NovelEnglish"I'm off to meet my dad, his boat's docked," Tobias stammered, his eyes darting away, clearly hiding something.
But in this backwater town, what secrets could he keep?
Abner walked on without a word, Tobias trailing behind him, lost in thought and tripping over his own feet.
It was a nasty fall; blood gushed from his nose.
Abner helped him up. "You should head back and have Queena take a look."
At the mention of Queena, Tobias clutched his nose as if stung.
"No need, no need, it's just a scratch. I'll be fine, really."
Strange, considering how much Tobias usually adored Queena, his reaction now was anything but normal.
Even a guy as simple as Abner could see something was up.
But he said nothing, just pulled Tobias to his feet, and they ambled toward his house.
The boats coming in was usually the highlight of the day, but since both families had recently lost someone, the crowd was sparse.
Abner tagged along to the shore. Tobias seemed out of it, but he perked up at the sight of the approaching fishing boat, hopping
excitedly on the dock.
Soon enough, the boat landed. But thanks to a harsh wind, the catch was meager; six crewmen brought in just two buckets of fish.
Fishing was always a gamble. A good haul could set you up for the year.
A bad one meant tightening your belt.
Tobias spotted his dad, looking grim, and called out.
"Dad! Over here! Over here!"
The man, Jackson, tanned and weathered from the sea, didn't look happy with just two buckets of fish. His share, five fish, wouldn't
cover much, let alone school fees.
"Tobias."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtJackson called out, holding up the fish as he approached.
Tobias glanced around. "Only five, Dad?"
Jackson's face was a picture of helplessness. "Hit sbad winds, son. Let's head home."
Tobias knew they'd be pinching pennies now, his face fell.
Upon reaching Abner, Jackson remembered the man they'd hauled in from the sea.
"How you holding up?"
"Better, thanks."
Jackson patted Tobias’ head, a gesture of simple affection.
"We were all scared witless when we dragged you out of the water, thought you were a goner."
Tobias sighed at the fish in Jackson's hand.
"Dad, is it getting harder to catch fish?"
"Yeah, son. Fishing bans in our usual spots, trouble with international waters. Pirates, even. Used to be we'd haul in hundreds of
pounds no problem. Not so much these days. Might be the climate."
Times were changing; they couldn't rely solely on the sea.
Tobias looked even more disheartened.
"Any luck with the school fees?"
Jackson didn't want his son to worry and tousled his hair.
"Don't fret. | would sell the shirt off my back to keep you in school."
As they chatted, they headed home.
Jackson chose the biggest fish for Tobias to clean.
"This sir needs the protein, still recovering. And these fish won't cover your fees, so no need to be stingy."
Tobias nodded and set to work.
Abner listened from outside, the clear blue sky overhead a stark contrast to the sea's vastness.
His own people would be arriving soon, and he'd leave his share.
Lost in thought, he was jolted by Tobias' alarmed voice.
"Dad, what happened to your hand? Why's it pus-filled?"
"Just a scratch. I'll swing by Queena's for sointment."
At the mention of Queena, Tobias clammed up.
Jackson was hurt more than he let on, his leg swollen, but he didn't want Tobias to worry.
"Tobias, get the fish cooked. I'm heading over to the Temples. Heard Mr. Temple passed. It's only right to lend a hand."
Tobias bit his lip, unable to protest.
The Temples' house was visible from theirs, lights blazing, a crowd gathered even late into the night.
Abner stayed for dinner, watching Tobias peer out for his father.
But c11 PM, Jackson hadn't returned.
Tobias was frantic, about to head out, when Abner stopped him.
"He's probably caught up at the Temples. Nothing to worry about. And if he was hurt bad, Queena's there. She's got good hands."
Mentioning Queena no longer brought that look of admiration to Tobias' face; he sat anxiously.
"Handsome, I'm kinda scared of Queena now."
"Oh?" Abner raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmmmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
