The morning had been slow and constant. No phone calls or e-mails came from Barrowker’s office and Fred and Stewart both worked hunched over and quiet. Now and again the wind would slam into the portable and the walls would seem to stretch and lean. Each time Stewart would worry that the thing might flip over. When lunch time came Stewart and Fred both got up, first Fred then Stewart as always so as to avoid collision and punched their time cards before stepping out. The punch was mounted next to the door and had only three cards at it with an always-empty slot for one more. Stewart often would imagine that one day he’d show up to find a third desk crammed into the portable next to his and Fred’s.
Outside it had only gotten darker than the morning but the wind had died down to an occasional gust here and there running wild and crashing into the little portable. Stewart had just started to light up a cigarette when it began to rain, big grape drops that made the air thick. He scrambled along side the portable to the end where a little awning jutted out about 2 feet from the roof’s edge and ran along for about 5 ft down the side before the portable ended. Underneath was a small weather-worn grey wood bench. The arms and seat had been smoothed by rain and hands. Fred was already there rolling a cigarette. A big bag of tobacco sat opened in his lap. Stewart squished in next to Fred and both of them were just protected from the rain.
Stewart always pre-rolled his cigarettes before he went out and he kept them in a small silver cigarette case / flask combination. Stewart could smell Fred’s tobacco. It stunk like sap filled cedar, some sort of high and unpleasant smell. Fred smoked Chocton’s which came out of the East in big bags, flooding most of the Midtown Markets where they worked. Stewart got his tobacco from Mcguiley’s in the Ag District of South Town. He had to take three transfers each way just to get there but it was worth it. Mcguiley’s tobacco was grown inside and was a deep dark brown almost mahogany color and never seemed to be dried out, nothing like Fred’s bag of Chocton’s. Stewart waited for Fred to finish and they both lit up making a thick cloud of smoke that sat under the awning beaten back by the rain. The two had sat under the little awning quite a few times as it was the tradition to have a smoke and a bit of conversation before lunch. They never ate together though. Fred went down the block the The Church Cafe. Stewart brought his lunch and usually sat on the bench.
Stewart sat and squinted a bit trying to drive the Smell of Fred’s Chocton’s out of his nose and contemplating a swig of whiskey to keep the chill from the rain off.
"Management has a test coming up." Said Fred.
"Well I hope they pass it. I’m sure Barrowker will do fine." Said Stewart.
"I mean there is a test to become Management. All sorts of levels." Said Fred a bit irritated.
"What part of Management do you want to be Fred? Invoicing? Ports? A Section Boss like Barrowker? That would be exciting Fred. A real step forward. Your own little sardine shit box with thralls included." Stewart had lost himself for a second, blasted into outer space and was now floating looking at himself. He hated his job but he had never let it show before. His face flushed a bit and he took a long drag from his cigarette. “I don’t care Fred. I’m fine here.” he said, trying to latch back into the ground.
"Not me.” Said Fred. “I’ll take what I can get. It doesn’t matter to me so long as it is up the ladder. What are you so pissy about anyway? You’ve been here a while, you know your stuff. Why don’t you take The Test too? How long have you been here anyway? I mean most of the guys in the Section Crews are thirty at best. How long have you been working for Barrowker?"
"A long time. I don’t really know. Over ten years, maybe eighteen. I can’t be sure." He sighed a long smoke sigh that drifted into the rain.
“It’d be good for you. Get outta the Yard. Maybe even land a spot in Uperman’s Office.” Said Fred. Stewart looked at Fred at the mention of Uperman’s. At least in the Main Building he would have his own office. Not a subdivided windowless tin can abandoned in a pile of freights. He was also thinking of Emily who worked the front office there. His mind fell blank taking his heart with it to his stomach.
“You think there’s some spots in Uperman’s Office?” He asked Fred.
Fred smiled, a bit of smoke drifted from the corners of his mouth.
“So you’d take a job in Uperman’s Office huh? Too good to supervise a shit box? Yeah, I think they have some Invoice positions open. “ Fred kept his smirk. “You want to work next to your lady friend huh?” Fred finally said laughing a bit.
“Oh to shit with you.” Said Stewart. He’d been caught and he squirmed a bit under Fred’s stare. Stewart had told Fred about Emily, who Fred had never seen before and who was beginning to believe didn’t exist. They sat quietly staring into the rain and smoking. After they finished their cigarettes Fred went down the street to eat while Stewart sat on the bench and had lunch.
The afternoon ran quietly by just like the morning but Stewart was anxious from the conversation with Fred about working in Uperman’s Office. Around four O’clock the phone in Barrowker’s ran and at about the same time the fax machine started to spit out IO’s nonstop. Barrwoker mumbled a few things to whoever was calling him and hung up. Stewart’s desk phone rang and from the other end Barrowker grumbled
“Uperman’s fax took a shit so the Clients will be sending orders to us. You gotta run those IO’s from the fax over to the Main Building in about thirty minutes.” Stewart could hear Barrowker in the other room as he hung up the phone.
“What’s that about?” Asked Fred.
“Gotta run those faxes over to Uperman’s Office.” Said Stewart.
“Maybe you’ll see Emily. Emily who doesn’t exist. Emily who is made up by a lonely guy who lives by himself but will never go out with his friend to find any women, Emily. Maybe she’ll be there.” Fred was smirking the same as earlier.
“Oh to shit with you. She does too exist you ass, I’ve just never asked her out or anything like that.”
“Why not?”
“It’d be crazy”
“You’re crazy. She’s not real.”
“Okay Fred. Double date. This weekend. You bring Sally and I’ll bring Emily.” Stewart regretted the boast as soon as it left his mouth.
“You’re gonna ask Emily out huh? Well I hope she can get a pass from fantasy land.”
“That’s fine Fred. You wanna be an ass that’s fine.” Fred laughed a bit. Stewart had turned back to his desk and was working harder than anybody needed to work, looking down at his papers and chewing on a piece of stress so that the muscles of his jaw bulged sharp and detailed.
“I’m just giving you a hard time Stewart. Don’t get emotional on me. But look, you better ask her out. It’s now past pathetic into crazy. But not funny crazy, more like sad crazy or donation crazy.”
“Okay I get your point.” Said Stewart. They both went back to work. The fax hadn’t stopped since it started and it kept on in the background filling the silence from earlier.
(Next time: Stewart’s bloody gash [I promise])
The Shipyard Series - Stewart vs. Freight
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