He and Suikazan had finished working on the blue SUV from the other day, which turned out to have only minor problems concerning the tires. Having finished the job early this morning, Suikazan gave Kisame the rest of the day off to search for another job and place to live, predicting business to be slow, but nothing he couldn't handle alone.
Though Suikazan had given him two tasks: find a new job, and a place to live, finding a job was clearly more important here because Suikazan would kick his butt if he didn't pay him some sort of rent after the auto-shop closed, regardless of the circumstances.
"You're a hard worker," Suikazan told him earlier before he had left, "and a good kid. You'll have no problem finding another job."
Kisame darkly chuckled to himself. "You'll have no problem finding another job." He muttered under his breath.
"I'm serious. You'll find one. I know you will. And if you need a reference, give me a call; I'll tell 'em everything they need to know." Suikazan said, when Kisame argued. "You'll be fine. Trust me."
A day spent visiting two auto-shops within walking distance quickly put that notion to rest as each of the shops' proprietors all parroted the same thing "I'd like to believe you, and I'm sure that you have the knowledge, Mr. Hoshigaki, but we're gonna need a certification of your credentials, you know, some paperwork."
"I've worked in an auto-repair shop for almost two decades! There's your credentials!" Kisame told them each time.
And each time, he received the same dismissive answer "I'm sorry, but there are plenty of vo-tech's around that only take up to two years to complete. When you finish one of those, come and see us and the job is yours."
Each person Kisame had spoken to had made it seem as though two years was a piece of cake. That taking two years' worth of classes was no big deal, that all he had to do was stay where he was and take a few classes here and there, and be content. What they didn't know, was that Kisame's days at his current job were numbered, along with his living arrangements, leaving him standing alone by the bridge that connected his town to the next, separated by a wide river.
The sky was a bright blue, spanning across the horizon, dotted with fat white clouds that seemed to lazily drift across the river as the sun's rays sprinkled the water in a blinding glitter.
Throughout the day, Kisame'd seen college kids walking through the city in tank tops, shorts, and oversized sun glasses, women jogging through the park, a few accompanied by their dogs. It was the perfect day to be out and about.
It was perfect for everyone but Kisame, who watched the dark waters passing under the bridge beneath him, trying to gauge how far the murky depths extended beneath the surface and how badly, if at all, it would hurt to hit that surface from his distance if he jumped.
It wouldn't make a difference, really, he reasoned. His skin was numb. His mind was numb. His entire being was numb. It would hurt, but it wouldn't hurt much.
He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. He hadn't hit bottom yet. He still had a job, for a couple of days at least, and a place to live for a couple of weeks. He had plenty of time to turn things around for the better.
With this new mindset, Kisame pushed away from the railing and began the long walk back to the auto-shop, his temporary home.
Poor Kisame. Hope you enjoyed!
Until next time!
~Sasori33-001