Chapter 5
five
Social Butterfly
Jim
Waking up the next day, I immediately regretted even trying to sleep the night before.
My mind just wouldn’t shut off, even though I was exhausted.
Every time I shut my eyes, I was haunted by a pair of ice blue ones.
I took a deep breath, sat up and looked out the window to see it was foggy.
Spring seems to want to stick around longer this year than it should.
After stretching out my sore muscles, I went and took a leak, then headed to get some coffee made in my old stove-top coffee kettle. After a second thought, I threw a water kettle on to boil as well for some oatmeal. It was going to be a long Friday.
After getting ready, I checked my jumper from the night before to see how dry it was and put it on the line outside for the sun to bake later on my way out. I walked the three-fourths of a mile to the mine from the Village, other men joining the trek along the way.
I had lived alone in a two bedroom unit for three months now, ever since my roommate left to work in another mine on the other side of the city in Tarentum. Luckily, the Pittsburgh Coal Company only charged me for the one-room still, even though I have the place to myself.
After depositing my belongings I don’t want to take with me in my dry room locker, I went back outside with my lunch pail to wait for Charlie and Mike to arrive.
Right as I stepped out the door, they rounded the corner.
Mike looked about the same as yesterday, glum and none too happy. Charlie though had a pep in his step.
He smiled at me when he got closer, lighting my brain up like it was struck by lightning. “Good morning,” beaming at me, his little dimple also teasing me like the sunrise.
“Morning.” Realizing I’m staring at Charlie and Mike is staring at me with a look like I had the audacity to forget he existed. I coughed, “Morning, Mike.”
He just continued to look at me, making no effort to speak. I cleared my throat and turned back to Charlie, “Go put your things in your locker you don’t want to take into the mine. I won’t be coming up for lunch, so bring your pail with you, if you want to eat later.”
With a nod, he ran off leaving Mike standing in front of me. I don’t even think he had blinked once since they arrived. After what I’m assuming was a harsh internalized judgement on my behalf, he shifted and said, “Same as yesterday–”
“Yeah. I got him,” cutting him off, and with more force than I meant, “I know you don’t know me from a stranger on the corner of the street, and it’s hard for you to maybe trust someone you don’t know, but I need you too. He will be safe with me.”
His eyes burned with a mix of hurt and– anger maybe, like I was forcing him to give up full control of his son to someone who is a complete stranger, but he stayed quiet.
“I only say this Mike, because you are working with my best friend,” wanting to make a point that there were people we both care about down there.
“I don’t need you so distracted that you put not only yourself, but him in danger, all because you are more worried about your kid.
I promise, I got him. He will be safe with me. ”
“Well, isn’t this a tense moment. I felt the vibrations from around the block.”
Rolling my eyes, I twisted to see David had snuck up on us. His favorite pastime. “We don’t know what you’re talking about. Mike and I were just becoming friends,” as I gave an unconvincing smile. It didn't help my case that Mike just walked away without a word.
David snorts, “Be right back, we can all head down together.”
This day hasn’t even started and I am ready to punch out.
Even though the day was exhausting, it went as smoothly as it did the previous day.
Charlie really was picking up on it quickly.
We were even able to load an additional two mine cars over the previous day.
He is a curious guy though and always seems to have a question about something.
After riding the cage up and grabbing our chits off the board, we headed into the dry room.
Their lockers were together just like mine and David’s, just closer to the door. As I was about to take my jumper off, I noticed they were packing up to head out before they showered.
Odd.
As David was stripping next to me, he leaned over and asked, “What do you think that’s about? You think the kid’s shy?”
“I haven’t got a clue. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone run out of here like this unless it was an emergency,” shrugging my shoulders.
Before I even had a chance to turn away from them, David yelled out, “You two want to join us for food and beers later?”
The fuck!
I turned my head and shot David the most baffling look I could muster.
“Thank you for the invite, but maybe another time,” Mike said, still collecting their belongings while Charlie gave an adorable little whine that should have been annoying, which grabbed Mike’s attention. Staring at Charlie but talking to us he said, “We really have to get home.”
It was the tone of voice only a father could pull off to signal that it was the end of the conversation.
“Okay, then. Another time. There are a couple places around here and a nicer place down the hill a ways too,” said the social butterfly.
Nodding back, all Mike said was, “Have a nice night.” Then he turned and walked out the door, leaving Charlie standing there. He waved and followed in his father’s footsteps with a solemn look on his face.
“Was that strange? I think that was strange.”
I rolled my eyes back in David’s very naked direction. “Come on. Let’s go get showered, then you can take me for a beer.”
“Excuse me! Why does it sound like I’m paying for you when you say it like that?” David said very ghastly.
I smirked, walking towards the showers, depositing my jumper on a hook along the way.
Two hours later, I was on my third beer sitting at the bar watching David talk to Mary, who worked at the Company Village Convenience store.
The man never gives up. He’s been after her for over a year.
Mary is here with her friend and boss Linda, who runs the store, and Linda’s husband Paul.
On the other side of me, is John and Will, also having drinks after a long week down in the mountain.
They were just as stuck at the hip as David and me.
They have been whispering about something with the mine since they arrived and I had only caught snippets about how the business wasn’t doing well, without much detail.
Movement caught my eye in the direction of the door. I looked over and was struck dumb. There was no way. What the hell was he doing here?
“David,” trying to interrupt him but only ignoring me.
“David!”, I whisper yelled.
“What? Don’t you see I’m…”, then his sentence faded out when he saw what I was seeing. “Holy Hell. This just got interesting.”
“What is he doing here,” turning to look at David to get his full expression.
“I don’t know,” he said with a happy grin, “but he just saw us and is heading our way.”
Whipping around, I ended up tipping over and spilling my beer. “Shit!” After grabbing a pile of bar napkins to soak my spill I looked up and was staring into glacial blue eyes.
Fuck me.