Mines

Chapter Three

Present day...

"Lafayette!"
"Oui monsieur!"
"English!"
"Yes sir!"
"Coal mines!"
"Mulligan!"
"Yes sir!"
"Nurse assistant!"
"Yes sir!"
"Laurens!"
"Yes sir!"
"Captains office!"
"Yes sir!" And that was it for "Morning Assignment " for us. I wait until the guard had finished assigning everyone their task for the day until I gather with Herc and Laf for morning break time which was only about five minutes. Herc and I have seemed to reach an unspoken agreement where we don't say a word to each other. And Laf hates it.
"Maybe you should stop speaking French to the officers, you might get in trouble." I say to Lafayette as soon as I get close enough to him.
"Non monsieur. J'aime les confondre." Laf answers smugly.
"Oh speak English, can't you?" Herc shoots. Guess I'm not the only one he's mad at.
"I said, 'No sir. I like to confuse them.' Y'know, speaking French around here can be considered a private rebellion in it's self." Laf says to him.
"Something you can get punished for." I tell him.
"Well, they can't kill me today. Odds on they already have their lucky five." Oh shit. He's right, today's "Discipline day" or as us miners call it: "Bloodbath day." Or another fan favorite: "Watch us kill your friends right before your eyes." I'm lucky enough to never had to see any of my friends get killed before me, but by seeing the reaction of others I'm assuming they have.
"I bet they put you with the nurse so you can get help with those blisters of yours." Laf nods.
"How do they feel?" I ask slowly, hoping he's not about to blow up in my face.
"Fine." he shoots a quick glance at me before answering.
"Break time over! To posts!" a guard's voice calls over the crowd, I notice he's standing on the wooden platform that was built in the middle of the quarry for speech's.
"Well at least you don't have to work in mines today," Laf sighs. "I'll see you later, mes amies." And his tall figure walks off the line forming in from of the elevator to the mines. Herc and I look at each other for a second before I say:
"Well... I guess I should wait in line too. See ya."
"Yeah, see you later." his voice somewhat trails off before he finishes, but he doesn't correct himself. He shakes his head and heads for the second biggest cave in the wall of the quarry which was the nurses' office, followed by two others who both seemed to be missing arms and fingers. I'm a few people away from Lafayette, but I'm close enough to feel the sadness radiating from him that he always seemed to have when Herc and I fought. Surprisingly, we fought often over, well, stupid things. But I don't know... this just feels different. I find myself thinking if it's possible for me to hate someone I haven't even met yet.

     As I walked into the Captain's office, I noticed a young man already sitting in front of the Captain. He was shorter than me, but already had a starting scruff for a beard. His sleek brown hair was in a ponytail at the moment, but I could tell if he ever had the inclination to untie it, his hair would be shoulder length.
     "Oh wonderful! John, you made it! Welcome, welcome. This is Mr. Alexander Hamilton, the man I was tell you about yesterday," Hamilton didn't look up at me, he was busy glaring at the Captain. "Why don't you sit down?" I sat on the empty seat beside Hamilton, across the Captain. "Now Alexander, John here has most kindly agreed to show you what to do around here. You know, breakfast time, work time, lunch time, things like that."
     "And what does he get out of it?" Hamilton growls. The Captain gave a nervous laugh.
     "Nothing," he lies. "He's just doing me a favor."
     "Why would be do that? Because he didn't have a choice?" Hamilton continues.
     "My good man, you're making me seem like I'm the one doing wrong." The Captain smiles his dopey smile that makes me think he's trying hard to look innocent.
     "Well, aren't you at wrong? Enslaving all these men for your pointless search for diamonds isn't wrong?" Hamilton seems to me like he won't back down on any argument, but continuing is only making him angrier. "Your a cowardly fool not to set them fre-"
     "Enough!" The Captain suddenly shouts. For the first time I see anger on his face. He smooths it down however, with another small, humorless laugh. "Enough." He sighs. "I knew you'd be difficult to, uh, teach."
     "Oh so your a teacher now?" Hamilton asks.
     "In a sense, I suppose you could call me that. I know! John, why doesn't Hamilton move into your sleep quarters?" he's faking his happiness again, I can see.
     "Ah well, I already have three roommates." I answer, trying to look sorry.
     "Well, that's not a very big issue. You bunk with Mr. Hercules, Lafayette, and Roger, correct?" he asks.
     "Um yeah." I say, now I'm trying to sound as though that last name is familiar to me. Hamilton on the other hand seems to perk up when he hears the names. He looks like he wants to ask me a question but I can tell it's not for the Captain's ears.
     "So who would you want to get rid of? I mean, did you get into any recent fights with anyone? Despise anyone? I'm open to suggestions." The Captain wonders, smiling as though he's speaking to a friend.
     "Um... could you get rid of Roger?" I question.
     "Of course! Don't worry though I won't ask for details on your relationship with him... at least not now," he finishes with a huge wink. It's funny how he thinks he's being discreet. "So, you can take Alexander to the tailor to get him suited with his uniform. Just walk around for a while, basically your free for the rest of the day."
     "Would you mind moving Lafayette to do something else? Like get him out of the mines for today? Maybe he could help Hercules I'm the nurses' office." The words rush out of my mouth before I can stop them. It just seemed unfair when Laf had to go only to mines and he was so sad earlier...
     "Of course," The Captain says, but his teeth are gritted. I don't know why he's going through such lengths to keep me satisfied but like Laf said, milk it for all it's worth. "Goodbye now. And have fun you too." and he finishes again with another wink.
     "Well he's an idiot," Hamilton snorts as soon as we leave the Captains office. "Why is he the Captain?"
     "Keep your mouth shut! And, Captain George is the only one who stood up when the economy was falling, he stabilized it. And he's filthy rich." I answer him.
     "You can't tell me to be quiet! I was simply stating that an imbecile should not be running the economy that's why you became a slave in the first place!" A guard was starting to get more suspicious of us, and I didn't like how he was fingering his pistol. It's not safe to diss the Captain. Especially not so close to his office. We turn one of the many corners for the many hallways in the building and I slam Hamilton into the wall, clutching his shoulders. "What the fuck?" he shouts.
     "Okay first things first. You don't speak of anyone with a higher rank then you that way. You'll be dead by the end of the week for sure. Secondly, do what I tell you. I've been here for two years, I think I know more then you."
     "Why don't you get out of my face? Then I might listen to you," he snarls at me. I wanted to, I wanted to get rid of him. He's the reason why I'm fighting with Herc. But... for some reason my arms and legs decided to take a vacation. "Well?"
     "Yeah... sorry." I say, regaining control of my limbs. What the actual fuck just happened?
     "Don't you have a grand tour to be giving me?" Hamilton says sarcastically.

     "This is you work uniform," I say, pointing to a light gray shirt and a dark gray pair of pants. "You get two in case your other one gets too dirty. Laundry happens every two weeks. You sleep in your work clothes as well." We're in the tailors office, getting Hamilton suited with clothes his size. He had to strip down to his underwear to try them on and I couldn't find the decency to look at him. It's not like naked bodies are new to me, my brain just kind of melted. It's actually being completely useless right now. "If you find any major rips in your clothes take them back here and you'll get them fixed."
     "Don't I get to keep my other clothes?" Hamilton asks.
     "Nope. Kiss them goodbye." Or me. Okay! Now my brain is thinking for itself! I do not want to kiss Hamilton, we don't like Hamilton. Remember? Stupid brain. Am I trying to talk to my brain now? Great, your really going mental aren't you?
     "Aw, how upsetting I was so attached to them." he says rolling his eyes.
     "Well whatever. Anyway, you get up at 5:00 am. Breakfast is at 5:15. Break time runs after morning announcements at 5:30. Work time until lunch is from 5:35 to 12:35. After that its until 12:35 to 8:00 except on Fridays-" I say but Hamilton cuts me off.
     "Why?" he wonders.
     "Goddamn let me finish! I'll answer questions later. Anyway, we end at 7:30 on Fridays. Dinner is always at 8:15 and then lights out at 9:00. Got it?"
     "Got it. Now can you answer my question?"
     "Fine. On Fridays we have recreation."
     "What's recreation? Or am I not allowed to ask."
     "You'll see later. Come on, I've got to show you where everything is," So it went on like that for a least an hour. Information, advice, information, advice, etc. "We've got about five hours to waste." I say, guessing the time since we don't have the luxury of checking watches around here.
     "I'm open to whatever." Hamilton shrugs.
     "Just so you know, not every day is this easy, and certainly nobody's happy-"
     "John!" Comes a happy screech from behind me. Well, that's one way to prove me a lier. I turn and see Lafayette dashing towards me.
     "Did you ask the Captain to get me out? Merci! I wasn't in the mood for mining today anyways. Oh is this Alexander? Hello, I'm Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayaette, Marquis de La Fayette. But you can call me Laf for short." he says in quick succession.
     "Êtes-vous sûr? Je n'ai aucun problème à dire Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayaette, Marquis de La Fayette." Oh my god. He can speak French.
     "You can speak French!" Laf squeals imitating my thoughts. Hamilton smirked and raised an eyebrow at me.
     "I thought you said no one was happy here." he smirks.
     "Laf is the only exception." I remark.
     "I'm not happy when my friends are fighting," Laf sighs. "Can't you just apologize to Herc?"
     "For what? What could I have possibly done to make him upset?" I retort.
     "Je ne sais pas." Laf sighs again.
     "We could go check on him. I mean, lunch should be soon." I say.
     "D'accord!" Laf brightens immediately. It's cute, his crush on Hercules I mean. I think he's trying to hide it, but he's not good at. Although nobody but myself pays that much attention to it. But if you did, you'd notice all the subtle hints. How Laf is always listens when Herc's complains, or how he sometimes gives Herc his food when he's still hungry. It's stuff like that which prove it's not just friendship when it comes to them. Well, on Laf's side anyways. I'm pretty sure Herc has no idea how Lafayette feels about him.

     When we walk into the nurses's office, we see Herc getting ointments rubbed onto his hands, and he winces slightly because it stings.
     "Oh, hey guys. Laf, John. And you are?" Herc asks, coming over when the nurse is finished with him.
     "Alexander Hamilton." Hamilton says.
     "Oh. You must be the guy that John is helping out." he glares at Hamilton.
     "Yeah, I am. Is there something wrong with that?" Hamilton challenges.
     "You don't-" Herc starts.
     "Les mecs. Pas maintenant." Laf hisses at both of them. Just then, the lunch bell rings, and a few moments later we hear the freaky old elevator grinding into action.
     "C'mon." I say, waving at Hamilton to come and follow me to the dining hall. I can see this friendship going off to a great start.