"You're an educated man, aren't you?" It was early morning several days later and 415 was standing in the door of Hotch's cell asking the question.
"I graduated Summa Cum Laude from The University of Virginia Law School," Hotch informed him dryly. "And I passed the State of Virginia bar exam on the first try."
"That doesn't mean a whole lot to me," was the brusque reply. "You can read and write and do basic figuring, can't you?"
"Yes, I can read and write and do basic math," Hotch assured him seriously. "Why?"
"Harvest time," was the brisk reply. "Everyone works, and that includes you. Let me get you some work clothes and then I have just the place for you."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
'Just the place for you' turned out to be the weighing shed where produce was packed into wooden crates and then weighed before being put onto pallets for shipment off the island.
"Our main crop is mangos," the head of the crew, who had been introduced as 479, told Hotch. "And we also grow papayas. Then, there are the embroidered tops that come out of our workrooms. You won't be concerned with them. They are already packed up and ready to go, and the head seamstress is already in the weigh master's office making sure the bill of lading for them is properly filled out. Those boxes will go out on the first shipment. After that, we need to keep track of the weight of the produce to make sure we don't overload the boat. We also get paid for the fruit on a per pound basis. That's where you come in."
"Understood," Hotch replied. Both men were dressed in work clothes which, for Hotch, meant a clean pair of light colored khakis and a fitted cotton t-shirt advertising an amusement park. Both pieces of clothing had been delivered to his cell along with his breakfast by 415. And, while his ankle chain had been removed, he was keenly aware of the fact that several of the rather sizeable men in the area were keeping a close watch on him.
"After the fruit is picked, it is brought down here to be packed," the explanation continued. "When each crate is full, it is given a number and then moved onto the scales. It is your responsibility to record the crate number and its weight on the form on your clipboard. Make certain it is legible because the numbers will need to be totaled up later on. After the crate has been weighed, it is then moved onto a pallet which will later be moved onto the boat. Any questions?"
"There are separate sheets for both types of fruit?" Hotch checked the pages on his clipboard.
"Yes," 479 replied. "Just check at the top of the sheets. They should be clearly marked. We will be doing mangos for the first few days before changing to papayas. Still, some of both types of fruit may show up here at the same time. Just keep an eye out."
"Not a problem," Hotch assured the man. "Now, it looks like the first crate is on the scale and waiting for me. Would you like to check while I record it to make sure I'm doing it right?"
After watching Hotch record the first several crates of mangos, 479 grunted his approval and then moved off to make sure the pallets were being properly stacked prior to being moved down to the dock.
As Hotch worked at the weighing station, it soon became obvious to him that if he helped move the crates onto and/or off of the scales it would speed things up. So, he began helping the other workers as they moved the crates of fruit around.
Work was proceeding smoothly when suddenly a loud blast from an air horn filled the air.
"Boat's here," one of the men commented.
"We'll need to get down there to help unload supplies," one of the women said as several of the workers headed in the direction of the noise.
"You'll stay here," 479 instructed Hotch. "We need to keep the turn-around time as short as possible. I'd like to see two shipments go out today."
"The boat's destination is fairly close?" Hotch was still trying to figure out exactly where he was.
"Depends on what you call close," was the vague response as the man began walking in the same direction the others had taken. "Just keep on weighing and stacking."