January 2048
(Wolf is 16)
It was a cold January's day.
Wolf pulled up the hood of his jacket as he waited at the bus stop.
He shivered, willing for the bus to get there sooner, but it seemed to take its sweet time.
After 10 minutes, it finally pulled up.
He hopped onto the crowded bus and stood, holding onto the ceiling handle.
-
The bus pulled up at his stop. He hopped back off and speed walked a few blocks until he got to the garage.
He went around the side and went in the open bay door.
He walked past the mechanics and went into the office, hanging his school bag up on the hook on the wall.
Then he went to the maintenance room and found the broom and mop bucket.
By now it was 4:00. The sun was beginning to go down, making the crisp air even colder.
He went to the front room where the customers waited and started cleaning.
First, he swept. Then he mopped. Then he went to the back to get cleaning rags.
He came back and wiped down all the seats and tables. Then he did the same with the front desk.
Then he went back into the office and wiped down the computers and desks.
By now, he was sweating. But it was still too cold to remove his jacket, considering they barely heated the building at all.
He put all the supplies away and went back through the back door, passing by the mechanics and technicians on his way out.
He bowed politely.
"Hey. Come over here." One of them said to him.
He went over quietly.
"Do you want an extra job detailing this vehicle?" He asked.
Wolf thought briefly about the time and how his dad had said to be home because he wanted him to help his uncle make dinner. But he nodded anyway. "Sure. I can take it."
"Okay. Finish it before closing." The guy instructed.
"Okay." Wolf replied, quickly getting to work on it.
He wasn't really hired to actually work in the garage. He was mainly just a cleaner, but he didn't need any training to detail the vehicles since he had already been doing it as a side job at his own house, so his boss would occasionally ask him to do it.
But once he started, he realized just how completely filthy this particular vehicle was. It would literally take until closing.
Wolf pulled out his phone and sent his dad a text. "I'm working late today."
Then he put it back in his pocket and got to work.
-
Wolf came home a little after 8:00.
"Did you eat something?" Was the first question he was met with.
He shook his head at his Auntie Mina.
"Eat, eat, eat!" She said, pulling him to the table.
He smiled lightly. "Thank you."
Changbin came in and slapped his shoulder playfully. "Working late, huh? Tryna be like your father? Hmm?"
YOU ARE READING
Our Family
General Fiction*Sequel* What would it be like to be the patriarch of a family of eight boys? Christopher knows all too well. His parents were out of the picture at a young age, and since then, he's been in charge of the family. He's raised his brothers as if they...
