Midnight at Sleepful Jetty

So there I was, walking down that same jetty, the one that stinks of saltwater and barnacle shit. You know the one, I come here when I want to think to myself. Well, that's what I was here to do today. Pretty simple business, really. I walk down this planked path no one else ever goes on, stare out to sea and contemplate things. Things.

Today, I admit, was kind of rough. I woke up with a message from Roy, something about a commotion down at the cleaners. It was before the sun was rising as well, that idiot. If he was sending me a letter at that time, however, it must've been a problem, so of course I relinquished a nice sleep-in to go help a friend in need. The problems just start there, don't you worry.

I got to the cleaners right as the sun started going up. Oh boy, Roy was in quite the conundrum. You see, he was one of us, the cleaner crew. And he was pretty damn good at his job too. He practically left everything spotless. Well, you see, that kind of reputation and ability means that there's very little room to fuck up. And boy did he fuck up. Some noble from the upper wharf decided it was a swell idea to come cruising in the slums and gangplank paths. Maybe looking for a couple new slaves, or just wanted to rub his smug aloofness into our faces.

Okay, let's not joke around. The real reason this haughty highbrow came down to us is cause he had some laundry to take care of, and heard we were the best for the task even if we were slum lurkers. I respect him for having even the tiniest amount of balls to even come down here, but it really did complicate our usual line of business. For one, Roy was the one recommended to this snob...And at that time, Roy was busy taking out his latest wife, down at the other side of the jetty. Been at it all night, he has. When he heard it was time for a job, he wasn't really in a position to do it, so I got called in to try and negotiate. That pretentious braggart had none of it.

Cleaning isn't an easy job. There are times where people just want the works, and it's easy to accomplish. You get the job done, and even if there are a few blotches left here and there, the client don't care none and they leave without a word. Then, you get these sorts...The finicky sorts who like to tell you how to clean their shit. Yeah, I don't like those guys. They like things to be made spotless, and even the slightest smudge of dirt sets them into a fury. Which means we don't get paid.

So for an hour I was listening to this idiot's yammering about third world issues I had none of, before Roy finally showed up. Despite looking absolutely exhausted, he took the job and that moron finally left. I wish that were the end of that, but there's more. Roy went ahead and did it. This one was difficult, because the client wanted the cleaning done in a certain way...Delicacy, he said. Bah, you treat those things like you treat anything else; in the most efficient way possible. But that wasn't an option here, and Roy upheld the conditions.

Or so we thought. Turns out, Roy had fucked up. There was a stain in a very important place, and that set not only the client off, but also some mobsters from the upper wharf. This is where shit got out of hand. Rather than try to sew up this wear and tear, the client chose the option of trying to shut our business down...Not without a damn fight you jackass. The mobsters raided our office, burned all the goods and equipment. To be honest, it was quite an overreaction for a simple cleaning...But y'know, people work in weird ways.

We fought till the sun rose to its highest point. By then we had turned away dozens of the cunning mobsters, but more kept coming back. Eluding them just wasn't enough anymore. Plus, in broad daylight, it's a little to hard to hide in such an open area like the jetty. Eventually me, Roy and the boys decided to take matters into our own hands. It was time to make a withdrawal from the upper vault.

That was a stupid idea, mind you. Fun, but stupid. Merely setting foot in that world was unreal, and it was immediately apparent that we were out of place. We just went on in, looking all business, and made the withdrawal ourselves. Didn't go so well when we tried to withdraw what we needed...Quite a hefty sum. More mobsters showed up, and this time they tailed us around till evening. We managed to get into a nice cozy place on a roof, good enough for us to keep the mobsters at bay. Our troubles then reached an all new high point.

Now, I didn't initially pay it any heed....But the one who showed up after all that struggle, setting aside the mobsters like playing pieces, was the man himself; the one who ran the show. The kingpin, the big bossman, the top of the food chain. He had no hesitation in taking care of the boys...Took care of them so much, they'd be glad to leave this life behind. Roy was next, and he went straight in....Poor bloke. He was put down quickly, and shown that looking upwards is like a new perspective in life...Then it came down to me.

But the man just left after that, so did the mobsters. This was probably his way of putting me away. Leaving me alone on that rooftop, surrounded by my former colleagues. Their lives had been turned around and away from me. It was at that time that I felt truly isolated. It all went downhill from there. The cleaning business was finished; we had no taskforce left, and our office was razed. We lost our plots in the slums, and I took to the gangplanks. That was all I had going for me...I was pretty good at cleaning too. Family? All gone, elsewhere. Friends? They've all left me now.

All I did then, was walk out under the stars...And onto this jetty, Sleepful Jetty, wearing these heavy, unconventional boots. Not cause I had lost my shoes, mind you, but...

So here I am, contemplating things while staring out towards a black ocean. These shoes are getting uncomfortable....Well, I suppose that's enough contemplating for one night. It's about midnight now, anyways. Time to perhaps join Roy...Cutter's coming, boy. Be ready.

...Sleepful Jetty...I wonder why it's called that. Maybe I'll try sleeping here then.

So, let's get to it...

How about a swim?


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*SPLASH*