Riches To Rags

Chapter 5: Manual Labor

Chapter 5: Manual Labor

"Without labor nothing prospers."

~Sophocles

"Dog gone it child," Pete sighed. "Dat right there is to much soap. Ain't 'cha neva mop a 'flow befo?"

They both glanced down at the bucket filled with suds and was now over flowing. Rae reached over to turn off the facet and grabbed the mop, pushing it the bucket. The mop itself was filthy but was thankful that Uncle Pete gave her a set of yellow rubber gloves.

"Jesus, ya using all ma water," he claimed. "Ya want me ta go out of business doll?"

Rae shook her head no, glancing up at him. "No sir," Rae said.

Uncle Pete rubbed the back of his neck. "How many times I gots ta tell ya ta call me Uncle Pete," he reminded her. "Er'body in da hood calls me dat and ya no different."

Rae nodded in agreement while following him through the back door and into the store. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Now all I want ya ta do is mop tha 'flow," he told her. "Then ya can leave fa tha day. Ya don't have ta come in ta'morrow since it's Memorial Day."

"Ok, thanks sir-." He gave her a look. "Uncle Pete."

He gave her a warm smile and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry child," he added, "You'll get use ta all dis in no time."

It was her fifth day working at Uncle Pete's Market and Rae highly doubted that she could get use to working in a liquor store for the rest of her life. She couldn't stop her thoughts from the wanting to go back to the Manor. And every time she thought about going home she reminded herself that she couldn't and  had to stick it out like a grown women. This was her opportunity to show everyone that she didn't need their help to survive on her her own.

Rae stared back at the bucked over flowing and couldn't help but to compare it to her emotions. She was over filled with many emotions. One, she was angry. Angry at how she could trusted her parents would be there for her through everything. Lonely and insignificant because she had no one by her side to go through this process with. Sad because she couldn't drink on the job.

In the last couple of days, Rae had encountered many people and their personalities. Sometimes she just stood by to watch Uncle Pete handle the customers because they knew him. Other times he pushed her to the forefront and she would become frozen and not know what to do. It was embarrassing.

Half the things her job needed her to do, Rae was incapable of doing. She didn't know the first thing that came to running a liquor store or any kind of store for that matter. Uncle Pete just helped her and told her it didn't matter what job she would get, she would have to learn the ins and outs. Rae thought he just felt sorry for her and like her boss he would just help her. How else did she get the job. She didn't know how to talked to people, understood what they wanted, and almost got into two altercations with angry customers

The bell underneath the door chimed as another customer came in. She hoped the didn't need any help finding anything. Rae believe that she was better off behind the scenes than anything. 

"Don't come in here starting shit Steve!" Uncle Pete warned him from behind the counter. "Ain't gots time ta deal wit ya coke head ass."

Rae took a glance between the empty shelves and watched as Steve grabbed some slim jims from the counter. "How much dis shit," he asked.

"More than ya can afford Steve," now get out of here be'fo I call the police."

His sweatpants were filthy and wet. Steve's shirt was ripped and handing off his shoulder.  She learned that he was the local crackhead and would do just about anything for a hit. He had no place to rest his head or clean himself up.  Rae thought that he was a creepy man, but it sadden her that he didn't have any family members to get him back on his feet. She could tell that she haven't ate in days or even showered.