Between his arms (Azares Family Series)

BHA 4 | Last String

Chapter 4
Last string

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A nudge wake me up. I blinked to adjust my vision to see Juke standing in front of me.

"Oras na para magtrabaho, Carp."

I glanced on the clock. 8pm. I felt like I just slept seconds ago. Why does it passed two hours already?

I kicked out my sleeping bag, ran my hands over my face, scrubbing away my exhaustion. Hindi na ito bago sa'kin, nakasanayan ko na ang magising ng thirty six hours para hilahin ang mga hinulog na lambat at crabpots. Nothing can be compared to that feeling. Not even my hours practiced on my high school years, not even a heavy workout on a gym, not even like the times I volunteered as fire-fighter.

Inabutan ako ni Gabriel ng kape pagsandal ko sa doorframe ng kusina habang pinipilit paring idilat ang mata dahil inaantok pa.

"Naku, I feel you." Napahalakhak si Juke.

"Nasa magandang parte na ako ng panaginip ko. Nasa bahay na ako, yakap ang asawa at nanay ko. Isang taas nalang 'to at makakatapak na ulit tayo ng lupa."

Biglang umuyog ang barko, dahilan para mawalan ako ng balanse. I hold on the doorframe as my coffee spilled on my shirt. I hold the curse inside my head and winced. I put my coffee down, then I dragged my shirt over my head.

Unfortunately, I found myself stood bare-chested when Lana came down the stairs.

She glanced at me for a moment, before turning his face to the rest of the crew whose still wiping sleep from their eyes.

I grabbed a shirt from the tangle of clothes, hindi na inalam kung damit ko ba ang nadampot. This one is cold, a little smelly, but I still pulled it on as Lana spoke.

"Forthy five ang lakas ng alon and I'm afraid it might get worse. The clouds are getting ready, too. So I've decided we're not getting any chance."

She slammed orange PPE that looks like survival suit and tossed it to Juke.

"Happy birthday, everyone gets a new and improved pretty orange suit."

Sabay-sabay na umasim ang mga itsura nila.

"Hindi ko susuotin 'to." Juke protest, grimacing.

"Sa kapal nito mahihirapan akong gumalaw, kapitana. Hindi ba p'wedeng 'yong lumang uniporme nalang o jacket? Para naman hindi limitado ang kilos."

"Ginawa 'yan para sa ganitong trabaho, Juke. Para lang 'yang dry suit ng mga sundalo. Made of neoprene, kaya hindi ka lalamigin kapag suot mo 'yan. And it acts as a flotation device. It should keep you above water long enough to be rescued if you get thrown overboard. Red ordered that especially—"

"Nah. Ikaw ang nagorder n'yan panigurado." Singit ni Gabriel. "Kaya salamat, pero..." Umiling s'ya.

"I promise, you can work with this. Maybe not faster, but it's better safe than sorry."

"I'm already sorry." Juke joked, and Gab scoffed with it.

"Itigil mo muna 'yang mga biro mo, Juke. Kapag natapon ka sa dagat aabutin ka lang ng tatlumpung segundo bago ka tangayin ng alon paibaba. Another four minutes in the sea and you're dead. This suit could save your life. At least long enough before we could find you and pulled you back in. So the right answer is 'yes sir'."