“Were you participating in Barla’s apprenticeship program?” Bryon asked with genuine interest.
“You know about that program?”
“I sure do,” he said with a smile. “I’ve always thought that was a wonderful idea. Were you part of it?”
“Yes, I started at the school when I was just seven anons old. I was very grateful for the opportunity to have a place to live. Then when I turned fifteen, and they asked me if I wanted to start to learn a trade, I jumped at the opportunity.”
“That’s wonderful. How long did you work in the dock warehouse?”
“After my apprenticeship was completed, only about one and a half anons. When I turned eighteen, I went to work for Captain Issyn on his shipping route,” he added.
“So you have some experience handling cargo and sorting it, right?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve loaded and unloaded more cargo than I care to think about,” Ninan replied with confidence.
“Would you have any problem working in the receiving department for a week or so until I can see where your skills will be best put to use?”
“Sure. No problem. I’d appreciate any work right now.”
“Well, the pay’s not that great, but it’ll get your foot in the door.”
“You’ll be happy with my work. I’m not worried about the starting pay, either. It’s more than I came through the door with, that’s for sure!” Ninan replied with a grin on his face.
“Perfect, let’s go get you started then,” Bryon said as he stood to lead the way to Ninan’s new workstation.
This is working out better than I hoped, Ninan thought as he pushed himself up from of the cushioned chair to follow Bryon out to the receiving area.
Chapter Three
NINAN WORKED FAST and hard trying to prove his worth to Bryon. He fit in with the rest of the crew seamlessly since he was used to working in close quarters on the shipping vessels. Ninan entertained the other employees with stories of adventures on the high seas and some of the more difficult cargo they had handled such as a herd of foxl.
During the first week, Ninan spent every lunch hour in the marketplace searching for Jesisca. Each day, he ordered a lunch and sat at a different table with Jesisca’s picture out in front of him. Ninan almost thought he was getting a lead when someone stopped near him to look at the picture.
“Boy, she looks familiar. Is she your girlfriend?” the old man asked.
“No, she’s my sister, Jesisca,” Ninan replied easily, glad he had already decided on that lie. “Have you seen her? Our parents have been worried sick about her.”
The old man leaned closer to look at the picture and then slowly shook his head. “No, sorry. I don’t think that’s the same girl. What color is her hair?”
“Dark blonde,” he replied hoping it was the right answer.
“Nope, definitely not then,” he said as he continued to scrutinize the drawing.
Ninan decided to fabricate a little more on his story and added, “Well her hair changes color depending on how much sunlight it’s exposed to. Sometimes it’s really blonde and other times it’s brown. You’ve seen that before, haven’t you?”
The old man looked skeptically at Ninan for the first time and replied, “Nope, can’t say as I have seen hair color change that drastically. Eye color, maybe, depending on a person’s mood or what they’re wearing, but not hair color.” He started to move away from the table.
Ninan called after him, “I eat lunch every day here in the marketplace. If you see her, will you let me know?”
“Sure,” the old man called over his shoulder as he walked away, melting into the crowd.
At the end of Ninan’s first week in the receiving department, Ninan was surprised when Bryon asked him to come to his office at the end of his shift. With a little trepidation to his step, Ninan walked to the front office, stopped at the receptionist’s desk, noticing her nameplate for the first time, and said, “Hi, Frasnia. Bryon asked me to stop in and see him. Is he available?”
“Just one moment and I’ll find out,” she replied cheerfully. Frasnia turned and typed a few strokes on her keyboard and then looked into the screen of the patil while waiting for her answer. With a smile on her face, she turned back to Ninan and replied, “Bryon said he’s ready to see you. Please just go on into his office.”
“Thank you,” Ninan replied. He was still nervous, but he could not imagine the receptionist would be so cheerful if he were about to be fired. Ninan walked across the lobby and paused for just a second to take a calming breath before opening the door to Bryon’s office.
“Ninan, it’s good to see you. Please, sit down,” Bryon said as he indicated the chair he had previously occupied the one other time he had been in Bryon’s office.
Ninan sat in the proffered chair and folded his hands over his knee to try to hide their shaking.
“I think I’ve got good news for you, Ninan,” said Bryon with a smile on his face.
“Really?”
“Yes, I’ve spoken with many people about you, including Captain Ahn, Ceren, as well as the crew you’ve been working with here at our facility. Everyone has told me you are a hard worker with the ability to learn new tasks with little to no instruction. I, too, have seen this trait in you, and I’d like to offer you a position which has just come available in the transfer department.”
Ninan nodded during Bryon’s speech, glad to know his hard work had been noticed. When Bryon got to the part about a promotion, Ninan was both surprised and thrilled to receive the offer and hurriedly replied, “That’d be wonderful.”
Then he thought about all the other people who had been working in the facility longer than himself, and he wanted to make sure he would not be creating any hard feelings and asked, “Are you sure there isn’t someone who’s been here longer who might want it? I mean…I’m not saying I don’t want it, I just don’t want to upset anyone.”
“No problem on that score,” Bryon assured him. Bryon was inwardly glad to know Ninan was thinking about his fellow staff more than his own gain which raised his estimation of Ninan tenfold. “I already spoke to the staff about the promotion and they all agreed you’d be a good fit for it.”
“Really? Nobody here mentioned anything to me about it,” he said with more than a little wonder that the people could be so discreet.
Bryon was again more than a little smug in his employees’ performance. He knew he could trust these people, but it was times like these that really proved to him that they were a good group with which to work. “Well, if that’s all settled, why don’t you come by my office first thing next Senin and I’ll introduce you to your new department.”
“Perfect!” Ninan replied enthusiastically as he stood up to take his leave.
“Oh, Ninan,” Bryon said as he just thought of one last thing.
Here it comes, Ninan thought to himself with dread.
“Frasnia has your week’s pay at her desk.”
Relief washed through Ninan as he replied cheerfully, “Thanks, that’s wonderful news.”
“Now don’t get too excited, Ninan. Remember, I told you the pay for the receiving job was dreadful. Your new job will pay better, I promise.”
“Hey, money is money. I’ll take whatever I can get!” he replied as he opened the door and walked into the lobby. He stopped back at Frasnia’s desk and said, “Bryon told me I can pick up my pay from you for the week.”
“Sure thing,” she replied as she took a key ring from her pants pocket and unlocked her desk drawer. She pulled out a locked box and placed it on top of her desk. She selected another key and fit it into the box lock and opened the lid, obscuring Ninan’s view of the contents. Frasnia sorted through the papers until she finally found what she was seeking and then she handed Ninan a sealed envelope with his name written on the front. “Here you go. Have a nice weekend.”
He took the envelope from her outstretched hand and said, “Thanks, you too.” Without opening the envelope, he put it
into his coat pocket and walked out of the office into the late afternoon sun. Before heading back to the boarding house, Ninan decided to write his weekly update to Petre. He went to the marketplace and purchased some writing supplies and sat down at one of his regular lunch tables to compose his letter.
Tammuz 19, 3443
Petre,
I don’t have much to write about other than I got a job working at the distribution warehouse as you suggested. My first weekend here I also walked through the marketplace as well as all of the local neighborhoods. I didn’t realize there were so many people living here.
Also, I look at Jesisca’s picture while I eat lunch in the marketplace hoping someone will recognize her, but I haven’t had much luck yet. There was one old man who said she looked familiar, but when he asked me what color her hair was, I told him it was dark blonde. He then said it wasn’t the same girl.
What color are Jesisca’s hair and eyes? I forgot to ask you, and it might help me locate her faster.
I guess that’s all the news for this week. I’m staying at the Bedford Boarding House so you can send my weekly payment there.
Until next week,
Ninan
He read through his letter, making sure he gave Petre enough information to know he had at least tried. Satisfied it was sufficient, Ninan folded the letter in thirds and inserted it into the envelope he had purchased, licked the glue on the flap, and sealed it shut. He took out the card Petre had given him and addressed the envelope. Ninan deposited the letter in the courier box at the edge of the marketplace on his way back to the boarding house.
Back in his room, Ninan ate his foxl stew in silence. He enjoyed the silence surrounding him which allowed him time to think about what direction he wanted his life to go. He hated the idea of working for Petre and wondered if he should just give up the whole thing. More than once now, he regretted writing to Petre at all. He could have just sent back the money he had taken and then just enjoyed his new life here in Kirma.
Remembering his new job, he wondered just how much money he had made for his first week’s work. He walked across the bedroom to where he had draped his jacket over the back of the only other chair in the room. He rifled through the outside pocket until he could extract the envelope he had received from Frasnia. He ripped it open and dumped out the five shills it contained into his other palm. Ninan laughed out loud at how paltry the pay actually was. He was even more thankful to know that starting on Senin he would be making better wages.
Ninan did the unthinkable the next morning, he slept in. If his old crew mates could see him now, they would not stop razzing him until the next greenhorn came on board the ship. He luxuriated in the feeling of sleeping until he was no longer tired. He rolled over onto his side and spotted the previous day’s newspaper which he had picked up on his way back to the boarding house.
Now is as good a time to read what’s happening in and around Kirma as ever, he thought to himself as he reached over and grabbed the paper. Ninan punched the pillows into order to be able to rest his back against them and settle the blankets across his lap. He unrolled the large bundle of papers and spread them flat across his outstretched legs. He spent most of the morning browsing through each page. Once again, he was surprised at all of the activities available to the residents of Kirma.
The growl of his stomach made him look at the clock on the night table. He could not believe it was already afternoon, and he had missed breakfast. If he took too much more time getting dressed, he would miss lunch as well. He pulled on his trousers and walked through the bedroom door into the hallway while still buttoning his shirt.
Ninan entered the dining hall just as the last patrons were being served. He picked a table closest to the kitchen so he would not have to inconvenience his waiter any more than he already would by being so late. He looked at the paper menu on the table and was glad to see one of his favorite meals was the day’s special.
His waiter came over and deposited a glass of ice water onto the table. “You cut it pretty close today, kitchen’s almost closed. Do you know what you’d like to have?”
“Do you have any of the au jus left?” Ninan asked politely.
“I’m sure we do, the head chef likes to have extra to take home on the weekends,” he replied easily.
“Good! I’d like to have a shredded foxl sandwich with cheese and a big bowl of au jus, please,” Ninan ordered.
“You got it,” he said and then asked, “Would you like something other than water to drink?”
“No, water’s fine,” he replied.
“Very good, I’ll be back with your order in a few minutes,” he said as he hurried through the kitchen doors and yelled out his last minute order to the chef.
Again, Ninan felt bad for making the wait staff work later than usual. He contemplated asking the waiter to make his order to go, but then realized it would only make them have to get out other supplies. He decided he would just eat quickly and be done before the staff had the dining room cleaned.
True to his word, the waiter brought Ninan’s meal within minutes of him having placed the order. Even though he ate fast and burned his mouth on the hot au jus, he appreciated how tasty the foxl meat was as well as the soft and buttery bread in which it was placed. He tipped the cup of broth into his mouth and washed it down with the rest of his water.
He stood up and looked around for his waiter. He spotted him across the room and walked over to him and said, “Thank you for the excellent meal. Will you also give my compliments to the chef? I’d appreciate it.”
The rest of his day went without incident as he spent most of his time back in his room. He re-read some of the articles in the newspaper and then he just stared out his bedroom window at the few people who walked by. He still was not any closer to finding Jesisca. More than anything he wanted to meet this woman who had captivated his imagination. He wondered if she had a sense of humor or if she was as wholesome and innocent as she seemed from the drawing. Maybe I’m reading too much into the artist’s rendition, he thought as he once again stared at the drawing.
Senin came all too soon. He took his breakfast early in the dining room and was surprised by receiving a letter from the waiter as well as his morning java. He ordered his morning oats, sat back in his chair as the waiter left his table, and opened the letter from Petre which read:
Tammuz 21, 3443
Ninan,
I’m glad to hear you got a job. To answer your question, Jesisca’s hair is a dark brown with some red and gold highlights. Her eyes are brown with a little green and gold mixed in.
I hope I don’t have to remind you to be careful about asking too many questions or flashing her picture around to everyone who’ll look at it. I’d rather it take a little longer and find her rather than scare her into running again.
I’ve included your five shills with this letter leaving a total of 8½ taj left owing.
I look forward to your next letter. I’m going back on my regular trading route so send your next letter care of the Harbor Master at the Port of Cerid.
Petre MacVeen
With renewed disgust, Ninan balled up the letter and set it on the table. He dumped the five shills from the bottom of the envelope into his hand and put them in his pants pocket along with his last week’s pay. He just could not believe Petre was chastising his style of garnering information when he was unable to locate his own wife.
His breakfast arrived, and he almost did not have the appetite to eat it. Then he remembered he was going to be starting a new job in about an hour so he decided to forget about Petre and concentrate on his new adventure. As he had the week before, he arrived half an hour early to work and waited in the lobby for Bryon to arrive.
Bryon showed up for work fifteen minutes later and escorted Ninan to his new assignment. Bryon introduced him to his new supervisor and left them alone.
Ninan’s new occupation was on the other end of the facility. His position’s responsibility was to check invent
ory on the patil, print out orders to be placed, and then pull the stock and distribute it onto various pallets across the staging floor. He was grateful for the change of pace and the increased level of responsibility.
His morning went by amazingly fast, and he was surprised when his supervisor tapped his shoulder and invited him to lunch. Still upset with the tone of Petre’s letter, Ninan decided to abandon his regular lunch routine of looking for Jesisca in favor of eating with his new work crew.
For the rest of the week, he alternated going out with his co-workers and eating by himself to look for Jesisca. Each evening he left work exhausted, too tired to do more than eat dinner and go to bed. By the time Jumat arrived, Ninan was glad the week was over. With his shift over, he walked with several of his fellow workers to the office to pick up their paychecks.
Ninan entered the room first and was surprised when he heard Bryon say the name Petre MacVeen. He paused in the doorway and stumbled into the lobby as he was pushed the rest of the way through by the pair of men coming in behind him. To cover his astonishment he jokingly said, “Sorry, I must’ve tripped on the way in.” He turned to Bryon and said, “Remind me not to get in the way of the guys and their paychecks, will you?”
Bryon laughed and turned to Frasnia and said, “We can talk about this later. It looks as though our crew is anxious to begin their weekend!” He turned and walked across the lobby and into his office, shutting the door quietly behind him.
“Okay, boys,” Frasnia said as she retrieved the weekly pay box from her desk. “Give me a sec and I’ll get you on your way.” She hastily located each person’s envelope and handed them over to their eagerly outstretched hands. The men filed out as soon as they were paid leaving Ninan alone in the office with Frasnia. She held out his envelope and said with a smile on her face, “Here’s yours.”
Ascension Discovery Page 30
