Work Text:
After that first day in his new home, by old Fagin, Oliver hired himself as the official handkerchief worker of that strange family.
Before he went to bed, the night after he arrived from the Jew, he heard two boys coming home from his room after the "work shift".
«Aah, but why do we have to take the figures away from those? Can't that old man do anything? »
«Kevin, don't you know? We don't necessarily take the figures out now. Fagin taught the new kid how to do it, and since he can't go out for now... »
«Wha? Who’s this kid? A tailor or somethin’? »
And while the boy (who seemed to be named Kevin) laughed at his work, Oliver was instead delighted to feel useful in doing something that wouldn't destroy his way too beat-up hands.
Having found themselves already from the "first day of work" a great mountain of snot removers, since the boys obviously began to take advantage of the new tailor to sew less and steal more, Oliver in the morning and early afternoon always had a great job to do, however mechanical and... Almost relaxing.
And then, on the other hand, he liked to wake up before the others (after keeping an eye open to check that Fagin had already hidden the box of his treasures: Oliver did not want the knife to his throat again) to drink a coffee in the cup that was shared between at least three other boys, and then take up the needle and the pile of handkerchiefs that the night before the boys almost threw in his face.
«Oh, little Oliver... You're slowly becoming experienced, huh? »
Every time Fagin asked him this question, almost every morning that is -may the reader have pity on the poor old man- Oliver nodded
«I’m getting used to it, sir»
While working, he saw everyone waking up one at a time, between those who started talking to Fagin and those who wanted a glass of beer instead of coffee for breakfast.
«Ah, coffee? When it’s so hot outside?»
In fact, during his third day at Fagin's, just woken up, the Artful Dodger made his debut as soon as he entered the dining room
Looking with the tail of his eye at the Dodger, Fagin answered
«It's to wake those sleep-inset heads up.»
With the Dodger sitting down, already resigned to sweating all morning, Oliver looked up dark from the handkerchief he was working on
«If you don't want to waste it... I'd like to have some more coffee, sir.»
He said humbly after a yawn.
Charley Bates, at the time with his companion, looked at him almost shocked and holding back one of his usual laughs. He found it funny that that scared little boy started talking so much.
Fagin looked Jack Dawkins this time in the eye, then gave Oliver the cup of coffee
«Empty it quickly: the young lads have work to do and a whole mug is too much to drink for breakfast, don't you think Jack? »
He nodded, though with a little disappointment to know that he would not have any more beer. Meanwhile Oliver finished the coffee and went back to work.
The iron cup was filled up to half with blond liquid, which Dawkins sent down in one breath. Charley Bates, still having to overcome the trauma of awakening, arose the coffee silently.
Dodger broke the silence that had been created by banging the cup on the table.
«Ah, t’was great! Now I'm really awake. »
Mr. Bates contributed, having really woken up thanks to the coffee, whistling approvingly looking at the pile of handkerchiefs worked by little Oliver
«Oh-oh, what a nice job...»
He said, getting up from his wooden chair and taking one of the snot-removers he had stolen himself. So did the Dodger, and after taking a look at a blue handkerchief of fine workmanship and nodding at him too, he crudely stroked Oliver's head, messing up the boy's already messy hair even more, and then giving him a couple of light pats on the cheek
«Gettin' the hang of it, eh?»
He said sneering, while Charley Bates watched him as he so affectionately praised the child.
As a few nights before that Saturday morning, Oliver was blushing[1] but Fagin could not do anything this time to dampen the atmosphere; also because Dawkins (as elusive as he was) did it for him, taking the jacket together with Charley Bates and each putting on their respective hats, with that of the Dodger as always in precarious balance on the head of dark hair.
«We're going!»
Dodger alerted, and before closing the door to go out with Bates, took the end of his hat and nodded to Oliver, who left the needle for a moment and greeted him with a smile and his open hand.
[1] "Like a few nights before... Oliver was blushing": This happens in chapter 9 of the novel, where on his first night at Fagin's Oliver blushes when Dodger devites a tuft from his hair