously.

Esla smiled, "well, I am into tailoring. As we speak, I have a lot of work to do at the shop," he replied as he opened the nylon he came with, showing me a piece of gum stay fabric and three thread rolls.

"Wow!" I shouted leaving my mouth open for a moment. "You mean, you took that skill seriously to this point?" I made fun of him.

"Yes, of course, I own a shop too," he added.

On hearing that, I had this fast, gentle, unusual movement in my stomach. Gosh, it was a good news, I didn't see it coming.

"That's great, congratulations brother," I extolled him.

"Thanks, man, so what about you?" Esla enquired.

"You know I just graduated. I don't have anything to do for now. I will be frank, I want to go into tailoring but I don't have registration fee," I expressed myself.

"Emm, that isn't a big deal brother, you have me. Come over to the shop, tomorrow let's begin immediately, he replied,"

I was very happy to hear that from him. I appreciated him and got the shop's location.

I didn't hesitate, the next day I resumed work. The shop really beat my expectations. It was painted white inside, it has a ceiling fan, one table, two irons, one electric and the other one uses charcoal.

There is a very big table by the left as one enters, directly opposite to it is a pair of speakers and an amplifier. Then, one Emel sewing machine directly facing the entrance and one manual machine just beside it by the left.

That first day was heaven on earth, I was just so happy that my dream had finally come to reality but it was also the day my battle began.

There were two apprentices in the shop, all young boys, between the ages of eleven (11) and twelve (12)

That day one of them sewed a shirt and it was so beautiful. The sight really boosted my passion and ever since I wanted to be given the opportunity to sew too.

When the time finally came for me to show myself worthy, Esla started by giving me a piece of fabric to make rope for a trouser (drawstring) and I was happy, I thought it was going to be so easy, but I sat on that sewing machine for almost three hours and I couldn't craft anything reasonable.

I sweated, it dried and I sweat again. When Esla saw how I was struggling, he came and tapped me and said, "bro, it's a gradual process, you should rest now."

I felt so ashamed of myself that day and self-doubt began to find its way into my heart.

It is believed that after spending a week or two one should be able to make those ropes but I have spent almost two weeks yet I couldn't.

The young boys in the shop always laugh at me whenever I am given the task and I begin to struggle on the sewing machine. It became worse daily as the process repeated itself.

Lucky me, some weeks later, Amos, who is also a tailor but has no shop started coming over to work in our shop.

The first time he saw me struggling on the sewing machine trying to fix thread and forcing the pedal to move, he laughed and said, "you remind me of my early days in tailoring, It took me over a month to learn how to make rope, but you don't have to take that long, you know."

I looked at him and smiled faintly, slightly moving my cheeks. "Thank you."

"Hey, free your mind, don't fight with the machine, just flow with it. Love the motion and believe you can do it. Now give it another try let's see," he ordered, standing right in front of me with his eyes fastened on me.

"Okay sir," I gathered courage and took the sight of Esla and the other boys out of my mind and began to do what Amos told me, and boom, the pedal became different under my foot as I moved it back and forth.

"There you go, now sew," Amos commended me.

After that experience, I continued to practice eventually and whenever he is around, he still gives me more tips. Esla became comfortable with him coming around because I seemed to understand better when he taught me.

One day, Esla had many clothes to sew and it was just me and him that were in the shop. The other boys went to school and haven't returned. Amos on the other hand didn't show up.

So, Esla brought materials to me and said, "I know you can do this, please help me make these ropes. Don't waste the materials because I don't have extra."

Those words sunk into my heart, fear gripped me, my heart raced and my legs began to shake but I knew that I could do it because I knew the kind of results I had been getting from practice lately.

"Okay sir," I collected the materials, inserted thread in the needle, and began to sew. Something that used to take me hours to make, I made three within an hour and they were very neat.

"Here are the ropes," I presented them to Esla.

"What, you made this?" He asked, looking at the ropes over and over, turning them.

"Yes bro, you said I shouldn't waste the materials," I replied.

"Guy, these are perfect," he praised me for the very first time.

I shined my teeth uncontrollably. The joy in my heart that day was immense.

After that day, I began to sew not just rope but trousers as well. The rope Esla kept as a sample for new apprentice was one of the ropes I made subsequently. Everyone in the shop was amazed at my transformation including Amos.