Chapter 29 #2
For once, Dad’s face was a little brighter.
Still hard to read, but I could tell he was happy for me.
Then I told him the owner offered me a job there to get me out of the mine, if I wanted it, which made Dad’s eye bug out and his mouth drop in shock.
“I know. I was surprised too. He told me to think about it and let him know. I have a little time. The current worker is leaving in about a month.”
“Is it safe? What does Jim think?” The fact he wants Jimmy’s opinion meant more to me than anything else. It shows the acceptance my dad had within him runs to the core of this relationship I am in with Jimmy.
“He wants me to do it, because like you, he hates that I’m down in the mine. And it’s the safest as it can be. I wouldn’t have known it was there if Jimmy hadn’t shown me. It is hidden very well,” remembering how the wall swung open on hidden hinges.
“Then do it if you think it will make you happy. And like Jim said, I don’t want you down there if you don’t need to be,” he turned back to his washing, ending the topic but not before adding with his back to me, “I am happy for you, Charlie.”
“Thanks Dad.”
Not much happened the rest of the day. After the moon welcomed the night, I gave Dad a hug, lingering in each other’s hold longer than normal. I told him I’d see him tomorrow and left for home.
As promised, David showed up in the morning to walk me into work with a familiar -BANG BANG BANG-. I was finishing fixing my lunch, so Jimmy let him in. He blazed through the door, like his ass caught fire. “Hi, where’s the coffee?”
“I just finished making a new pot,” I told him as he beelined for it, a cup already waiting on the counter.
“Why, aren’t you just the perfect husband,” he praised me. “Jim, keep him. He knows what I want and need.”
“More importantly, he knows what I want and need,” Jimmy said, bouncing his brows, grinning like a hyena, clearly remembering me attempting to suck his crème out of his cock last night, only for him to swing me around so he could take me in his mouth at the same time.
Let’s just say I tried my hardest to please him fully, but he was too good, so I couldn’t finish him until he finished me.
“Oh my God! Are you kidding me?” David's head clearly exploding on the inside with I’m sure various images of us together, making me blush hotly and laugh at the same time.
“Wow, I think this is going to be fun,” Jimmy said, chuckling at himself.
“You did kind of start it, David,” still laughing. It was nice that someone close to us knows, even though it might take him a moment to fully get used to it. I think his exclamative reactions were just for show, mostly. And with Betty also knowing, and Dad. We have ourselves a safe little group.
I went to hug Jimmy. He took me in his arms tightly. “I love you. Have a good day, I’ll see you tonight.”
“I love you,” I gave him a sweet kiss, breathing in his smell in an attempt to hold me over until later.
“Let’s go Thumbelina, we are going to be late,” David was watching with a lopsided grin.
On the way through town, other men joined along the way, David asked, “I really am happy for you. And I am sorry for being such a dick. Jim told me I needed to apologize yesterday while we were together, but I knew I needed to before he said it.”
“Thanks, David,” thinking about laying in bed last night after our fun, Jimmy telling me about their day and what he told David, also telling me that he told him he needed to apologize to me and to let him know if he didn’t.
“I appreciate it. But there is no need. You were just protecting your friend and trying to do what you thought was best in tense situations,” giving him an understanding smile.
We got to the mine, where I saw Dad waiting at the Dry Room. I said hi and we made plans for him to come get me for lunch before he ran off with David.
Tom had joined us with Will and held me back. “Morning Charlie, and welcome back,” slapping me on the back in greeting. “How is our man, Jim? He doing well since I saw you Friday?”
“He is okay. Doesn’t need me to assist anymore,” I nodded. “He said to tell you he will be raring to go, come Monday next week.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. But the offer still stands, if you BOTH need anything, let me know,” tilting his head my direction, his one eyebrow lifting and his pupil shooting the silent message clearly.
Holy Shit, he knows too!
My god, the whole town is going to know about us at this rate.
He gave me a nod and another back slap, “I’m handing you off to Will. He will set you up at The Hole and the Tipple. Follow his lead, and you will be safe with him.” He winked at me and left in the direction of his office, leaving me with a double message that I couldn’t decipher.
“Let’s go. I’m sure we already have cars to empty that the last shift left behind,” Will said as he walked off toward the white tunnel.
Once down there, and after apologizing for making them wait, Will gave instruction to the men that were all waiting in the Heart. Then we walked straight through to the other side, passing all the room passages, following the rail tracks the cars travel on.
At the Adit, aka The Hole, we walked into a sheet metal structure on tall stilts that was built extending over the railroad below.
“Welcome to the Tipple,” Will said. He said hi to John, a man I recognized from the bar the night I snuck out.
They were sitting together. Their eye contact gave off a signal that pinged me like a sensor.
There were two other men at the right-hand side working a mine car, spinning two wheels together, one on either side of the mine car, tilting the area.
“Wow,” looking at the mechanical contraption that tilts the minecars into shoots, dropping their loads of coal into the unknown below.
“As you can see, the rail line splits into a fork at a track switch. The cars can roll through those giant wheels, into these two areas along the rails. The wheels lock into place, held tight by clamps,” he pointed to two spots in the floor, next to each other but with a good four feet in between.
“So, when we turn the giant wheels, the axle that’s connected to the section of the floor spins, the whole area tilting as one, including the floor, rails, and cars that are locked in place, dumping the coal down the shoots into the train cars or steamships below. ”
The shoots were located on the outside of each track so the only way around to the other side was going through the center of the Tipple.
Will must have been following my gaze around, so he said, “Do me a favor and always stay to the center. Lost a man down one of these last year,” rolling his eyes, making John laugh, clearly meaning the man was okay, he just went for a ride. “You have any questions?”
I shook my head. “No, put me to work.” We got to it, John also sticking close when Will had to go supervise rooms and the day was uneventful other than learning this new job. Will asked me some questions to try to get to know me more, which I answered well enough with John also listening in.
Like Tom, they had a look in their eyes as well. It makes me nervous that people may know without actually confirming it, but at the same time, it felt nice to know that we have allies that are not a part of our underground community.
At the end of the day, Will told me to tell Jimmy he said hi, and to extend an invite to get drinks this week with him and John and that I was invited too.
Dad and I walked back to the Village together.
He asked me how it was working the Adit, which I told him I preferred over swinging the ax, which he seemed pleased about.
It wasn’t that it was easier, it was still damn hard work with the weight of the cars full of coal while turning those wheels and pushing the cars in and out in an organized fashion.
It was just knowing that I was accomplishing the job after the mining of the coal was complete.
We cleaned up in the cellar before heading up where I cooked dinner with the groceries we had bought the day before. I packed a plate for Jimmy and right at dark sneaked home.
He was waiting for me with open arms.