The entire staff arrives at 6 p.m. and divides up to scrub, mop, and vacuum Larsen Hall.

As Moura mops, he describes the extra effort he and his father devote to keeping classrooms clean.

“We bring our own fan from home [to make the wax dry faster] because they don’t supply us with that much equipment,” he says. “Some people just walk in during the waxing and it’s upsetting because you have to redo the entire thing.”

Walking down the corridors, he describes the phantom occupants of each room. He knows the GSE staff by face and by name, since they often work after hours.

“This lady is here every night and we talk a lot,” Moura says, gesturing towards one office, trash bags in hand. “She tells about her day and what she’s going to do.”

Pointing to an Evian water bottle on a shelf, Moura remarks that she would offer him a drink if he were thirsty.

Although Moura says he realizes that his connections with friends sometimes wear thin due to his work schedule, he appreciates the connections he has made while on the job.

“You get to meet new people,” says Moura. “You make a lot of friends, but the downside is you don’t have that much free time.”

FATHER AND SON

GSE security guard Fred Gaudrault says that Moura takes after his father, who has worked at the GSE for 19 years.

“He’s older in his work habits,” says Gaudrault. “He’s kind of a clone of his father—very conscious of the job he is doing and not afraid to do extra.”

Although both men spend half their work day together, Moura says that he also loves spending time with his father at home.

“We’ll play dominoes until two in the morning,” says Moura, laughing and playfully nudging his father for confirmation. “We read each other like books; we play so often. I know what he’s going to play before he does.”

Looking affectionately at his son, José Moura agrees that he values the closeness of their relationship.

“My son is like my friend, not a son,” says José Moura. “We travel together, work together, and talk together. He buys me nice cigars all the time and I help him as much as I can.”

Moura, who started working odd jobs at age 13, is no stranger to putting in long hours. He says he decided not to go to college because he worried about paying back loans, so instead he wanted to “focus on working.”

He says now he’s looking ahead.

“Right now I’m saving to buy a house,” says Moura. “It’s basically to secure [my family] for the future.”