Minds in Mines

Chapter 10: Morning Fight

After hot showers, nobody was in the mood to go and eat out even if the rain had turned into drizzles by then. They all gathered in the living room while waiting for Shotty to heat their dinner, ready-meal packs stocked in the kitchen's cabinet, in the microwave.

AB had turned on the TV while Moony had made himself the designated bartender of the house.

"AB, what would you like to drink?"

"I saw a bottle of red wine earlier. Do you mind pouring me a glass, Moony?"

"Wait, let me find it. Ah, here it is. Do you want me to put it in the fridge first?"

"No, the temperature is cool enough at the moment. I don't need it chilled."

"Fix me a martini, Moony!" Shotty shouted from the kitchen.

"Aye aye, Captain. How about you, Ray, what would you like to drink?" Moony asked.

"I'll pass."

"Come on. You're not on duty. Surely, you can drink during your downtime. Besides, after what we went through, we need this."

"I don't drink alcohol, Moony," Ray said.

"Not even red wine?"

"I'm afraid you're offering a teetotaler here."

"Would you like hot tea, Ray?" Shotty asked from the kitchen.

Ray was speechless hearing that nice offer that AB had to nudge her.

"Shotty's asking you a question."

"Uh... I suppose I can make it myself, Mr Prasad. Thanks for the offer," Ray finally replied.

"Shotty is not as boorish as he seems. He has nice sides, too, just like everyone else," AB said in a low quiet voice for Ray only.

"I didn't expect he would be nice to me, though."

What was more unexpected was when Shotty came a couple of minutes later with hot tea for Ray.

"Er... you shouldn't have. But, thank you so much, Mr Prasad."

"When are you going to call me Shotty like everyone else, Ray?"

"Thank you... Shotty."

"There you go. By the way, you look super hot with that damp loose hair," Shotty said with a suggestive smile before he went back to the kitchen.

"Not as boorish, huh?" Ray said to AB under her breath before she sipped the hot tea.

AB chuckled silently. "When something like that comes from Shotty, it's a compliment."

The channel was airing the situation in the area. Although they did not understand what was being said as it was in Indonesian, the videos, taken from social media, were enough to inform them about the devastating situation. The moment the landslide started going down the valley and went straight to the mills as well as the moment a heavy excavator got carried away by the flood were highlighted.

"Has Mr Nahuway contacted you?" Moony asked, handing the glass of red wine to AB.

"He has," AB answered shortly since his eyes were still intent on watching the videos.

"Is tomorrow still on schedule?" Moony took a seat.

"He couldn't confirm it earlier, but he said Mile 72 where the underground mine entrance and the underground mining headquarters are located were not affected by the landslide. We definitely can't go to the concentrating mills tomorrow since the road to Mile 74 is closed for safety until their EPR team gives a green light to use it again. Mr Nahuway will contact me again first thing in the morning to confirm everything."