Chapter 10: A Cold, Rainy Day - part 2
"Twelve passengers and seven pieces of luggage on board," Kaela called out from the rear to Eliza, who confirmed her count and placed a lit lamp on the boat's prow.
"We're ready. Gondola casting off!"
The two gondoliers slowly eased the boat into the small canal and rowed slowly towards the larger main waterway. The rain from the early morning persisted, making the dock and office building vanish from sight sooner than usual. Thankfully, there was enough visibility for the two girls to see the sides of the small canal.
Kaela felt a small drag on the gondola, and glanced at Eliza - she had stopped rowing and placed the oar perpendicular to the water, signaling Kaela to stop the boat. A series of subtle strokes smoothly put the boat on a complete stop just at the intersection between the small canal and the main waterway.
Eliza peered around the corner, looking at the large waterway ahead of her. The sound of the rain masked any boat activity, and the girl can barely see the outlines of buildings on the other side of the large canal. Satisfied that no boats were incoming, Eliza called out, "Gondola coming through!" and signaled Kaela to resume rowing.
Progress along the waterway was slow. A slight wind had picked up, sending a slight current that further slowed the gondola's progress. The two gondoliers redoubled their efforts and managed to keep an even tack on the large canal. Since gondola tours are cancelled for the day due to weather, the waterway is still mostly empty. Small lights from afar signaled them of approaching boats, and buoys helped the two girls navigate in the rain.
The dark, rainy day didn't stop the passengers' conversations. Talk of the day's work and the little incidents in their everyday lives went around thicker than usual - perhaps to ward off the wet and cold. Tiny puddles of water formed at the top of the large fish baskets which were covered in a cloth. One of the fishermen shared a joke, at which the passengers laughed heartily. The warm laughter carried through the canal, barely dampened by the rain.
Eliza spotted a distinctive buoy just ahead, signaling their approach to the city center. The girl signaled Kaela to slow down, and the two carefully navigated to the docks. With the limited visibility, the signs among the various docks were difficult to see, but the two managed to pick out their assigned landing. After reversing and aligning to the dock, the two slowly and smoothly brought the boat to a stop. Kaela placed her left foot on the dock and held onto a pillar as Eliza carefully tied the boat down.
"All done," Eliza said, straightening up. The two gondoliers bowed. "Thank you for riding with us. Stay dry and have a great day!"
The twelve passengers gingerly disembarked and stretched on the docks as the girls brought over the luggage. When reaching for the large fish baskets, the fishermen stepped in and helped them bring it out of the boat. The two men gave their thanks and exchanged goodbyes.
"Alright," Kaela stretched, "Let's go see if we have anyone to pick up here."
The waiting area was empty, but the two girls sat and waited for a while just in case. They shared a flask of hot tea, and the two sighed and slouched in relaxation. Their raincoats hung in coat hooks, dripping on the concrete.
"Eliza," Kaela looked at the girl. "Where'd your glasses go? Don't you need them?"
"Ah," the brunette shook her head. "Not really. I can see enough...I only really need it when I read, and it's just going to fog up or get splattered with rain if I put them on today."
Silence as the girls waited a little longer. The rain continued, and the patter of raindrops enveloped the two. Hazy figures in the rain showed the few people that walked along the city center.
Eliza stood, giving Kaela a nod. It was time to head back.
Ayumi took a quick glance at the canal. A small light bobbed in the distance, getting brighter ever so slowly. The form of a small gondola appeared from the rain, bearing a single gondolier. The boat slowly made its way to the dock, and its rower alighted and secured it before heading over to the waiting area.
Ayumi recognized the rower and waved at her. The rower pulled her rain coat hood back, revealing a pale face crowned in dark hair. "I'm back. I'm sorry for the delay."
"Welcome back, Arya. You're fine - Kaela and Eliza took the first ferry, so you still have time to get something to eat before we take over. Tomoe's really busy, so don't bother her!"
"I will do that, thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can." The girl walked to the office building and entered, taking off and shaking the raincoat dry outside before closing the door behind her. She hung the raincoat and went upstairs to her room, tucking the receipt from the post office in a small folder, filled with similar receipts.
Arya took a look at herself in the mirror and sighed as she straightened her uniform and brushed her hair. As she left her room and closed the door, a voice came from Tomoe's room. "Arya, is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. Is there anything wrong?"
The door to the adjacent room opened, and a mass of messy green hair greeted the girl. Tomoe handed the girl a plate and a mug with an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I really need to get through as much of this paperwork as I can today. I'll see you girls at lunch!"
Arya barely managed to say goodbye before the woman closed the door. The pale girl walked down the stairs and placed the kitchenware on the sink before preparing a sandwich and a mug of tea for herself. The kitchen was silent and dark as Arya ate her breakfast and cleaned. The girl put on a raincoat and left for the waiting area.
It's mid-morning, and the sky has lightened to a light grey. The rain had weakened to a strong drizzle as well. Due to the more favorable conditions, a few more people have lined up to take the ferry. As Arya walked across the square, she saw a stream of people walking away from the dock - she quickened her pace. She entered the waiting area and saw Kaela and Eliza hanging their rain coats.
"Hey, it's Arya! Everything turn out okay?" Kaela beamed at the pale girl.
Arya nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you for the hard work," she gave the two girls a slight bow.
"Looks like we're ready. Hello, everyone," Ayumi called out. "I hope you're having a good morning. Please follow us to the boat carefully - the rain's made the docks a bit slippery today. If you have large luggage, please come in first so we can get things sorted. Don't forget to prepare the fare."
"Thank you very much for riding with us. We hope to see you again." Arya took a small bow as she bade farewell to the last passenger. She and Eliza made sure the boat was secured before heading to the waiting area.
Kaela waved at them. "Have some lunch! We cooked a little delicious something. Rain stopped, too. It's still cloudy, but at least we can get rid of the raincoats."
Ayumi smiled at the two. "Thanks for the hard work. We'll take it from here. Enjoy your lunch! Oh, and I forgot to get some for Tomoe - please bring some up there for her."
Lunch was made up of a simple but hearty cream of broccoli and bread. Arya scooped up a bowl of soup and a piece of bread and placed them on a serving board. "I'll bring this up for Tomoe," she said to Eliza before moving up the stairs and softly knocking on Tomoe's door.
"Come in!"
The room was very tidy - a smoothly-made bed, well-organized bookshelves, and a tidy dresser. Tomoe was seated at her desk, poring over a binder. Two similar binders lay to the side.
The green-haired woman looked at Arya and smiled. "Thanks for getting me lunch. The rain stopped, didn't it?"
Arya nodded. "Where should I put this?"
Tomoe cleared her desk, placing the binder on top of the pile to her side. Arya gave the woman the board, and Tomoe mouthed thanks. The pale girl took leave of Tomoe and went down to have her meal.
Eliza spoke as Arya finished her lunch. "Is she alright? I've never seen her holed up in her room all day."
Arya nodded. "She's busy, but she's alright. I think her work is almost done, so we'll see her this afternoon…"
The sky was clean and crisp that afternoon. The sun came out in full force as the rainclouds finally dispersed, and most of the city came out to enjoy the warmth. Hints of the rainy day can still be seen in the damp pavement. Many houses also put their laundry out to dry, filling the alleyways and waterways of Neo-Venezia with white.
Tomoe rowed at the back of the gondola with an ease and smoothness from years of experience. Ayumi directed the boat in front, deftly making turns and directing the boat through the waterways. The full boat glided into the city center docks and eased into the traghetto company's dock. The two expertly anchored the gondola as they bowed to their passengers and helped them disembark.
"Ah," Tomoe stretched her arms outward. "It's good to be outside. What an amazing afternoon to row!"
"Reward for your hard work, of course." Ayumi grinned and laughed. "Thanks for looking over the books today. Everything looking clear, right?"
The woman nodded. "Yes - everything looks great. Even the trainees had good entries - nothing missing, all necessary details covered.
"They've been working very hard, those three...Kaela, Arya, Eliza. For a Single and a couple of Pairs, they have become really good at their work."
Ayumi hummed in agreement. "Gotta say, though, having a couple of extra hands would be great. It would let some of us to take it easy or focus on bookkeeping sometimes - I don't think we should rely on just you for the books. I already talked to the Association, and we should be hearing from another volunteer pretty soon."
"I certainly won't mind someone else looking at the books. Didn't the number of volunteers drop this time around?"
"Yeah. I guess some of them backed off when they realized how hard traghetto work is," Ayumi said with a dry chuckle. "Touring is easier on the body."
"I'm sure it's not a problem. We will grow just as slow as we need it to be."
"No, it isn't a problem - and yes, we will." The two walked down the dock to their waiting area, straightening their uniforms and preparing to receive the next batch of passengers.