Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
Two Boatmen
The two women boarded the small boat with the unnamed driver. He sat away from them, directing the boat away from the hut and towards the beach that curved in.
"Where to?" he asked in a scraggly voice. He idly scratched the stubble that grew on his chin. He was not an attractive man.
"As close as you can get to the car rental." Kahili.
"That would mean going to the other side of the island." the man explained.
Kahili smiled slowly. "We have the money. Do you have the means?"
Quickly, the man said, "Uh, yes, of course. It just might take a while."
"Then do you have a bigger boat?"
"Kahili!" Felia interrupted. She said in a lower voice, "I don't have enough money to help you along in this-"
"Don't worry about it." she whispered to her. "I've got it covered."
With that, Felia sat back, but not relaxing. Thinking more about it, she wondered if she would ever be able to relax again.
"I do have a bigger boat, ma'am. We would have to go to my place to pick it up and the other driver."
"You mean, you don't drive that one?" Kahili asked.
"No. I only drive this one. The bigger one is more complicated and my skills only go so far." he said with a slight smile.
"So, your other drivers do all of the work and you reap all that they sow?" Kahili teased.
"Well, that's one way of putting it." he said.
The boat was directed away from the beach and was moved to go around the side of the island they were on. A large cliff hid away the remainder of the island.
"My place if just behind that cliff." the boatman said as they drew nearer. "Won't be long, now."
Just as he said, they were at the man's dock shortly after he spoke to them. There, as he drew the boat closer to another dock, the women saw the larger boat. It was more like a houseboat than the raft-like boat they were on. The outside wasn't quite as luxurious as a lot of yachts, but it had a lot of charm to it; especially compared to what kept them afloat.
"Now, if you two ladies wouldn't mind stepping onto the dock . . . " The man had gotten out before them and lend each of them a hand as they gingerly stepped off of the boat.
"Thank you for the service." Kahili said, handing him a fifty dollar bill.
At this, Felia raised her eyebrows but the boatman nodded his head to her and said, "Much appreciated, ma'am." Turning away from them, the man whistled loudly. "Noah!" he shouted. "C'mon! I've got some business for you!"
There was some commotion in the houseboat that was settled on the water, but out came a tall, lanky, young man with blond shaggy hair. "I was in the middle of something, you know-"
"I don't care if you were diffusing a bomb in there, you better get out here and welcome your customers." the man warned him.
With an obvious sigh, Noah walked around the deck of the houseboat and jumped the small space between the stairs from the boat to the dock. He walked casually to the trio and stopped. Before giving Kahili a once over, he stumbled over his words but finally managed to say, "Hello."
"Hello." Kahili said, extending her hand gracefully. "I'm Kahili."
"Noah." he said, taking her hand.
"Don't really say much more than one word at a time, huh?" she asked with a smile.
Noah looked down and smiled. Felia cleared her throat.
"Oh, right." Noah said, putting his hand out. "I'm sorry. What was your name?"
"Felia." she said, taking his hand almost reluctantly and pulled away shortly after.
"Alright, then." Noah said after letting out a breath, hoping to relieve the awkward moment.
"I'll leave them to you." the other boatman said as he walked off towards a shack-like house.
"Where would you like to go?" Noah asked.
"As close to the car rental as you can." Kahili repeated.
"It'll take all day." Noah started as the three of them started to walk towards the boat. Before they stepped aboard the houseboat, he continued, "We'll probably need to get food. We may even need to stay on the boat overnight. Will that be a problem?"
Kahili and Felia looked at each other. Felia gestured for her to make the decision and Kahili smiled. "That will be perfect." she said, as she helped herself to get on the boat.
"Where to?" he asked in a scraggly voice. He idly scratched the stubble that grew on his chin. He was not an attractive man.
"As close as you can get to the car rental." Kahili.
"That would mean going to the other side of the island." the man explained.
Kahili smiled slowly. "We have the money. Do you have the means?"
Quickly, the man said, "Uh, yes, of course. It just might take a while."
"Then do you have a bigger boat?"
"Kahili!" Felia interrupted. She said in a lower voice, "I don't have enough money to help you along in this-"
"Don't worry about it." she whispered to her. "I've got it covered."
With that, Felia sat back, but not relaxing. Thinking more about it, she wondered if she would ever be able to relax again.
"I do have a bigger boat, ma'am. We would have to go to my place to pick it up and the other driver."
"You mean, you don't drive that one?" Kahili asked.
"No. I only drive this one. The bigger one is more complicated and my skills only go so far." he said with a slight smile.
"So, your other drivers do all of the work and you reap all that they sow?" Kahili teased.
"Well, that's one way of putting it." he said.
The boat was directed away from the beach and was moved to go around the side of the island they were on. A large cliff hid away the remainder of the island.
"My place if just behind that cliff." the boatman said as they drew nearer. "Won't be long, now."
Just as he said, they were at the man's dock shortly after he spoke to them. There, as he drew the boat closer to another dock, the women saw the larger boat. It was more like a houseboat than the raft-like boat they were on. The outside wasn't quite as luxurious as a lot of yachts, but it had a lot of charm to it; especially compared to what kept them afloat.
"Now, if you two ladies wouldn't mind stepping onto the dock . . . " The man had gotten out before them and lend each of them a hand as they gingerly stepped off of the boat.
"Thank you for the service." Kahili said, handing him a fifty dollar bill.
At this, Felia raised her eyebrows but the boatman nodded his head to her and said, "Much appreciated, ma'am." Turning away from them, the man whistled loudly. "Noah!" he shouted. "C'mon! I've got some business for you!"
There was some commotion in the houseboat that was settled on the water, but out came a tall, lanky, young man with blond shaggy hair. "I was in the middle of something, you know-"
"I don't care if you were diffusing a bomb in there, you better get out here and welcome your customers." the man warned him.
With an obvious sigh, Noah walked around the deck of the houseboat and jumped the small space between the stairs from the boat to the dock. He walked casually to the trio and stopped. Before giving Kahili a once over, he stumbled over his words but finally managed to say, "Hello."
"Hello." Kahili said, extending her hand gracefully. "I'm Kahili."
"Noah." he said, taking her hand.
"Don't really say much more than one word at a time, huh?" she asked with a smile.
Noah looked down and smiled. Felia cleared her throat.
"Oh, right." Noah said, putting his hand out. "I'm sorry. What was your name?"
"Felia." she said, taking his hand almost reluctantly and pulled away shortly after.
"Alright, then." Noah said after letting out a breath, hoping to relieve the awkward moment.
"I'll leave them to you." the other boatman said as he walked off towards a shack-like house.
"Where would you like to go?" Noah asked.
"As close to the car rental as you can." Kahili repeated.
"It'll take all day." Noah started as the three of them started to walk towards the boat. Before they stepped aboard the houseboat, he continued, "We'll probably need to get food. We may even need to stay on the boat overnight. Will that be a problem?"
Kahili and Felia looked at each other. Felia gestured for her to make the decision and Kahili smiled. "That will be perfect." she said, as she helped herself to get on the boat.