The Wall part 22
Mar. 1st, 2017 11:12 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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krystalkatzficz“Why are you back from the mine?”
“They said that they didn’t need me anymore” Masaki shrugged slowly giving him a smile as he slunk into the apartment and Nino felt his eyes narrow in suspicion as his arms folded over his chest. The foreman never turned anybody away, more workers meant more work and in turn more pay. It was highly unlikely that they would have turned his brother away. Masaki clearly saw his distrust and gave a laugh “Seriously! I quit at the mine remember? They said that they no longer needed me”
“Right…I wasn’t expecting you back so I haven’t drawn your bath yet” Nino breathed pointing to the tin tub which was still hanging on the wall. It wasn’t even half a day since Masaki had first stepped out and Nino had been so busy with the weekly washing and minding of the little ones that he hadn’t even thought to start boiling the large cooper kettle but Masaki just gave his normal placid smile and a shrug saying brightly;
“It’s okay! I’ll just wash in the sink! I didn’t get all that dirty today”
“You should tell that to your face, you’re as black as midnight and your hair is clumped together” Nino growled stepping forward and proving his point by dragging his forefinger through the muck and grime on Masaki’s face. His fingertip came back with a thick layer of dust and Masaki had the decency to look embarrassed. “See? You’re completely filthy! Tomorrow we’re meant to go back to the wall, you will have a proper bath”
“Fine, fine”
“You can have a stand-up wash while I run the bath” Nino hissed with a click of his tongue before turning to grab the kettle knowing that he would have to make the long journey down to the wash house again. The water stored in the apartment was rarely kept warm while the water in the wash house had been kept boiling all day as the people from all the apartment blocks had been washing their clothes meaning that he could get the bath warmed and filled more quickly as opposed to other days where he would be forced to boil water from near freezing on a single fire. Almost all of those in the apartments made use of the trick on the twice weekly wash days and he was almost glad that Masaki had come home early so he would skip the crush. “Get out of those clothes and set out the bath”
“Okay, Nino” Masaki agreed his fingers making short work of unfastening the many tiny buttons of his shirt and Nino rolled his eyes but grabbed the copper kettle tightly with both hands before walking slowly to the door. He had made the track four times that day, first with his and Masaki’s washing and then with his Neighbours. She was pregnant again and hadn’t been able to manage the stairs with an overwhelming amount of clothes.
Although he had been tired himself he knew that her husband was working double shifts as were her two eldest children. The small ones weren’t yet ready to work in the scalding conditions of the washhouse and he wouldn’t have let them if they were. The woman had sobbed when he had brought back her washed clothing and asked how they were going to cope when he and Masaki left and Nino hadn’t really known what he was meant to say. All he could manage was to mutter something about bringing about real change for those outside of the wall but his words had sounded hallow to his own ears. When times were tough it was impossible to see days when it might get better.
He trudged slowly down the stairs his legs aching with each step. He couldn’t thank Satoshi and the doctor enough for the medicine that had all but gotten rid of his pain but there was no cure for bone weariness and once he was out on the street he had to lean against a wall and breathe deeply. A few minutes later and he was ready to walk to the district washhouse at the end of his street. It wasn’t as full as it had been earlier that morning but it wasn’t empty either and he sighed slowly standing in line and waiting his turn.
TBC
A/N: I’m really sorry if this is too boring >.<
“They said that they didn’t need me anymore” Masaki shrugged slowly giving him a smile as he slunk into the apartment and Nino felt his eyes narrow in suspicion as his arms folded over his chest. The foreman never turned anybody away, more workers meant more work and in turn more pay. It was highly unlikely that they would have turned his brother away. Masaki clearly saw his distrust and gave a laugh “Seriously! I quit at the mine remember? They said that they no longer needed me”
“Right…I wasn’t expecting you back so I haven’t drawn your bath yet” Nino breathed pointing to the tin tub which was still hanging on the wall. It wasn’t even half a day since Masaki had first stepped out and Nino had been so busy with the weekly washing and minding of the little ones that he hadn’t even thought to start boiling the large cooper kettle but Masaki just gave his normal placid smile and a shrug saying brightly;
“It’s okay! I’ll just wash in the sink! I didn’t get all that dirty today”
“You should tell that to your face, you’re as black as midnight and your hair is clumped together” Nino growled stepping forward and proving his point by dragging his forefinger through the muck and grime on Masaki’s face. His fingertip came back with a thick layer of dust and Masaki had the decency to look embarrassed. “See? You’re completely filthy! Tomorrow we’re meant to go back to the wall, you will have a proper bath”
“Fine, fine”
“You can have a stand-up wash while I run the bath” Nino hissed with a click of his tongue before turning to grab the kettle knowing that he would have to make the long journey down to the wash house again. The water stored in the apartment was rarely kept warm while the water in the wash house had been kept boiling all day as the people from all the apartment blocks had been washing their clothes meaning that he could get the bath warmed and filled more quickly as opposed to other days where he would be forced to boil water from near freezing on a single fire. Almost all of those in the apartments made use of the trick on the twice weekly wash days and he was almost glad that Masaki had come home early so he would skip the crush. “Get out of those clothes and set out the bath”
“Okay, Nino” Masaki agreed his fingers making short work of unfastening the many tiny buttons of his shirt and Nino rolled his eyes but grabbed the copper kettle tightly with both hands before walking slowly to the door. He had made the track four times that day, first with his and Masaki’s washing and then with his Neighbours. She was pregnant again and hadn’t been able to manage the stairs with an overwhelming amount of clothes.
Although he had been tired himself he knew that her husband was working double shifts as were her two eldest children. The small ones weren’t yet ready to work in the scalding conditions of the washhouse and he wouldn’t have let them if they were. The woman had sobbed when he had brought back her washed clothing and asked how they were going to cope when he and Masaki left and Nino hadn’t really known what he was meant to say. All he could manage was to mutter something about bringing about real change for those outside of the wall but his words had sounded hallow to his own ears. When times were tough it was impossible to see days when it might get better.
He trudged slowly down the stairs his legs aching with each step. He couldn’t thank Satoshi and the doctor enough for the medicine that had all but gotten rid of his pain but there was no cure for bone weariness and once he was out on the street he had to lean against a wall and breathe deeply. A few minutes later and he was ready to walk to the district washhouse at the end of his street. It wasn’t as full as it had been earlier that morning but it wasn’t empty either and he sighed slowly standing in line and waiting his turn.
TBC
A/N: I’m really sorry if this is too boring >.<
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Date: 2017-03-01 11:25 am (UTC)