TEARS FROM THE MOON

Chapter 15.

It had been an especially busy shift at José's restaurant tonight and to say I was exhausted was an understatement.
I had just worked ten days on the trot, with this one being the busiest and I was now looking forward to a few days off.

I looked around my tiny washing up area before turning off the lights and heading through the double swing doors, out into the deserted restaurant.

It was so quiet now that all the customers had left, with the only sound being the stacking, clanking noise of chairs being put onto tables.
I could see José and his son Remo at the far end of the restaurant doing this and decided to go over to them.

"Ah, Gwen". José smiled, noticing me, "All finished now?".

"Yes, all done". I said wearily.

José put down the chair he was about to stack and wiped his hands on his stripey apron.

"I suspect you want wages?". He grinned.

"Please". I said with an apologetic smile.

"No problem". José said waving his hands in the air, "I get them now".

And without further ado, José strode off towards the safe that was situated back behind the bar.
Remo looked up, suddenly noticing his Father's absence from the chair stacking.

"Oi!". He shouted across the restaurant, "You haven't finished yet, don't just walk off!".

"Gwen needs money". José replied with a wave of his hand as he carried on walking away.

Remo shook a disgruntled head and turned away to carry on.
I looked at him for a moment, then picked up a chair myself and turned it upside down and onto the table.
Remo turned to look at me, but didn't look very happy.
That was the thing with him, he always looked to be in a grump about something.
He wasn't at all like his Father, who was so jolly and smiley for the majority of the time. Remo never smiled.
Well not much anyway.

I looked under my eyes at him.

"Sorry". I said, picking up another chair.

"No matter". Sighed Remo, "He's always looking for some excuse not to help me"

I picked up another chair, feeling guilty about the timing of my interruption. Maybe if I had waited a few minutes, he would have finished helping Remo and then I couldn't be blamed for José walking off and leaving him with all the work.
I moved over to another table and continued to pick up a couple more of the chairs, turning them over and placing them on the table.
Remo never said a word, but José did:

"What are you doing?". He said, coming over as fast as his little legs could carry him.

I looked over and smiled at him.

"Just helping out". I replied.

" No you been working hard..........Remo lazy.....now stop, have money and go". José said putting a wage packet into my white, withered up hands that looked and felt awful having been submerged in hot, soapy water for hours on end.

Remo glared at his Father, before coming over towards him.

"You see, my Father seems to think that I don't pull my weight around here. But the truth is I'm never away from him. He doesn't appreciate what I do for him coz I'm always around". Remo said.

He was speaking to me but was looking at José, who raised his eyes skywards, before looking back at me again.

"So what are you going to be doing on your few days off then?" José said, cleverly changing the subject.