After returning our axes to the tool locker, we came back to the surface, grabbed our chit numbers and went to the Dry Room located across from the office. It’s a warehouse style building made of sheet metal and brick, with windows high above where you couldn’t see through them.
Walking into the open space, with tables and benches to the left as well as personal lockers, and open showers to the right behind a separation wall with a door on either side. Men were scattered everywhere in every state of undress. Some were sitting at the tables eating, some at their lockers handling their belongings to either shower and leave, or coming tostart the night shift. I could hear the water running with what sounded like a good ten men in there rinsing off the coal dust, dirt, and sweat.
Forgetting about my trainee, I hear, “Uhhhh,” coming from Charlie who is standing next to me with his eyes as big as dinner plates.
“Did Tom not bring you in here?” I asked, looking at his stunned facial expression.
“No. Me and Dad arrived and went right to the office in our jumpers,” he said, still staring toward the showers, with concern in his eyes.
“Well, this is the Dry Room. This is where you would leave your personal items you bring from home in lockers, things that you don’t want to bring down with you or shower materials. Tables for resting and eating on breaks before, during, and after shift. Although, not many of us come up top for lunch as it wastes a lot of time. Showers to clean off before changing into clothes to go home in. Your jumper can be left here to hang in the rafters to dry overnight,” pointing up.
Charlie craned his neck to look above him to see ropes and chains with hooks holding countless jumpers high above our heads on pulleys, “Oh.”
“I’m sure you know from your dad that washing your jumper is your responsibility at home,” looking at him, but he shook his head side to side. That’s when we heard his dad’s voice from behind us.
“That’s because I have been an irresponsible git since your mom died,” Mike said to Charlie with longing. He looked at me and said, “I’ll teach him tonight. We didn’t bring a change of clothes today, so we’ll get cleaned at home.”
Charlie visibly relaxed after hearing this, like the stress of showering here was causing him extreme fear. Talking to the both of them, “I personally washmy jumper every other day. I hate being dirty. I know,” I said, waving my hand, “I’m in the wrong line of work,” which got a small laugh out of them both. “I do it for others, so they don’t have to smell me in close quarters. But clearly looking up you can see not everyone has the same mindset based on the condition of their jumpers.”
After my unnecessary speech about hygiene that I’m sure sounded like a nervous ramble, Mike looked at Charlie, “How was your first day?”
He smiled. “I learned how to properly swing an axe.” Then his cheeks turned pink.
Huh.
“Well, let's get home and get cleaned up. Plus, we still have some unpacking to do,” Mike said, before turning to me saying, “Thank you for teaching him and keeping him safe.”
“Dad!”
Ignoring Charlie, I looked at Mike, “It’s all our responsibility to keep each other safe. Once he learns, I’m sure he will keep me safe too. Also, maybe bring water and something small to eat for our breaks. With all the exertion that he isn’t used to, I don’t want him fainting on me down there.”
“I understand,” Mike said grudgingly. “Normally I bring myself supplies but with us just moving here and the little time before we started–”
I waved Mike off with a‘I get it’motion. He nodded once, looked at Charlie and motioned him towards the door. As they walked away, Charlie peeked over his shoulder, making visual contact with me with a gleam in his eye like a clear stream before turning the corner and out of my sight, leaving me staring at the door.
“How was he?”
“Jesus Christ! David!” making me jump out of my skin, “Did you have to sneak up on me?”
Ignoring my reaction completely, he continued on, “Mike about took off his own foot today. He was a nervous wreck. Kept wanting to find you to see if Charlie was okay.”
David started to walk toward our lockers to get undressed and grab our shower supplies. I followed, “Well, he was perfectly fine, even if he is inexperienced. He picked up on everything very quickly. He seems like a responsible kid. Like he had to grow up too quickly.” After a pause, while we were getting naked, a detail had hit me, so I looked in David’s direction only to get a hairy ass view.
Jesus.
“Did Mike mention that his wife died? Maybe that’s why,” thinking to myself.
David shut his locker and with his towel over his shoulder, turned around to face me to give me a look at his front side–which congrats, buddy. “He didn’t say anything to me about their personal life in the slightest today. Only his worry for Charlie.” He then started walking toward the showers, stopping at the hooks to hang his jumper.
Since I was bringing my jumper home, I grabbed my towel and followed, not worrying about covering up. Stepping into the showers and turning the corner, the white tiled floor was already black. Even with the water rushing toward the drains, it wasn’t strong enough to carry the coal dust with it after it came off our bodies.
Looking to see where there were open showerheads, I looked down the long, open white-tiled room to see two spots a quarter way down on the wall away from others. In the center of the room, there were 5 poles holding up the corrugated metal ceiling slats.Attached to the poles were 4 showerheads, with more along the outside wall for a total of thirty spaces.
After nodding hello to Will and John as we passed them, another pair of best friends, we got to our showers and turned the water on, which barely got warm. Regardless, it’s the best feeling in the world, feeling and watching the grim wash off my body.
Until I looked up and saw Richard and Dan enter the showers.
Great.
