Smallest Bits

Boating Lessons

"You loop this loop through here and tighten the rope at the base. Then you... Hm... You loop this loop through the knot then... Twist around the loop... Wait..."

Jake rested his chin in one hand as Felix struggled with his knot, glowing in the San Francisco sunlight and letting his eyes wander over the docks. He wasn't one for boating like Felix was, at least not learning how to manage the boat, but it was always great to come down to the water on a day like today when the temperature soared past a hundred. He grinned as he squinted his eyes over the glittering reflection of the sun in the waves, directing a puff of air towards a few loose clumps of his wet hair. It was good that he'd ducked his head in the water earlier, or this heat might have just taken him out.

A sharp voice snapped his eyes forward again, darting back over to the mast as Felix caught his attention again.

"Are you even listening?! If you want to 'drive the boat' then you have to learn how! Tying the mast is an important step and I'm not repeating it. Do you really think I'm leaving my baby in your hands if you don't even know how to tie a mast?"

Jake's expression dropped, letting out a sigh and stretching his entire body like a cat waking from an afternoon nap. He slumped back in the folding chair once his back responded with a crack, rubbing his right eye and nodding in submission. The heat always made him drowsy, and it was worse because he was straining and squinting at everything. The curse of having light blue eyes on a sunny day.

"Okay, okay. I'm listening, I'm listening."

"Good. I'm going to show you how to work the rudder next. Dad recently installed a new piece carved and cased by hand. So don't scuff it."

Jake smirked a little as he watched him walk over to the back of the boat, letting out a loose chuckle. It was funny to watch his friend's face soften whenever he went into detail about boats, especially his own. He closed his eyes and rested back in his seat as the rambling monologue continued, thinking about whether he should apply more sunscreen to his ghostly white arms and face. Regardless he was going to get sunburnt, but maybe if he pretended hard enough, it would be less painful when he woke up.

Writing Prompt

One character is trying to teach another how to do something specific (practical, domestic, mechanical, or technological). The teacher is not much of a teacher, and the pupil is not much of a learner. Present one of them through authorial interpretation and the other through dialogue.

Authors Note

Apparently I messed this one up with its authorial interpretation and dialogue but whatever.