Chapter 2
"C'mon, we gotta leave fer work in a few minutes. Go change yer clothes and wear yer tennis shoes today. We'll go out after work and get ya some proper boots."
"What if your boss says no?"
"McGurk? He won't turn ya away, he's got me working a double today and with me training ya you'll do just fine. It'll be Rosie ya have ta be careful of, she's got a short fuse and quite a temper if ya piss her off. I know you're gonna ask about insurance, we can't add ya to ours unless we're married and ya've made it quite clear about how ya feel on dat one. It normally won't start until about 30 days in but they may be able ta make an exception; they did fer me when I took a fall off the loading dock and broke me leg."
Reluctantly, I peeled myself off the bed and got changed, throwing on my shoes as instructed then followed him out the door, ignoring the pain that shot through my back and stomach. He said that we were actually running a few minutes early and if I wanted to, we could stop for breakfast; however, the idea of eating anything had my stomach turning. That tequila Doc gave me last night just was not setting right and I knew I'd probably be hurling chunks off the loading dock later if I let the smell of raw meat get to me.
"You're sure about this? He won't turn me away?"
"Ask the man yerself. Hey! McGurk, ya old fuck c'mere for a minute would ya?"
"Finally managed ta make it ta work on time for a change, eh? What's all dis then? Brought da lass ta prove ta me you haven't been skipping out without a good reason?"
"No actually, he promised me that he could get me hired on and possibly start today. I don't usually beg-"
"I had ya on yer knees begging a few days ago." He snickered, a wide grin from ear to ear was plastered across his face as he started to relive the memory.
"Look, I just lost my job yesterday and I can't afford to not work. This jerk promised me that you'd hire and here I am. I don't care how many doubles you need me to pull to prove my worth but I'm a fast learner. I've got some things going on with my health that the doctors are trying to figure out so yeah, there will be days where I'd have to cut out early or just call off completely but I'll try to give at least a two week notice so there's enough coverage on the schedule and-"
"Alright, alright I get da picture lass, no need ta go explaining yerself. If it's a job ya need, yer in luck and yer hired. You'll want ta come in tomorrow with proper boots on yer feet but those'll do fer today. Take her upstairs ta talk with Nancy about da paperwork then get ta work. Don't worry, Rosie isn't in today so no need ta get yer panties in a twist lad."
I could've hugged the man but I restrained myself as a small light flickered back to life. Maybe this would be the point where things start to finally get better, when things start to finally go my way for a change, and where I can finally get some answers. When the door to Nancy's office banged against the wall, announcing our arrival, a woman in her mid-40's whipped around to give him a rather severe tongue lashing then threatened to call his mom if he ever did it again.
"Have a seat and fill these out, these are your standard tax forms, this one is for if you want to set-up direct deposit, this one is for your health insurance, and this one is for accidental death and dismemberment. While you're getting those done I'll take your driver's license and social security card and make copies of those real quick."
I handed the cards over and got to work on filling out what was needed; having filled them out on several occasions over the last few years they were done in almost no time. I had no dependents so that made filling the tax stuff out pretty easy. I turned them back in and got my cards back, pocketing them for safekeeping.
"Any questions before I call downstairs for someone to come get you?"
"I do have some things going on with my health and my doctor wants to do more bloodwork. Is there any way we could speed up the process with the insurance?"
"I'll see what I can do but it doesn't normally kick in until after 30 days and since we're already halfway through with this month you may have to wait until a little longer before it kicks in. Anything else?"
"What about pay and how often?"
"It's twelve bucks an hour plus time and a half if you go over 40 hours and trust me, you'll be working close to 60 or 70 with the way people around here have been quitting. You get paid every two weeks and there are no holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other than that, you're expected to be here on time every day that you're scheduled. Got anymore questions?"
I shook my head and waited for him to come back upstairs to get me. I didn't have to wait long for the door to creak slowly open on its hinges, a single gloved hand poking around the other side of the door and a crooked finger beckoning me forward. I laughed to myself a bit and opened the door to find him hunched over with his white coat covered in blood pulled up close to his face. He and his brother both need to stop watching those old black and white silent movies. They've been trying to re-enact scenes from Dracula, The Mummy, and Phantom of the Opera for weeks now and even though I still get a kick out of it, it can sometimes be too much.
"McGurk wants ya working a double with me today if it's alright with you. Since it's yer first day you can say no but I don't like the idea of ya walking home by yerself."
"A double is fine with me, you know I've got no problem with diving in feet first. Besides, other than you and your brother, I don't know anyone here and the idea of walking home alone with Aaron possibly lurking around every corner, it's best that I stick to you like glue."
"I've got a feeling that you'll have no problem making friends while yer here. Mary, Donna, and Lynn will probably end up being some of yer best friends; they love just about everyone except Rosie. Like I told ya earlier, it's dat one ya have ta be on da look out for. That's one fat, angry lesbian and if ya manage ta piss her off while she's got a knife in her hand…yeesh."
The hours seemed to fly by as I started to get the hang of this job. I mean right now it was all about trimming the fat which isn't that hard but he made it clear that once I knew enough to be on my own that I shouldn't be surprised when they ask me to start loading the trucks that were parked out back. One of the things that I was going to have to get used to were the bells and whistles that signaled our lunch break and when a shift ended.
"That's lunch, just set yer knife down next to the slab yer working on and pick it back up when we come back. Alright now, we get a half hour fer lunch and since ya didn't want ta eat breakfast on da way here, ya must be starved."
The mere mentioning of food had my stomach growling loud enough it got a laugh out of him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and escorted me off the factory floor towards what I assumed to be the break room. Dozens of new faces sat along the banquet style tables, some with lunch boxes others with brown paper bags. Words were being exchanged and among the chatter I could pick out small pieces of conversation about a shitty work day or how someone's wife is fucking the neighbor while he's slaving away over a conveyor belt.
"We get paid tomorrow and since I forgot ta grab what ya packed me, we can just get something out of da machines today." There wasn't exactly a wide variety of things to choose from, it was mostly candy and other junk food that'll hit the spot in a pinch but will leave you begging for a decent meal by the time you got home that night. "Know ya don't drink soda but there's water and the doctor still wants ya ta stay hydrated."
I took the water bottle from the slot when it dropped down and suggested that we split a bag of chips or something since my plan after work tonight was to make the roast I had been promising all week.
"You really should be eating more than half a bag of chips, I've got enough on me that-"
"Save your money for something else, besides I don't think I can keep down very much today so we'll just see how I do with this and go from there."
He nodded and dropped whatever it was that he was going to argue. We managed to find a couple of empty seats at a table where he could shoot the breeze with some of the other guys he didn't get to see very much during the day and even went so far as to introduce me as his girlfriend when they asked who I was. Of course they had to get a good ribbing in but I ignored it, falling into my thoughts until the bells called us back to work.
I stood at my assigned station for hours, ignoring the growls from my stomach and calls for break unless I had to go to the bathroom. Before I knew it the whistle was blowing loud and clear and McGurk's voice could be heard telling us all that it was time to go home unless we planned on staying for the graveyard shift. I looked over my shoulder and watched him stab his knife through a piece of meat and away from his station, tearing his gloves off as quickly as possible. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing a kiss to my cheek, and told me it was time to go home. He took the knife from my hand and, like he did at his station, stabbed through the piece of meat I had been trimming the fat off of.
"How'd ya like yer first day?"
"I mean, it's gonna take some getting used to but with you training me, I think I'll be okay. I just don't get how you can stay on your feet all day without feeling like you need to sit down. Now I just feel horrible about all those days I'd come home from work and complain about sitting and doing nothing except counting cash."
"Ya get used to it, that's why we take so many breaks so we can walk around, sit, do what we need ta do ta move around. Maybe tomorrow you'll take more of an advantage of it instead of working through 'em. Don't t'ink I didn't see ya not taking breaks."
"Maybe, we'll see. Not used to taking breaks except for lunch."
We walked home in a comfortable silence, the noise from rush hour traffic filled the air as angry drivers honked at one another for not moving or blocking the intersections. We passed a couple of accidents on the way, one involving a pedestrian that was trying to cross the street and the driver not paying attention. It was nearly sunset by the time we got home and his brother was finally awake, sitting on the couch naked with a beer in one hand and the remote for the t.v. in the other.
"Where the fuck have you been all day? T'ought you'd have been home hours ago."
"Some asshole cost me my job yesterday and got me fired so your brother saved the day and got me a job at the plant with you guys."
"Oh, damn ain't that a bitch, eh? No matter, I got da roast out fer ya, should be done soon if ya want ta check on it."
"Aren't you just an angel, I just hope you remembered to sear it before sticking it in the oven."
I walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress, toeing out of my shoes as I quickly worked to take my bra off for the evening. I swear, if they had a burn barrel set-up in the middle of the room I'd throw it in there and watch it go up in smoke. Once I got changed into some more comfortable clothes I walked over to the oven and pulled the roast out.
"Honey, I love that you're trying to be helpful but I think any food that needs to go into the oven should be left to me."
"What's da matter with what I've done? It's cooked t'rough, isn't it?"
"How long ago did you put this in?"
"Don't know, maybe three or four hours ago."
"It's definitely cooked through, it only needed to be in there for an hour and a half so I'll have to improvise and try to make this into something we can all eat."
"Shit lass, I'm sorry."
I looked over my shoulder at his brother as he hung his head in hands. He meant well, we could all tell, but when you're tired you don't think clearly. With the roast out of the oven, I reached over to the fridge and pulled the door open to retrieve a couple of beers, the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. I stepped out of the open kitchen to deliver the beers to each brother, catching a brief clip of some conversation they were having in Italian. As I made my way back to the kitchen I stopped at the pantry to get the brown sugar, vinegar, and some spices for a homemade bar-be-que sauce.
"Can it be saved?" he asked after several minutes of whispered chatter with his brother.
"We'll see, try this, tell me what you think."
The spoon I offered him had a deep red color to it and just enough vinegar that you could taste the acid without the smell over-powering your nose. He took the spoon from my hand and waved it under his nose for a moment before sticking his tongue out for a taste.
"Not bad, maybe a touch more pepper. What are ya making?"
"Burnt ends, could you get the bread out for me please?"
"Ya making fun of my cooking skills?" His brother popped up off the couch, the volume of his voice laced with a tinge of anger.
"No, burnt ends is a type of bar-b-que I used to eat when I was a kid. We usually make it with brisket but make do with what ya got, right?"
"Why do ya need bread?"
"Burnt end sandwiches or you can just be weird and have butter bread on the side, your choice."
The flat grew silent except for the sounds of plates clanking against one another and the occasional outburst from the streets below. It was a comfortable silence however I knew his brother had questions he wanted to ask and I also knew from the look in both of their eyes that something was bothering them but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"We've got ta meet Roc later tonight, keep da door locked and don't go outside in case that sick fuck comes by ta cause trouble. Don't want him knowing ya live here let alone which floor."
"We'll be back late so don't wait up; all t'ree of us have ta be at work around noon tomorrow so we'll get ya a pair of boots before we head in."
They dropped their plates in the sink, pressed a kiss to each of my cheeks and left, the door clicking shut behind them. I got up a few minutes later to wash the dishes then locked the door as they instructed. There wasn't much on t.v. so I decided to just call it a night and crawl into bed hoping whatever they had going on tonight with Rocco wouldn't end in another fist fight.
