Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 148
"Huh? Brandon, look at the sky." Karlos frowned as he stared at the eastern horizon.
Brandon also looked up, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. Dark clouds were forming in the east.
"Those look like heavy clouds. Earlier, the sky was clear, and there wasn't a single cloud. Even the stars were shining when we sailed earlier." His voice was filled with concern.
The two were picking abalones on a small island. It was still 8 a.m., and their containers were half-filled, a decent harvest, but not their best.
Karlos narrowed his gaze. If he understood their location correctly, the small island was southwest of the town, albeit kilometers away from town.
The dark clouds were coming from the east, which meant it might already be raining in their town.
"Brandon, I think we need to head back. Let's stop," Karlos said seriously.
"... Alright." Brandon agreed and quickly packed his tools. He knew better. The biggest enemy of fishermen was the weather, and unexpected rain was one of the most troublesome threats.
The two carried their containers, lighter than their usual harvest.
"If we stay on the island, we might get stranded until night. If that happens, we'll have to sleep with the sea snakes..." Karlos muttered grimly.
"Don't jinx it."
They sailed back toward town immediately. Even the waves were steadily growing stronger. Karlos navigated the sea at a fast yet steady speed. Fortunately, the rain only began to fall when they were closer to the shoreline. Just like them, other boats rapidly appeared on the beach one after another.
No fisherman wanted to remain in the middle of the sea when a storm was brewing. Even heavy rain was considered dangerous at sea.
"What about our catch?" Brandon glanced at the abalones and lobsters.
"We'll use my tricycle to sell them in the port," Karlos answered.
They didn't want to risk using the boat to get to the fish port when the rain was already pouring.
The two carried the boat farther from the beach, and Karlos securely chained it to a coconut tree. Then they carried their belongings to Karlos's house. The containers were quite heavy, as there were still lobsters and abalones inside.
"You're back." Maya sighed in relief when she saw Karlos.
"Babe, we'll use the tricycle to sell our catch."
The two men were already soaked by the rain.
"Alright. Here's a thermos and two cups. Drink hot water on the way." Maya quickly returned to the kitchen and handed them the thermos and cups.
Karlos started the tricycle. The containers were already loaded, and Brandon went in as well to make sure they wouldn't fall off while driving.
The road ahead was wet, and their vision was partially obscured by the rain. Karlos carefully drove.
By the time they reached the fish port, half an hour had passed. It was already 9:30 a.m.
Like them, other fishermen also used tricycles and various vehicles to sell their catch at the port. The rain intensified, and the waves looked rougher as they glanced toward the sea.
"Karlos, I was wondering when you'd show up."
Joseph stepped on his cigarette to extinguish the flame before tossing it into a nearby trash can.
"We headed back immediately when we saw the dark clouds."
Most fishermen always checked the weather forecast to ensure their safety from rain or storms. The weather report the night before had stated there wouldn't be any rain...
"Let's see what you've got. My clients are interested in abalones and lobsters today."
"You're going to deliver in this weather?"
"Rain isn't enough to stop people from eating seafood. Besides, it's not really a storm, just heavy rain. My truck can handle this weather."
"What if the road gets flooded?" Brandon asked.
"I can take a detour. And if I get stuck, I can just sleep in my truck. I've got food there. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Karlos looked around the fish port. Indeed, even though it was raining, buyers and middlemen were still actively purchasing fish. Business continued because everyone needed to earn money.
Karlos sold the lobsters and abalones to Joseph. They earned 32,000 pesos today since they had harvested only half of their usual amount.
Still, the two men were satisfied with what they earned. There was no reason to be disappointed, their daily income had consistently been good.
The porters carried the catch to Joseph's truck. Like the middlemen, the porters had no reason to stop working despite the bad weather. They also had to make a living.
Karlos and Brandon found a clean spot at the fish port and decided to drink hot water and eat biscuit crackers. They munched on the dry biscuits, sipping in between. The warmth settled in their stomachs.
"Here's your share."
5% + 500 pesos.
Brandon received 2,100 pesos today. He grinned widely. From January to April, he had actually saved about half a million pesos. He made sure to keep his bank account a secret, even from his parents. He loved his mother, but he knew that Carmine would definitely brag about his money to their neighbors if she found out. His mother was a talkative gossip.
Half a million pesos. Brandon still couldn't believe he had earned that much. He had thought about buying a boat of his own, but he was conflicted. Then he considered saving for a house instead... or perhaps finding a way to cure his crossed eyes.
He had visited a doctor, an ophthalmologist. He was devastated when he learned that crossed eyes should be treated at a young age. It would be difficult to correct them in adulthood.
Brandon's family had been too poor to even consider taking him to the hospital when he was a child. And now that he finally had money, the doctor said his only option was surgery, but it wouldn't have a 100% success rate. His eyes could even be severely affected if the surgery failed.
Naturally, Brandon was scared. After that visit, he felt like there was no hope for his crossed eyes anymore.
In the first place, he hadn't even known that crossed eyes needed to be treated early. They were just people in a small town, and education and information were not easy to access in the 80s and even in 2000s. Some people believed in superstition instead of science. Brandon also lacked education, as he hadn't even finished elementary school.
[Thank you guys for reading this novel.]