Ducky Park
"I can do the trash," You tell him.
He nods his head a little, the fat on his face jiggling with the movement. "Good, I'll just radio Rick and let him know."
You look at him, completely confused. "Why are you radioing me? I don't even have a radio," you tell him.
"Not you," He says, "The guy in charge of that division is also named Rick. Christ, are you really related to Jim?"
"Yeah," You tell him. "He's my uncle."
"Okay," He says, "I was just surprised because he's not a complete fucking retard and you are."
"Oh," You say.
"Anyway, get out there kid. Rick will be waiting for you."
"I’ll be waiting for me?” You ask. Then you shake your head and remember what he said. “Wait, never mind;” you say. “Thank you." You turn away from his desk and walk across the expansive office on your way to the door which leads back into the souvenir shop.
You open the door that takes you out of the office and pass through the little store, smiling briefly at the nice woman behind the counter. You walk out of the shop and see a guy a year or two younger than you. He’s waiting for you.
He steps forward with a smile and a handshake. His handshake is firm and it reminds you of how weak your own grip is. You tried one of those grip tester machines and it came back with the result of “girlie”.
"Hi," He says, "I'm Rick."
"Me too," you say.
"You too, what?" He asks.
"I'm Rick too." You say.
"Oh," He replies. "Follow me. I'll take you to the work area."
He turns around and leads you past many rides and food stands on your way to the fenced in picnic area. He leads you to a gate at the far side of the picnic area where an "Employees Only" sign hands, and pushes it open. You follow him inside.
Dumpsters are everywhere you look, lining the area like a city of green painted steel. He leads you through the bulky masses of filth and do your best not to gag.
"You get used to the smell," He tells you. You hope he’s right.
After a few twists and turns through the labyrinth of dumpsters, Rick takes you to a group of four guys who are playing a game of cards atop an overturned trash barrel. Behind them is fifth guy who smokes at a cigarette while leaning his back up against one of the trash containers.
"Guys," Rick says to them, "This is Rick, he'll be working with you. Show him the ropes and what-not. Take him on a few of the trash runs with you so he can figure out how his role here works and that kind of stuff. You remember what it was like on your first day, so keep that in mind when dealing with him."
Unanimously they smile and wave shortly to you. Rick points them out one by one and tell your who they are; "At the table are Bruno, the big guy; Dante, the black one; Mark the skinny guy with the black hair; and Joe is the bald one. Vince is the one smoking the cigarette." He pats you on the back one time, real hard and smiles. Then he is soon gone, disappearing in the mass of green dumpsters.
"Hi," You say. They ignore you and go back to whatever it was they were doing before you arrived in the first place. Time passes as you stand there awkwardly, not sure what to do, not sure what to say. Then a radio goes off from Vince's hip. "We got a cleanup in section 4b building thirteen, over."
"That's a copy," He says into it. “Damn it.” He hits his smoke one last time, drops it and grinds it under foot. He walks over to you and briefly looks you over. "Hey new guy,” he says.
“Rick,” you offer.
“Whatever. You want to come with me?"
Well? Do you?
He nods his head a little, the fat on his face jiggling with the movement. "Good, I'll just radio Rick and let him know."
You look at him, completely confused. "Why are you radioing me? I don't even have a radio," you tell him.
"Not you," He says, "The guy in charge of that division is also named Rick. Christ, are you really related to Jim?"
"Yeah," You tell him. "He's my uncle."
"Okay," He says, "I was just surprised because he's not a complete fucking retard and you are."
"Oh," You say.
"Anyway, get out there kid. Rick will be waiting for you."
"I’ll be waiting for me?” You ask. Then you shake your head and remember what he said. “Wait, never mind;” you say. “Thank you." You turn away from his desk and walk across the expansive office on your way to the door which leads back into the souvenir shop.
You open the door that takes you out of the office and pass through the little store, smiling briefly at the nice woman behind the counter. You walk out of the shop and see a guy a year or two younger than you. He’s waiting for you.
He steps forward with a smile and a handshake. His handshake is firm and it reminds you of how weak your own grip is. You tried one of those grip tester machines and it came back with the result of “girlie”.
"Hi," He says, "I'm Rick."
"Me too," you say.
"You too, what?" He asks.
"I'm Rick too." You say.
"Oh," He replies. "Follow me. I'll take you to the work area."
He turns around and leads you past many rides and food stands on your way to the fenced in picnic area. He leads you to a gate at the far side of the picnic area where an "Employees Only" sign hands, and pushes it open. You follow him inside.
Dumpsters are everywhere you look, lining the area like a city of green painted steel. He leads you through the bulky masses of filth and do your best not to gag.
"You get used to the smell," He tells you. You hope he’s right.
After a few twists and turns through the labyrinth of dumpsters, Rick takes you to a group of four guys who are playing a game of cards atop an overturned trash barrel. Behind them is fifth guy who smokes at a cigarette while leaning his back up against one of the trash containers.
"Guys," Rick says to them, "This is Rick, he'll be working with you. Show him the ropes and what-not. Take him on a few of the trash runs with you so he can figure out how his role here works and that kind of stuff. You remember what it was like on your first day, so keep that in mind when dealing with him."
Unanimously they smile and wave shortly to you. Rick points them out one by one and tell your who they are; "At the table are Bruno, the big guy; Dante, the black one; Mark the skinny guy with the black hair; and Joe is the bald one. Vince is the one smoking the cigarette." He pats you on the back one time, real hard and smiles. Then he is soon gone, disappearing in the mass of green dumpsters.
"Hi," You say. They ignore you and go back to whatever it was they were doing before you arrived in the first place. Time passes as you stand there awkwardly, not sure what to do, not sure what to say. Then a radio goes off from Vince's hip. "We got a cleanup in section 4b building thirteen, over."
"That's a copy," He says into it. “Damn it.” He hits his smoke one last time, drops it and grinds it under foot. He walks over to you and briefly looks you over. "Hey new guy,” he says.
“Rick,” you offer.
“Whatever. You want to come with me?"
Well? Do you?