Waste
Stage 02: "Hard Day's Work"
"Argh, it would rain the day we have to work outside! Bullshit!"
We got an offer to pick up trash along 141 the other day. Didn't pay a lot and we'd have to wear ugly white jump suits, but you know we took it, right? We're out on there now, actually, and we're not in any danger, despite the fact we're on a highway. People don't have the gas money to be doing any major traveling up and down and all over the place anymore—Gotta save every penny you can, y'know—so traffic is light. I don't like people who litter, but I don't mind picking up after them for a quick buck. Today we get to buy food, plus after this is done, we get paid in cash. That's going straight toward bread and meat for our little family.
Hmmm…… I haven't used that word in a while.
I miss bein' a little kid. Not because I didn't have responsibilities or anything like that. Hell, no. Even then, the world sucked and so did its people, but I didn't notice. What's that's real fancy word for 'ignorant'? ……Naïve. That's what I miss being. I miss my dad, too, the old drunk. Probably the reason why I drink so damned much. Wait, wait. I'm getting' off topic. Anyway, I had a real nice family, all guys. Just me, my dad, and by two older brothers. They're all in other parts of the country, too far away for me to visit often. We weren't tight-knit, but we got along fine. I don't know what ever happened to our mom. I never knew her; only saw her in pictures. Never really cared, to tell the truth.
Back to this now, it's raining. And not a nice, warm, summer rain, either. This shit is C-O-L-D. One of the guys just sneezed. Don't know who, but I hope their not catching a co… a cu… a... ACHOO!! A cold… (sniff) The last thing we need is one of us walking around sick. Car's comin' up. Watch it, guys.
"……Aww, you asshole!!"
Ha ha ha! Some jerk totally soaked 'Coom on his way through..! Pretty funny! If it were me, though, I'd piss all over that dude. It's alright, though. We'll be done in a little bit. Not many cars equals not that much trash, but certainly enough to put a little cash in the stash, or toward it. Ha. The dude who hired us even offered to give us a ride back in his sweet ride. You guessed it, a minivan. Employers make me wonder, where do they get the money to hire their workers? It really should be a common sense answer, but I don't know it. Shouldn't worry about it too much, I guess. As long as it's nothing too illegal, right?
Cartels, kingpins, the Mob, rings, all those big time hustlers, we're not into that. Hey, we may buy marijuana and steal used clothes and stuff, but the only risks we pose are the ones that can hurt us and us alone. If we do something 'wrong,' then we should be the only ones to suffer the consequences. Never dragging anyone down with us, that's the kind of logic we all share.
If your gonna break the law, make it a small one. I prefer jaywalking.