Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 184
"I'm home," Andres called out drunkenly, knocking on the door as his balance wavered. Reina opened the door and glared at him, slightly annoyed and worried, but she let him inside.
"The kids are already sleeping. Don't make too much noise."
"Hm, alright," Andres muttered, his words slurring as he swayed his way toward their bedroom.
"Sit up and change your clothes. You smell like booze." Reina handed him a change of clothes.
"Wife, I got hired by Karlos to be a worker on his new bangka," Andres said. "I got the same treatment as Brandon, a 500-peso salary plus a 5% profit share."
"Karlos got a new boat?"
"Yeah, a mid-size bangka."
"I see..." Reina looked at her husband as he changed his clothes, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Why are you crying?" Andres was surprised.
"You probably hate me."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Andres slightly regained his clarity.
"I'm the one who's forcing you to be a fisherman, even though you lost your parents and brother because of it..." Reina sobbed, consumed by guilt. "I'm sorry, Andres."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Andres said firmly. "The responsibility lies solely on me. I made my decision because I want the best for our family." He paused and held her hand. "Working with Karlos and going out to sea isn't that bad... I can do it." Andres hugged his wife and comforted her.
Reina nodded weakly and rested her forehead against his chest, but she continued to cry, wetting Andres's fresh shirt. She felt cruel for pushing Andres to face his biggest fear.
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The next day, the three men traveled to the northern part of the town, passing the development area until they reached the shipyard. However, Karlos didn't drive his tricycle this time, as they planned to use the new bangka to return to the beach.
Dantes was already there waiting and greeted them warmly. "Sir, it's nice to meet you again."
"Me too."
"Let me take you to where the bangka is docked."
The three followed him to the docking station and found the bangka. It was beautifully painted in blue and white, with the name "Alejandro" proudly displayed on both sides of the hull. They inspected the boat thoroughly and were highly satisfied with what they saw.
"The freebies are all here as well." Dantes opened the two styrofoam boxes, showing them the cast nets, goggles, and other equipment. The boat also came with two lifebuoys tied to the posts. Aside from that, the shipyard provided them with three gallons of diesel to get started.
Andres stepped onto the deck and felt a wave of nostalgia, a slight smile appearing on his face as his old memories as a fisherman came rushing back.
"You can take it for a test drive," Dantes suggested.
Karlos excitedly cranked the engine, and the boat roared to life, moving forward smoothly. The engine hummed powerfully, and the vessel was fast. They traveled about 200 meters out before turning around to head back to the shipyard.
"I have no complaints, I really like this boat," Karlos smiled.
"That's good to hear, sir."
They finalized the remaining documents, and Karlos was cleared to take the boat back to their beach.
"If you know anyone else looking to buy a bangka or a commercial trawler boat, please refer them to our shipyard. We promise to give them an affordable price. And if you guys ever want to upgrade to an even bigger vessel, please visit us again," Dantes said, bidding them farewell.
The bangka cruised out into the open sea. Looking at the vast scenery, Andres felt his heart beat a little faster.
"Wait a minute, I want to test something," Andres said to Karlos in the middle of their journey. He wanted to try swimming.
"Alright." Karlos slowed the engine and brought the bangka to a stop, letting it bob gently against the waves. Andres stripped down to his boxer briefs. He dived into the water, swam a few meters away, and floated there.
Karlos and Brandon watched him anxiously from the deck, worried that he might suffer a panic attack or a relapse of his trauma. If Andres showed any signs of distress, they were fully prepared to jump in and rescue him.
Seconds ticked by as Andres remained in the water. Finally, he turned back toward the boat and waved his arms. "Hahaha! I'm doing completely fine!"
Karlos and Brandon let out a collective sigh of relief and laughed along with him. Andres swam back to the hull and climbed aboard.
"Phew, I missed that sensation," he grinned.
The other two men stared at him intently.
"Why are you guys staring at me like that? Did you turn gay or something?"
Judging by his easygoing reaction, Andres truly was doing fine. They burst into laughter, and Karlos restarted the engine. It took them about half an hour to reach their home beach because Karlos refrained from pushing the boat to full speed, not wanting to strain the brand-new engine on its first day out.
Once they neared the shore, the teenagers who usually played on the beach were surprised to see an unfamiliar vessel approaching, since they recognized every local boat in the neighborhood.
"Is that Karlos?"
"Yes, it is!"
They were shocked at first but quickly pieced together what had happened, Karlos had clearly bought a bigger bangka.
The boat slid onto the sand, but it needed extra hands to haul it further away from the crashing waves.
"Karlos, you bought a new boat?"
"Yeah, my old boat was getting too small."
The teenagers gathered around to help haul the vessel up the shore. An empty 10-meter bangka usually required at least seven to eight people to move effectively on land. These teenagers routinely took advantage of that necessity, offering their strength in exchange for a bit of pocket money.
"Careful with my bangka, it's brand new," Karlos reminded them.
Once they found an open spot right next to Karlos's old boat, they set the new bangka down. Karlos paid each of the boys 10 pesos, and the group happily scattered.
Karlos and the others gathered their brand-new equipment, leaving the bangka secure. As they walked home, they passed by Andres and Reina's house first. Reina was waiting outside, deeply anxious about her husband.
"How are you? Are you okay? You didn't feel scared? How's Karlos bangka, is it safe to ride?" she asked.
"It looks amazing and it's fast, definitely a good buy. As for me, I feel alright." Andres grinned at his wife before following the others toward Karlos's house.
"Good... That's great." She felt a massive weight lift from her shoulders upon seeing her husband in such high spirits. It seemed stepping back onto a boat hadn't triggered his past trauma at all.
The three men stored the new gear inside the shed. As Karlos stepped into his home, he was greeted warmly by his entire family, with Arabella and Iñigo running up to welcome him with their usual tight hugs.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]