I'll be damned
(From left to right) Brian Stacey, John Stacey, another ironworker, working in St. Louis. (Courtesy: John Stacey)
Story told by John Stacey
We were working in St. Louis, putting up a stadium. My wife Charlene came down and was staying at a hotel pretty close to the job site. We were working on the side of the building that faces the hotel, so I told her, “Break time is about 9:30 and we’re going to be on that side. Come out on the balcony at that time and I’ll wave to you.”
Right around 9:30 I told one of the guys who I was working with, “Hey look, there’s a girl on the balcony over there. Bet you if I wave to her, she’s going to wave back.”
The guy turns around and says, “I bet you twenty bucks chief she ain't going to wave back. She isn’t looking at you.”
So, I wave and she waves back. The next thing you hear is, “Well I’ll be damned!”
We all started laughing and I told him, “I’m just kidding. That’s my wife.”
Then the guy says, “Now that’s another twenty bucks I'll bet. She doesn't know you from shit.” I told him, “Well then, you're going to lose that too. It’s my wife, we arranged it.”
Sometimes you gotta have fun on the job site.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Thia'karihwakénnia'te
John Stacey, standing in the center between two of his fellow ironworkers from from the St. Louis Stadium, St. Louis. Circa 1995. (Courtesy: John Stacey)
John Stacey ROKÁ:RATON
St. Louis nonkwá:ti tsi ionterohroksthahkó:wa iakwakétskwas. Khekstén:ha Charlene taienatà:ra tánon tsi ionnonhwétstha tiakonòn:were ákta tsi tewatio'ténstha. Tho na'kanonhsa'kará:ti' ionkwaió'te tsi nonkwá:ti tsi ionnonhwétstha niiotierà:ton', wa'khehró:ri' ki', "9:30 iakwatonrihsénhne tánon tho entiakwáhseke'. Tsi ioskwèn:nonte' tatsá:ken'n neh nikahá:wi tánon tekonianentshateníhon'se."
Kwah ákta 9:30 wahihró:ri shaià:ta néne skátne tionkwatenróhon, "He tho ítiens iakón:kwe tsi ioskwèn:nonte'. Tóka' tahsheianentshateníhon'se, tentsesanentshateníhon'se."
Wa'thatkahrhaté:ni thí:ken shaià:ta rá:ton, "Tewáhsen nikahwístake' enkón:ion' sónkwe tsi iah tha'taonsaiesanentshateníhon'se. Iah tha'teiesakà:nere'."
Thò:ne ki' wa'tekheianentshateníhon'se sok tonsaionkwanentshateníhon'se. Nek sonkwathón:te'ne, "Thia'karihwakénnia'te!"
Wa'tionenhríhsonhkwe wa'onkwaiéhson tánon wahihró:ri', "Wakatswà:ton. Khekstén:ha thí:ken'."
Sok sahèn:ron' thí:ken rón:kwe', "Ne thí:ken ne ó:ia tewáhsen nikahwístake' enskón:ion'. Kwah iah teiesatkon'seraienté:ri'." Wahihró:ri', "Tó:kenske ensarihwanó:ron'se thí:ken ó:ni. Khekstén:ha thí:ken, ionkenikwatákwen' kí:ken' nahò:ten."
Sewatieren'shòn:'a nek aó:wen ahsátswa'te tsi nón:we saio'ténstha wáhi.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde