“The Job” (Jonah/Dante/Ino)
[Timeline: May 18th, 2012, Friday, 6:34 p.m., Petit residence.]
“I have a new job.”
Jonah lifted his head from picking up nails on the ground and looked at Dante who wiped his hands on his dirty jeans. They were just finishing up with work at Louise’s and having some refreshments as they cleared their work place.
“Yeah?” He eyed the taller and bigger man. “What do you mean?” Jonah straightened up and placed the nails in the tin can that held the others they picked up from the previous days of work. Louise’s small house/office was starting to look good. Dante was very good at building things and their small project was actually looking a lot better than he expected.
“You’re still gonna finish this house with me right? Coz I can’t do it by myself, man,” he placed the can on top of the wood cutter Dante brought into Louise’s garage more than two weeks ago.
“Of course, man,” Dante said after taking a big gulp of the iced tea served by one of Louise’s maids. “I just meant that over the weekend I’m starting a new job. You’re free to come man if you’d like. I could always use a hand.”
”’Aw ‘bout mmhh,” Ino then chimed in, a piece of baked good filled the teenager’s mouth.
“What?” Jonah eyed the young man with a frown and a smile on his lips. He didn’t understand Ino sometimes who acted a lot younger than his age. But Jonah didn’t mind having Ino around. He and Ino go way back. Ino was one of the first people he’d met when he came to Asher since the young man used to work at the slave house. He met the teenager while he waited to be purchased. Ino bought his packs of cigarettes for him, in return he made Ino earn a couple of bucks here and there. Later on Ino wasn’t just the kid that brought him shit from the outside. They talked and got along well and eventually became very good friends. But that wasn’t the only reason why he hired Ino to help out with Louise’s house. Ino, although the teenager talked a lot and was always, always hyper, worked quickly and precisely and was very good at taking orders.
“Were you dropped on your head when you were a baby?” Dante eyed the young man, his glass of beverage lifted to his mouth but didn’t take a sip until he was done speaking and then shook his head.
“Most likely,” Ino finally swallowed the food that was in his mouth and spoke clearer this time. That was one good thing about the teenager, he took things lightly and hardly got upset. “But don’t change the subject, Dante,” Ino said, popping another piece of pastry in his awaiting mouth. “How about me? Can I come? I need money more than you two combined,” crumbs of food flew out from Ino’s mouth, the teenager’s finger pointed at Dante then Jonah.
Jonah stepped back to avoid getting hit by Ino’s crumbs.
“Oh yeah? What’s the money for? You always say you need it,” Jonah then said, taking an empty glass and filling it with some iced tea. His mouth water and realized how thirsty he was.
“I have expenses if you must know. It’s hard to live in this city if you don’t have dough,” Ino raised an eyebrow. “It’s even harder to get chicks if you’re peniless.”
“Right. As if girls really give your scrawny ass a look,” Dante laughed.
Ino made a face, “I get more action than you think, farm boy.”
“Not if you don’t have any money,” Jonah chimed in, laughing with Dante. “And what expenses are you talking about?? You live with your mother?”
Dante laughed harder.
“Ha ha Laugh it up. Farm boy still lives at home, too,” Ino’s eyebrows tied in a knot. Jonah watched the exchange and was glad that Dante got along. He met Dante while looking for a job one day, down on the strip, right after he got out of jail. Dante helped him get in Miggy’s Auto Shop where the man used to work. And Dante and Ino knew each other from the slave house as Dante was also a slave but got off it by working in term (the families that owed him paid for his services for a period of time and then released him.)
“Hey, watch it boy,” Dante then said, still laughing. “I provide for my family. You on the other hand, are living for free—”
“Yeah, yeah… Whatever fuckers. Are you gonna let me in on it, or what?” Ino picked up another piece of pastry from the plate and tossed it in his mouth appearing to be not bothered by the whole thing. Ino’s living situation had always been the on-going joke among them, an everyday conversation which didn’t really matter to either Dante or Jonah. They just liked picking on the teenager.
“We’ll think about it,” Dante then said, the man’s tone a lot more serious but Jonah knew they’d eventually take Ino with them anyway, wherever they were going for this job.
With his laugh deminishing, Jonah turned to Dante, “So what sorts of job are we talking about here?” Since he’d been trying his best to straighten his life, he separated himself from his old routine; activities that usually got him in trouble. Stealing, dealing, fighting (although he had to admit, he missed fighting way too much.) He wasn’t making the same amount of money he did when he was dealing or fighting, but he felt a lot better doing what he did now.
“Gardening mostly and lawn/yard maintenance,” Dante replied. “I try to do it every summer but I only have a few houses I go to coz I do it by myself you know. Can’t really do much work if you’re by yourself.”
Jonah nodded, “And the pay is good?”
“Oh very good,” Dante’s response was quick. “But it’s a lot of work, too for just one person. I’ve always wanted to take more customer but, like I said it’s a lot of work and people around here don’t really want to do these kind of work, you know? Coz of slavery and all that shit. Easy money… Well, not really easy coz you have to live with people you don’t know, but it beats coming to work everyday making a few bucks for doing a shitload of work, you know what I mean?”
“True,” Jonah once again nodded. “Alright, I’m in…”
“Yeah?” Dante’s face lit up.
“Sure, man, why not. I’m pretty good at taking care of plants, you know that. Remember when I was working with that —
“Greenhouse at your Master’s house. Yeah, yeah, I remember,” Dante replied.
“—And cleaning lawns and yards? That’s easy. I’ve done work like that before,” Jonah continued.
“Don’t forget the pool. Rich people around here always need people to clean their pool,” Ino cut in the conversation. “And when there’s a storm or small hurricane, forget it,” the teenager looked at the older man.
“What do you mean?” Jonah frowned.
“He’s right,” Dante said, nodding his head in agreement with Ino then looked. “You know, with all the trees getting damaged during the storm or hurricane, they make a lot of mess. The yard needs to be cleaned then.”
“But don’t their slaves, assuming these rich people you’re gonna service have slaves, will just do the job?” It didn’t make sense to hire people to clean your yard if you have someone to do it for free.
“Yeah, that’s true, but then again there’s the bag and bag of tree parts and garbage they need to get rid off and that’s one good thing we can offer. They don’t have to worry about any of that shit. And as for having slaves to do the work, I mean, yeah, sure they can do the work but not like people who do it for a living, you know what I mean? There’s a certain standard if you’re in the gardening and maintenance business. And believe it or not, a lot of these people they actually just wanna hire people to clean. Their slaves have other shit to do—”
“Like what?” Ino asked, a smirk on his smug face.
“Shut it,” Dante said.
“Shup up, Ino,” Jonah said at the same time.
“Like I said,” Dante continued as if he wasn’t interrupted, “It’s a lot of work, man, but hey if you have enough customers, you can make a lot of money.”
Jonah crossed his arms on his chest. “And do you have equipment to do the job?”
“Sadly, no. I got my truck and my lawnmower and some old gardening tools, but I don’t have any of the equipment to take care of tree branches or the pool. I’m still saving money to get them, but it’s hard man.”
“The pool,” Ino chimed in. “I’m great at cleaning pools, just so you guys know.”
Jonah sat in silence thinking of the money that got wired in his bank account last week. He had separated from it what he owed Laney and the rest was just sitting there. Waiting to be spent.
Or waiting to grow.
Slowly letting a wide smile appear on his lips, Jonah started to speak, “Alright. I guess we’re cleaning some lawn this weekend,” and picked up his glass of iced tea, raising it to his friends.
Dante cocked an inquiring eyebrow but raised his glass while Ino hurriedly poured himself some drink, also raising his glass.
As they make a toast, Jonah thought it was the beginning of bigger and good things for them…
FIN
(Source: jonahlocke)
Modern Look
Ino is tagging along Dante and Jonah to work on a Mistress’ mansion all day today.
Attire: See above.
Mood: Pretty fucking happy coz he’s earning some bucks.
Happy mother’s day to all moms!
I got my mom a few scratch offs. She likes those things. She never really wins but she gets a kick out of the game.
Alright. I got her flowers, too. Then I asked her what’s for lunch.
We’re having chicken adobo.
Modern Look
Ino is heading out to Louise’s house. He will be working with Dante and Jonah, building the tiny house in the back of Louise’s property.
Attire: See above.
Mood: Sleepy.
