"Why are you girls always causing trouble? It's only been two weeks!"
Big Makovski slammed his wooden desk, yelled, and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I will ensure this won't happen again", ever so tactful Leah answered in her voice that held the sign of a girl who's been raised to uphold good manners at all times.
'Hm, I wonder if I should bring up that weekend thing now', was what Jean was thinking at the time though, and already sensing this, Leah stomped on Jean's toes to stub out the flame of her rebellious spirit before it could lead to a bigger fire.
'How does she know this?!'
As Jean wondered, Big Makovski continued.
"Listen, girls, I would like to keep you here. Especially you, Leah. You are good with your hands. Your carving skills are excellent"
"Thank you, sir"
"But you… Jean, I'm already wondering whether it was a big mistake hiring you in the first place"
"Heh, I heard that a lot boss"
"That's not something to be proud of!", Makovski burst out again.
"Sir, I apologize on behalf of my colleague", Leah tried to diffuse the situation.
"Comrade, Leah. We are comrades", Jean was quick to point out.
"Pssst! Stop with that nonsense now!", Leah pulled Jean by her ear and whispered into it just loud enough for Makovski to hear as well. She thought that she should show him the sign that Leah was trying to keep this dog on a leash.
"Don't stir shit with my kids ever again, Jean. I'm warning you", the bald man asserted boldly.
"But Boss, it really is unfair here, isn't it?"
'Oh come on, not this crap again, Jean', Leah rolled her eyes.
"What the hell is not fair here? I gave you a job. You do the job. And you get paid! What can be fairer than that?!"
'Please don't engage in conversation with this idiot', Leah wanted to stop this before it developed into anything bigger, but at times interrupting the boss wasn't a good idea. The man needed a chance to let his anger out too, and it was better he let it out on Jean than to her.
"Upstairs we got the older kids working. We are working the same hours, from sunrise to sunset. Why are we getting paid only half?", Jean protested and put forward an argument that Leah heard one too many times.
"Why do you think I hire kids in the first place? Because they are CHEAP! Besides, if they didn't work here they'd be on the streets scrounging for food off the gutter. They should be grateful"
"Boss, that's called exploitation"
"What the hell is that?"
"You are taking advantage of the weak. They are doing the work while you are just-"
This was the point that Leah must stop this wild cat.
"Jean! How rude of you! Apologize!"
Big Makovski already got up from his seat, walked around his desk, and stood tall in front of the two girls who looked tiny compared to him. It looked like he was about to slap Jean if she went any further.
"But Leah, this is injusti-"
:SLAP!:
Leah slapped the self-righteous girl before Makovski did.
'I hope you understand this was to save you, Jean'
But Leah wasn't quite sorry that she's done it.
They had to change jobs five times in the past 6 months. It almost felt like they were now in the last saloon.
'Wherever we went… Jean got us fired. Except that once we got paid to leave…'
Leah closed her eyes and pictured herself wincing in her mind. Sometimes it helped.
What the smart girl did worked though and Big Makovski went back to his comfortable leather cushioned seat, took out a cigar, and lit it with a match stick.
"I guess that settles it then?"
"Yes, Sir!", Leah saluted while Jean was rubbing her cheek crimson with Leah's handprint, glaring at her from the corner of her eyes. But Jean understood there was no malice in Leah's slap. After many months spent together in this unfair world, Jean knew that Leah always tried to do what was best for both of them.
"Dismissed"
Just as they bowed politely and were about to leave the room, the big boss called out.
"Leah"
"Yes, Sir?"
"How about I move you upstairs?"
Leah was tempted. People of her age worked upstairs. They received better pay and enjoyed slightly more break time. She heard that they got better meals too for lunch. Then Leah stole a glance at Jean's face, whose big eyes were telling her 'Please don't leave me alone'.
Leah sighed, resigned to the twisted destiny that brought them here and kept them together.
"I'm so grateful for your offer, Sir, but I need to keep my eyes on this idiot"
"That is a pity. But I'll respect that, Leah. Just know that the offer is there"
"Thank you, Sir"
With that, the two girls left the room and closed the door behind them.
"Just what the hell were you thinking?!", Leah shouted at Jean, who was still rubbing her cheek.
"Leah, that's what I want to ask you. Did you forget the Old Man's teachings?"
Jean's probing eyes looked deep into Leah's heart. The challenged girl felt herself shrink, but this was no time for weak sentiments.
"The Old Man is gone, Jean, and he was a dreamer. His teachings don't work in the real world"
"He would have been disappointed in you", Jean stood her ground, her eyes burning with fire.
Leah was hurting inside.
The Old Man.
'Don't you think I miss him too? Do you really think I have forgotten about it all? But… there is no hope here, Jean…'
Leah did not say that out aloud. There were some things that you just shouldn't tell kids. Even if it meant that the kid would keep causing the same trouble. There was something in this particular kid's heart that Leah did not want to break.
"Jean… just calm down a little. It takes time, patience, and perseverance"
"While you are talking about time and patience, the kids are suffering. Every single day"
There was passion and genuine belief in Jean's voice. It was no wonder to Leah that wherever they went, Jean didn't take a long time to grab people's attention and gather a following of sorts.
"Someday. Someday we will make it work. OK?"
Leah pat Jean on her dust-covered shoulder. It was a rare touch that she allowed Jean to have, reserved for moments like this.
"So you are still with me?", Jean's voice softened a little.
"Yes, I am"
"Revolution shall succeed", Jean pounded her right fist on her chest once as she spoke.
'This is so cringy…'
Yet, Leah did the same and repeated the mantra.
"Revolution shall succeed"