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DENI GALYA ARC

DENI GALYA ARC

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DENI

Galya Arc

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First Job Part V

Then I remembered I hadn’t eaten and was carrying the bag with the wrong order. I saw a bench nearby in the shade.
I would sit there. Let’s see what’s inside.
I opened the package and saw a box of seafood, something green to drink and some fruitcake. From what I noticed I could conclude that it was not just an ordinary cake..
-Itadakimas.
Wait a minute, I don’t say something like that before eating. I heard it from somewhere. It’s probably no big deal, just don’t make it a habit.
I pulled the plastic fork out of the bag. Inside were napkins, salt, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise and even a toothpick,
Interesting. Do they get this all the time? I didn’t know the answer, but I knew it was definitely some kind of conspiracy. But even if it was I didn’t have the brain capacity to over think it.
I opened the box of seafood and started eating.
Hmm, delicious. Do the rich have the privilege of eating such things? I knew next to nothing about the lifestyles of the rich. Doesn’t matter.
As someone who hadn’t eaten in three days, so did I, but I choked.
Let me try this drink. There’s no way it’s not good.
I opened the bottle and try it.
It tastes sweet. It must just be a diluent. Still, let me look at the label.
Only natural fruits and vegetables are used for our juices. Live healthy!
Um, okay, wait a minute, so it’s from real fruit. Usually everywhere I go they mix “natural juices” with something they dilute and add ice.
Gulp after gulp I could feel myself finishing it down before I knew it.
Let me stop drinking and keep eating.
As I ate I noticed many workers watching me.
Even blind, I could tell that the expression on my face was happy. On the other hand, maybe there was another reason they were looking at me.
While I was calmly eating an old man approached me. His work clothes were torn all over the place and “stitched” with staples. There was oil in many places and other things that could not be cleaned.
-What are you doing here?
-I?
-Do you see anyone else here, young man?
-No.
-Then answer me.
-I’m looking for work.
-But aren’t you from the rich neighborhood, young man?
-No, Grandfa.
-Well, I’m still not a grandfa. What can you do?
-Well… I don’t really know, but I need to get a job.
-That’s a good thing, but is there a specific reason?
-Yes, there is. I can live with money. And if I want a girlfriend I have to have money on hand. I can’t rely on Mom all my life.
-I was like that at the time, too. You could say I haven’t moved from here. I don’t know how to say it, but when you start here you won’t get away or move up. Here you just put up with everything.
-It can’t be that bad.
-Young man, only people who can’t do anything work here. Do you think the common workers here have any idea what they’re doing?
-Shouldn’t they know?
-They should, but really they just do what the others do. Most of the bullies or people with low education are gathered here to do hard work that requires no brain savvy. Here all are…
-Are they all?
-What was that buzzword… Ro…
-?
-… Ah, yes robots. They all work like robots.
-Yeah. I’ve been looking for a job all day today with no luck, so I thought I’d give it a try here.
-And I’ll tell you again, this is no place for kids like you.
-Thanks for the warning.
-No need for that.
The old man’s gone. I saw him take an old loaf of bread out of his bag and with some salami he was about to eat. The others were still staring at me, but it seems they started to eat too. It was hot, and while I was talking to the old man sweetly I had the meal. I ate the seafood and when I looked at the others they looked at me as if I was purposely teasing them with the food. That wasn’t my intention, but that’s how it worked out. Now it was time for the cake. Just opening the package the smell alone made me drool.
-Get this one, enough mocking us!
One of the many workers didn’t seem to hold back.
-Did you come to mock us, sissy?
-Get out of here, you lazy bastard!
-Go back to “yours” and don’t come back!
Apparently I couldn’t eat it in peace. I put the cake and the juice in my bag and got up.
Let’s move on with the other seven jobs. Let’s see.
We’re looking for general laborers for a poultry slaughterhouse.
I honestly didn’t even know what mom was thinking as she marked it. Anyway. Hopefully I’ll see someone to ask where it is, they don’t have an address.
-Excuse me.
-Please.
-Hey.
Workers passed me, but no one turned and answered me. I walked into a part of town where I knew nothing. I was walking blind. I almost gave up looking for the place and moved on to the next ad and saw a big building with some chicken.
Well, if that’s not it, I don’t know where it will be.
With that, I headed over to the building. When I got there I noticed that the entrance was not on that side.
There had to be somewhere to enter from.
I walked around the building as far as I could looking for an entrance, but never found one.
-Hey, you!
It’s got to be here somewhere.
-I’m talking to you!
I’m not blind.
-ARE YOU MOCKING ME?
Then I noticed someone was talking.
-Are you talking to me?
-Yes, to you!
-Oh, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to get in.
-Do you have some business here?
-I’m here for the job at the bird slaughterhouse.
-Boy, do you tolerate blood or to kill?
-Well, no.
-Then don’t waste your time. Only crazy people work here. I’m security. I’m even paranoid because of the workers. I can’t sleep in peace.
-Isn’t there something else?
-Between you and me, stay away from here. Neither the money nor anything is worth it. I’ve got a few months of tenure left and I’m retiring and getting out of here. They’ve taken enough of my health.
-I see. Bye.
I knew it was far from a good idea, but to be this bad I didn’t think. Or was Mom just teasing me? Truth is, by the end of the day, one way or another, people were discouraging me from working on other people’s
six places. They were right. What to do? Some places it’s better not to know anything about them. The jobs were as I expected entirely physical. Now I’m on the bus on my way back.
-Hey, kid.
-Are you talking to me?
-Yeah, you. Having trouble getting a job?
-Yeah, something like that.
I didn’t even know why I was being honest.
-Here I have a job for a few days. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
-And what’s the catch?
-There isn’t one. It’s just small things for an hour or two to be done in a few days.
-How much will I get?
-Well, 40 euros.
-Isn’t that a lot for 6 hours.
-Everyone’s looking for constant work, and we need a man for a few days. In the meantime, you can get a job. Are you ready?
-Well, I’ve got nothing to lose. Count me in, but where will I find you. – -Well, close to the downtown would be the job. You’ll go to 24 XXX XXX XXXXX Street. You know where the street is, don’t you?
-Yeah.
-Tomorrow at 15:00 come.
-All right, see you tomorrow.
After that conversation, I felt like all my hard work to find a job paid off todayeven if it was for a few days.
When I got home and told my mom all about the work she couldn’t stop laughing, but then she was skeptical about the job. We had oven roasted chicken and rice for dinner. I crawled into bed and fell asleep without even curling up.
Hopefully I wouldn’t catch cold.

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DENI GALYA ARC

DENI GALYA ARC

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DENI

Galya Arc

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First Job Part IV

I couldn’t contain myself, but that was the truth the others were pointing out.
-And yet do not believe that is the case. Even the most inept are useful, somewhere, and you are not. You’re just beating it into your head.
-Do you really think so, Stella?
-I’m more than convinced. Everyone’s good at something. But everybody spits on other people’s bad points, but don’t let that stop you!
-Are you saying that from experience?
-Yes, Deni. When I was a child I was often made fun of for being weak in math and P.E., but as you yourself noted I have a gift for playing the violin.
Stella took a sip and then a second.
-I wasn’t a good student either, but I was slightly above average.
-I’d find that hard to believe.
-And now are you going to start doing it too?
-It definitely sucks to be made fun of, especially when you’re present.
-It’s undeniable.
-Well, when do you plan on having a girlfriend?
It came out of the blue, but I had to be honest with Stella.
-Actually, I’m looking, but no luck so far.
-Is that so?
-Yes.
Then I wish you best of luck. You’re on the right track. Just don’t give up or quit!
-Thank you very much.
I drank my sprite and got up.
-Now I have to go.
-Wait.
-?
-I’ll have a concert with an orchestra in a hall in two months. I’d love for you to attend.
-But I don’t have any money.
-No problem, here’s your VIP ticket.
-I don’t deserve it.
-Just take it.
Stella gave me the ticket by force, I took it and started back to my destination.
-He’s not bad.
-Not at all, Mike.
-You’re a bigger sister and you can teach him this or that.
-Aren’t you looking for a fight?
-No, it’s not like that.
Stella drank the rest of her drink and got up.
-Where are you going?
-To keep playing.
-Boss, how much longer do we have to follwo him?
-Have patience. Soon he’ll be desperate and easy to trick. Just make sure you don’t give yourself away.
-No, I won’t, but the girl which was next to him seemed nice.
-So what? She’s no use to us for anything. Well, concentrate on the young man. Now after him!
How many surprises were in store for me today I didn’t know, but only by walking forward could I figure them out. So only forward, and what will be-shall be. The alley leading to the fast food place wasn’t far. I almost reached it. It would take me to the end of downtown and the beginning of the rich people’s neighborhood. The place was literally teeming with people in expensive clothes, cars and whatnot.
As if it was a different world there, not the same one. Same applied for their way of thinking. They thought of themselves as more than others, but whatever a person was, they remained meat, bone and soul. I do not see the difference between them and us. All the shops here sold everything so expensive. It was like they were boutiques. I didn’t even have the courage to look at the people passing by here. About
them I’d just be an annoying fly getting in the way of their otherwise perfect lives. And whether that was really the case was another matter. I was trying as hard as I could not to be reflected in their eyes and
to find this place to make a quick meals. Surely everything in it would be expensive too. It didn’t matter. God, I nearly tripped over my own feet. Looks like alcohol in the cocktail after all, they gave me at my first job was starting to kick in. I didn’t know exactly where the place was, so I decided to ask a shopkeeper.
-Hello.
-Hey, poor guy, don’t beg.
-No, I’m not.
-Get out.
And that was their good welcome. I’d hate to think what their bad reception would have been. On to the next shop.
-Hey, can you…
-These clothes are from my great-grandmother’s time. You must be someone digging out of the dump. Get out.
I passed that store, too.
-Hey, can you…
-This isn’t a homeless people shelter.
I swear these people need a psychologist, but I don’t think he’d help them. It was best to ignore them or I’d kill them. Not literally, of course. I decided to use fate as a guide to guide myself, and so I checked out each store with a glance. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon the place I was looking for, and it was literally across the street from where the rich man’s neighborhood begins. I walked into it. All eyes were on me and if not for what I usually get stared at for, here it was for my appearance. Somehow I gathered my courage and spoke.
-Can I speak to the manager?
A second. Two. Three. Four. Five.
-Yeah, come this way.
I followed one of the restaurant staff.
-Mr. Trakiyev, this one wants to speak to you.
-All right. What is it, young man?
-Well… I saw the job ad and I came.
-Do you have any experience in this field?
-No, but in the ad.
-You don’t, but even if you did, I wouldn’t take you. Your clothes are cheap and unclean. It would only ruin the name of otherwise good place to eat.
-Boss.
-I didn’t know you had such demands.
-Besides, I see you share nothing in common with us. It just won’t do.
=Boss.
-Yeah, what’s the matter, Yanni?
-One order was returned. What are we gonna do about it?
-Let’s see. Give it to this boy. At least he had the guts to come here, but he’s not like us. Isn’t he?
-That’s right, Boss.
All the workers shouted together.
-Kid, here’s your food. I hope you’ll remember this moment, because you’ll hardly ever have a chance to eat something this good.
I didn’t answer him, I just accepted the package of food and something to drink.
-Now get out of the back and don’t come around again! You’ll only ruin the image of this place!
Even if he wanted to I wouldn’t do it. I feel completely ashamed and like it’s just a reason not to get picked up.
I’m done with the downtown. Now on to the industrial area. I had to catch a bus to take me there because it was not a bit far from downtown. I saw the familiar driver and he charged me for the fare as a student. I sat in literally the first available seat. There weren’t many people for the industrial area, and most of the people working there were catching the earliest bus at six. I was beginning to think this was just temporary and that things would probably get better. Just bad luck. Whether it was or in reality is another matter, but let’s think positive.
Next stop industrial area.
Before I knew it the last stop came and expectedly I was the only one left. I got up and started to get off.
-Good luck, boy.
Then the driver called before I got off.
-Thank you very much.
In the industrial area, in a nutshell, it’s a black job. The first job was to unload building supplies at a warehouse. The place was less than a hundred metres from the bus stop. I headed there. While I was walking
I could see other workers working tirelessly without taking a breath as the expression goes. You could certainly liken them to worker bees. The hundred meters were not even two minutes walking.
-Hello.
I called to a worker who was unloading building supplies.
-Hello.
-Can I talk to your boss?
-Yes, of course. I’ll call him right now.
He turned out to be a polite man, or so I thought. After a minute a big giant appeared.
-What do you want, boy?
-You have a job advertisement and I came to ask for a job.
-What?
-Yes, I want to work here.
-Gut, ’cause the job’s simple. Ya load building supplies. Whatever you damage is taken out of your wage.
-How many hours. What’s the pay?
-Cinco, to be honest, I don’t think this job is for you. We work here from 8 to 12 hours depending on how much stock we take. You work when we call you. You get 4 euros an hour.
-He’s right. The job is not for you.
After some thought, I agreed. It really was a very physical job and I could only really work to pay for what I damaged.
-Thank you very much. Bye.
One down and seven to go.

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