"Thomas" came a distant voice below him; he begrudgingly shifted from his
place at the window to yell down the open doorway.
"Aye I'm coming mother"
Grabbing his coat in hand he left his small cramped room and made his way down the narrow stairs to be greeted by the frowning brow of his mother before a sharp tap landed on the back of his neck.
"Ow what was that for"
"I've been yelling of you for ten minutes. Why didn't you answer me" before awaiting an answer from her son she took his shoulders and swung him to the front door, thrusting a canvas bag into his arms. "First day and your already late, no dawdling, be on your way before Mr Binks decides to take on another scallywag"
Thomas was stood in the street coat tucked under one arm, bag under another as the door already shut behind him before he had chance to catch his breath. Taking a moment to pull his coat on he was off like a whippet as he heard footsteps approaching the door once more. His mother opened the door and gave herself a small smile as she watched her son running like fire was at heels along the street in direction of the port.
Thomas ran faster down the curving road to the port, enjoying the feel of the sea air whipping at his face and hair. Reaching the port, he quickly sped along the row of small huts stopping to catch his breath at Binks's before tapping lightly. The door swung open and the towering bulk of Binks stood before him.
"Yer late" said the man, swinging the door open further. "Well get thee inside boy. We got no time to wait, grab that barrel and we be on our way"
Binks already carrying a load on his back awaited while Thomas hoisted the barrel into his arms, teetering slightly at the weight but not wanting to disappoint the master his first day. Binks waited while Thomas stepped outside once more before pulling the door shut.
"Right boy we be off"
Thomas struggled to keep up pace of Binks as he walked ahead leading the way along the small row of huts to the jetty. Binks long strides carried him easily even under the heavy weight of nets he had thrust about his shoulders. Thomas thought as he carried his own small load how much he envied Binks and his stocky stature.
He had looked up to Binks as many of the boys his own age did. A man of hard working nature and a hero of the town. Not much was known of him, a fisherman who had landed at Port Kelga some years past. Settling down he had kept much to himself. He was friendly but secretive and little had been learnt about him in his time at Kelga. A fire had near wiped out the village in which Thomas had lived, if it had not been for Binks keeping a cool head many believe they would not have survived. He had quickly taken over and through his orders had managed to create some calm in the panic of the villagers. After evacuating most of the women and children to the jetty's he and the men worked through the night to keep the fire at bay. Many homes had been lost but the quick thinking and instincts of the quiet fisherman Binks had saved lives. He had helped in the building and repair of the homes lost. Then it was back to the same way of life, Binks the private fisherman, quietly over the town, which had adopted him into its society.
Reaching Binks' boat, Thomas was shook from his thoughts as Binks hoisted his load onto the deck and expertly took the barrel from Thomas without so much as a flinch of the weight. Thomas took a moment to watch in awe before Binks turned again to him.
"Well will ye be standing there all day staring boy or are we going to get some work done"
"Aye Sir" replied Thomas, not knowing what he truly was saying 'Aye' to.
"Cast off that there rope and we can set sail then boy"
Thomas rushed to unshackle the rope from the jetty which kept the 'Laura Lee' moored. Jumping onto the deck, Binks was already raising sail on the small boat, setting them off from the port.
"Now boy" said Binks, not taking his sights from directing the boat from the jetty and port. "Those ropes and nets I set on the deck, it will be your job to check them every day to make sure they are ready to be lowered. No holes, no rips understand?"
"Aye Sir" replied Thomas walking to the mound of netting on the deck.
"And check the ropes are tightly secured to those lobster and crab cages, don't want those barrels floating free now do we"
"No Sir" said Thomas, looking to the Captain who seemed to have a twinkle in his eye.
"Today we be doing things a little differently than usual. We'll be casting the nets down first and settle the cages as we come back into port."
Thomas wondered whether it was too early in his employment to ask questions. He looked up at the tall man and then sat by the nets, checking over them carefully.
"I already checked over them today boy, however you can accustom yourself to them. And boy if you got a question to ask me, spit it out. No point letting that small head of yours be filled with questions, I got other things to be filling it with"
"Aye Sir" said Thomas "Only I was wondering why we are doing things differently today Sir?"
"Well for one thing Tom, I got wind in me sails, and it'll get us out there quicker. It means I got more time to show you how things be done right. We will be losing the wind as we come back into port, which means we will have more time to moor and lower the cages. I'd rather it take us longer to get closer to port than spend time awaiting the wind to take us out to sea. Plus those cages are heavy, it'll give you a chance to know how much strength you need to be pulling them up"
Thomas nodded a slight grin on his face. Binks had called him Tom, first time he had heard Binks say his name. He had thought that perhaps the Captain had not remembered his name. After all how important was he in the whole scheme of things.
"Well I be" said the Captain in surprise, looking out over the ocean before them. Thomas looked in the same direction of the Captain to glimpse the small shape of a ship heading in their direction.
"Aye I'm coming mother"
Grabbing his coat in hand he left his small cramped room and made his way down the narrow stairs to be greeted by the frowning brow of his mother before a sharp tap landed on the back of his neck.
"Ow what was that for"
"I've been yelling of you for ten minutes. Why didn't you answer me" before awaiting an answer from her son she took his shoulders and swung him to the front door, thrusting a canvas bag into his arms. "First day and your already late, no dawdling, be on your way before Mr Binks decides to take on another scallywag"
Thomas was stood in the street coat tucked under one arm, bag under another as the door already shut behind him before he had chance to catch his breath. Taking a moment to pull his coat on he was off like a whippet as he heard footsteps approaching the door once more. His mother opened the door and gave herself a small smile as she watched her son running like fire was at heels along the street in direction of the port.
Thomas ran faster down the curving road to the port, enjoying the feel of the sea air whipping at his face and hair. Reaching the port, he quickly sped along the row of small huts stopping to catch his breath at Binks's before tapping lightly. The door swung open and the towering bulk of Binks stood before him.
"Yer late" said the man, swinging the door open further. "Well get thee inside boy. We got no time to wait, grab that barrel and we be on our way"
Binks already carrying a load on his back awaited while Thomas hoisted the barrel into his arms, teetering slightly at the weight but not wanting to disappoint the master his first day. Binks waited while Thomas stepped outside once more before pulling the door shut.
"Right boy we be off"
Thomas struggled to keep up pace of Binks as he walked ahead leading the way along the small row of huts to the jetty. Binks long strides carried him easily even under the heavy weight of nets he had thrust about his shoulders. Thomas thought as he carried his own small load how much he envied Binks and his stocky stature.
He had looked up to Binks as many of the boys his own age did. A man of hard working nature and a hero of the town. Not much was known of him, a fisherman who had landed at Port Kelga some years past. Settling down he had kept much to himself. He was friendly but secretive and little had been learnt about him in his time at Kelga. A fire had near wiped out the village in which Thomas had lived, if it had not been for Binks keeping a cool head many believe they would not have survived. He had quickly taken over and through his orders had managed to create some calm in the panic of the villagers. After evacuating most of the women and children to the jetty's he and the men worked through the night to keep the fire at bay. Many homes had been lost but the quick thinking and instincts of the quiet fisherman Binks had saved lives. He had helped in the building and repair of the homes lost. Then it was back to the same way of life, Binks the private fisherman, quietly over the town, which had adopted him into its society.
Reaching Binks' boat, Thomas was shook from his thoughts as Binks hoisted his load onto the deck and expertly took the barrel from Thomas without so much as a flinch of the weight. Thomas took a moment to watch in awe before Binks turned again to him.
"Well will ye be standing there all day staring boy or are we going to get some work done"
"Aye Sir" replied Thomas, not knowing what he truly was saying 'Aye' to.
"Cast off that there rope and we can set sail then boy"
Thomas rushed to unshackle the rope from the jetty which kept the 'Laura Lee' moored. Jumping onto the deck, Binks was already raising sail on the small boat, setting them off from the port.
"Now boy" said Binks, not taking his sights from directing the boat from the jetty and port. "Those ropes and nets I set on the deck, it will be your job to check them every day to make sure they are ready to be lowered. No holes, no rips understand?"
"Aye Sir" replied Thomas walking to the mound of netting on the deck.
"And check the ropes are tightly secured to those lobster and crab cages, don't want those barrels floating free now do we"
"No Sir" said Thomas, looking to the Captain who seemed to have a twinkle in his eye.
"Today we be doing things a little differently than usual. We'll be casting the nets down first and settle the cages as we come back into port."
Thomas wondered whether it was too early in his employment to ask questions. He looked up at the tall man and then sat by the nets, checking over them carefully.
"I already checked over them today boy, however you can accustom yourself to them. And boy if you got a question to ask me, spit it out. No point letting that small head of yours be filled with questions, I got other things to be filling it with"
"Aye Sir" said Thomas "Only I was wondering why we are doing things differently today Sir?"
"Well for one thing Tom, I got wind in me sails, and it'll get us out there quicker. It means I got more time to show you how things be done right. We will be losing the wind as we come back into port, which means we will have more time to moor and lower the cages. I'd rather it take us longer to get closer to port than spend time awaiting the wind to take us out to sea. Plus those cages are heavy, it'll give you a chance to know how much strength you need to be pulling them up"
Thomas nodded a slight grin on his face. Binks had called him Tom, first time he had heard Binks say his name. He had thought that perhaps the Captain had not remembered his name. After all how important was he in the whole scheme of things.
"Well I be" said the Captain in surprise, looking out over the ocean before them. Thomas looked in the same direction of the Captain to glimpse the small shape of a ship heading in their direction.