This is my post for #freewriters2724 #dailyprompt barely skilled hosted by 
Ekomobong sat on the edge of the crowded workshop, his hands trembling slightly as he held a welding torch. Though his grip was uncertain, sparks flew. Skilled workers moved fluidly around him, and sparks danced like fireflies when they gave the order. Ekomobong had just joined a week prior, having just completed a brief training course administered by the government. He lacked the necessary skills to be trusted with anything complicated, but he was competent enough to get hired.
Orders were yelled from the far end by the foreman, a burly man with a loud voice. Ekomobong recoiled every time he yelled, fearing he would be the target of the subsequent command. He kept his head down, attempting to follow directions from a faded manual and a gentle old welder named Malik's whispered counsel.
When Mandu saw Ekomobong's frustration, he once said, "You will get better." "Skill is not magic; it takes time."
Nevertheless, Ekomobong lacked time. This job was essential to his family. If he made one mistake, he would return to the village with nothing.
There was a minor emergency in the workshop one afternoon. Before a major inspection, a pipe needed to be repaired immediately. Every experienced worker was busy. The foreman looked around the room before focusing on Ravi.
"You. He said, "Can you weld that?"
Ekomobong's mouth became parched. "Sir, I can try."
The torch blew up. His hands trembled. But he recalled Mandu's advice: watch for the glow, listen for the hiss, and keep steady hands. Despite its imperfections, the weld held.
When the inspector showed up, he looked over the work and nodded. "Well done," he remarked nonchalantly.
Ekomobong let out a breath that seemed to be the first of the day.
The foreman walked by that night and gave him a shoulder clap. "Good job, novice."
Ekomobong gave a small smile. Not yet, he was a master. However, he was no longer merely "barely skilled." He was learning, earning, and growing—one spark at a time.