My backbone threatened to break as I gingerly lifted and dropped the pan containing a watery mixture of sand and cement...
"Hey, fool, get some more gravel," The old man voiced out angrily.
"And please don't come back here with a half filled pan."
"Okay." I replied indifferently.
I'm used to receiving insults from almost everybody I work with as a labourer, infact this man only hired me because he just arrived the neighborhood and didn't know of my previous record with other bricklayers.
Most of them believe I'm too lazy to help work at a fast rate.
For the record I once worked for five hours without getting paid, the employer claimed I intentionally slowed down their work process.
I'm just twelve years old and I've learnt the rudiments of survival. I'm not an orphan for I know my mother although my father is a complete stranger to me, so bastard would suffice.
My mother had to let go of me after her husband gave her the choice to choose between him and me.
I grabbed the digger and projected my strength into it as I struck the ground. It didn't take long before I was able to get a panful of gravel, I successfully lifted it with the help of another labourer and proceeded back to where it was needed.
Immediately the man saw me approaching, he uttered with a disgusted look
"It took you so long to get gravel. Cursed be the day I accepted your proposal to work as my labourer."
"I had to dig," I replied politely.
"I don't care, just pick that money over there and get out of here."
I was excited, I happily threw off the pan alongside the gravel, picked up the money and strolled out of the location, afterall boys are not stones.
©Akinwole John Akintayo
#AnsaShortStoryContest
Let me edit the first few paragraphs.
My backbone threatened to break as I gingerly lifted and dropped the pan containing a watery mixture of sand and cement.
"Hey, fool, get some more gravel," the old man voiced out angrily. "And please don't come back here with a half-filled pan."
"Okay," I replied I indifferently.