Another day, another job to do. This time, Tomomi was assigned a job working at the one and only Suzie Q district. To many, this was a place of wonder, excitement, and partying that knows no time nor boundaries. To Tomomi however, it sucked, leading to a terrible moment of spite where everyone seemed to forget the existence of bins, and where there were more alcohol bottles littering the ground than there were remaining in the hands of people, some even still featuring their liquid poison within, leaking down onto the paths below, before following gravity into the drains. The stench of cigarette and vaping smoke didn’t help, and as he walked through with his usual attire for work, the boy had never felt more thankful in his life for the mask that was provided for work, even if he was now wishing that goggles were a part of the work attire to keep the smoke out of his eyes.
Leaning down with his picker, Tomomi gently took hold of the broken bottle, being careful not to let it drop any more while keeping it as upright as possible in a surprisingly complex task, before gently dropping it into one of the black bags he held on his person. This process repeated for a little while, with broken bottles, intact bottles, and empty cans of beer ditched down on the ground to allow their original owners to continue partying unimpeded. Even now, at the early morning before he had to get to the academy for schooling, there were people partying. The idea of it was beyond comprehension to the poor boy, who simply tried his best to accept it and work through it. Some people just liked to party without restraints right? Right? Even if sometimes it felt like a cruel joke at the expense of Tomomi who had to constantly clear up after the matters.
Then a couple of people, men with scruffy chests and shirts that seemed to have more dishevelled about them than the litter covering the ground, walked past Tomomi with such a stagger that it knocked the poor boy to the side. Before he could protest, the duo continued to move on, flicking the bud of a used cigarette onto the ground behind them. Dejected, Tomomi simply watched for a moment as they walked off. No matter how often he saw people be mean, or that people indulged themselves to the expense of people like himself, it never stopped being a shock. People could be so nice… He just had to remind himself of that.
As he collected the cigarette bud and put it in the bin bag, the idea of remembering nice people existing led to Tomomi recalling a memory. How he first met his best friend, Cecil, back in Little Tokyo. Thinking about it, it was because of people like that duo that Cecil and Tomomi met, a bitter sweet bond formation. But thinking back to it also reminded Tomomi of how much this city sucked before he met Cecil. Picking up a few empty hot dog containers from the ground and putting them away, Tomomi thought back to what he was doing these past few years, thinking with a sad thought across his face beneath the mask.
A cold shiver shook his spine as he recalled the long nights of picking up rubbish just to pay the rent, teaching himself the basic methods of how to cook, and learning quickly how to budget and what was most important. He took every insult and act against him without any qualms or thoughts about it, just thinking it was one of those things. He spent every night staring at the old phone in his frail hands, hoping for a message that never came.
He picked another beer can up, sweat from the smoke and memories dripping down the side of his face and along his cheek.
The burns and scalds he’d gain on his fingers from trying to learn to cook without anyone to teach him. The original begging on the streets for either change or a job, before being taught that there was a job availability in the centre of town. The small smile that spread on his face as he got his first ever pay, even though in hindsight it was less than minimum wage due to his age. The cold nights in the apartment when he didn’t have enough money for any blankets or even a proper resting place beyond just the floor.
His breath quickened, and Tomomi found himself gripping his teeth as he recalled these thoughts, these feelings, these
senses. But no, once more, he could panic later. Get through this. You can do it Tomomi. You can do this.
As a bunch of loud pops came from party streamers nearby, Tomomi simply squinted his eyes towards their source, looking as the papery streams fell down onto the ground. He… He didn’t see this. Nope. Seeing it would mean having to pick it up, but right now… No. Why would they be throwing stuff around and exploring party toys so soon in the day? He really wanted to get stuff done but to be that productive? If his boss found out, he’d get yelled at, but the sun had only just risen. The conflicting desires of relief from his work shift and desire to survive the wrath of his unpleasant boss were tough, each tugging at his mind. But, the desire to avoid being late for the academy today was perhaps strongest. So no, he could panic after the day was done. And the job. Like, panic in the toilets at the academy during break or something.
So, Tomomi shook his memories and his thoughts off, forcing a brave face on and resuming his almost mechanical collection of the litter covering parts of the streets, mostly out of the way. The distant sunrise ahead of him, with only the slightest pink tinge being a sign of where the sun had just risen, providing a soothing scene around him. He continued however into this direction, clearing the streets, before returning to get ready for the rest of his day.
[Exit]
Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:54 am by 
