Boiler

The boiler is squat, cast from old metal, and groaning under the weight of the oil in its guts. Shev wears gloves to get close to it, but he stays on the other side of the room unless a pipe bursts. He wears a mask to keep his eyes. Three gang bosses are sweating in the tub. One is fat. Shev measures the oil so it won’t overflow from the extra bulk of flesh. He hopes his brother remembered to shut the air vents. Tonight, he’s meeting his father about a better job. He doesn’t want to stink of fat.