Learning the Ropes

As I arrived at the counter I meet nobody. Small businesses such as this had a bell on the counter as nobody here payed someone to just stand here all day and welcome clients. Someone working in the back would come out after ringing the bell and that's exactly what I did.

'Ring'

"Moment.", I hear a female voice.

Then the curtain moved to the side and a middle-aged woman in her 40s came out with oil smeared top and a toolbelt around her hips.

"Hey there kid, what can we help you with?", she asks me.

"I wanted to ask if you take in apprentices? Could I apply?", I ask her directly.

"Well we take in and honestly need some workforce, but the apprentice needs to be 15 and older as we have heavy machinery and you don't seem that old."

"I am 12 years old, but is there other work here?"

"You can be the boy to clean or help the workers. But since we are a small business I can't hire you full-time as I don't have enough money. How does 25 hours a week for 1000 credits a month sound."

I didn't knew much but on the stalls here a roadside meal costs around 10 credits, so with ninety meals a month that covered food expenses, but I couldn't get a roof above.

"Do you have a dorm or room, I could stay in?", I ask.

"No.", she says but seeing a kid homeless brought her to at least give me something. "Okay, you can sleep on the couch in the corner for a few nights, but then you need to get yourself a place to stay kid."

"Thanks ma'am.", I say and smile at her.

"Let the ma'am where she was. Names Jaina, we all talk among ourself by first names. What's your name kid?"

"I am Mark, nice to be working with you."

Having no dorm was a problem, but I had an idea.

As I only needed to work here 25 hours, I could also work elsewhere to earn enough or maybe stay there as payment.

So I asked Jaina: "Could I work somewhere else in my other time?"

"Sure.", she replys.

As this is one of the jobs I wished for, I naturally wanted my sidejob in the other business.

"Miss Jaina would you happen to know a droid workshop that also needs workforce?"

"Not at the top of my head. But how about I talk to my partners who work in this business and in the time you get accustomed to your work here."

"Thanks Jaina."

"No problem."

And so she brought me behind the curtain. The workshop backstage was a little hangar, big enough for two freighters and a couple of hovercraft to work on. I didn't knew much about the technology used but from my experience on earth it seemed to be divided into different stations with functions such as hydraulic ramp to work underneath, charge station for electronic devices, fuel tank and shelves that take in all walls with spare parts.

"Daxarn, I got some helping hands. Mind showing him the ropes.", Jaina talks to a Nautolan with a mask next to a welding torch. At least that one I knew.

"Boss, I said qualified help, not a complete newbie."

"Then this is your opportunity to teach somebody until you see him as qualified. Isn't it better to teach him how you want the work done instead of discussing with a professional how he should change what he learned for you?", she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine. You win. Hey boy you heard my name is Daxarn or Dax in short so what's your name."

"Mark, sir."

"Good Mark then let me see what you got."

In the couple of hours till closing time he let me bring different things to him or clean used equipment or parts that he wanted to install.

"Well you didn't fall on your head, but you should learn where each part is so you don't search needlessly, but it was your first day so it is okay. Good work, boy."

"Thanks, Dax.", I said and he like the other 4 workers went home.

After the others finished, Jaina called me: "Come with me to the shelves."

We went to the rightmost shelf from the hangar.

"Well to get you accustomed to the different parts, I'll show you the ropes, but it is an exception today as I don't have enough freetime to teach you like that every day, understood?"

"Yes. Thanks again."

"Then let's get started."

What followed was her asking me about different parts for a two hours.

As a hard ore fan, I could sometimes discuss the advantages of different engines, but on other occasions I didn't even knew where the part should be used in the vehicle. She teached me about the the usage of the unknown parts and corrected me on false knowledge, but still seemed impressed by the little I knew as it was to a greater extend even if it was only theoretical.

With that my first day ended and she showed me the couch that would be my sleeping place until I got another job.

Maybe tomorrow or the day after she hears some news.

And with such thoughts I fell in the land of dreams.