Sea Gypsies: The Draga Isles

Chapter 25: Aunty

They arrived at the northwest part of Acante, where a small fishing village of sea gypsies built their houses over the sea.

Gin saw the small homes made of metal sheets first, then the lines of the boardwalks, hovering over the water, became clear against the horizon.

"Seems like nothing changed," Gin said, gazing out as they neared the village.

"You haven't been away that long." Andro steered the boat closer to the shore. He switched the engine to slow, and they drifted under the raised boardwalks until they reached a house at the center of the village.

Andro tied the boat to a cleat on a low dock as Gin stepped out, helping Ria to climb off.

They made their way up a steel staircase that led to the front of the small house.

"Aunty!" Gin called out before they could even reach the door, and a woman with long dark hair peeked out the window.

"Gin!" she shouted with surprise. "What are ya doin' here?" She hurried to the door to open it, and as soon as she came out, she gave him a tight hug. "Oh, 'sgood to see ya."

"It's good to see you, too, Aunty." Gin returned her hug.

When he let her go, she looked over his shoulder and found Ria. "And who's this?" she asked.

"The unlucky girl that caught Gin's eyes, ma." Andro came up behind them and answered his mother before Gin could introduce Ria.

Gin ignored his cousin. "This is Ria, Aunty. She's a..." he thought for a moment and realized he didn't know what she was to him. She was the Opal's employer? A proprietor? The princess?

"I'm a friend," Ria filled in when Gin didn't continue.

The woman smiled, delighted. "I'm Andro's mother, but you can call me Carmi." Her smile turned into a grin. "Gin has never visited with a girl before." Then she stepped aside to show them the door. "Well, come in. I'll prepare some coffee. Have you had breakfast yet?"

Gin allowed Ria to enter first and made their way into a small living area where furniture was mostly made of bamboo. "We haven't eaten yet," he said and saw Ria nod gratefully as they took their seats.

Andro went to the kitchen first and started arguing with his mother about something missing in his room and getting a scolding about not being tidy.

Gin looked around the room that was so familiar to him. He'd spent a few years living with his cousin and aunty after his father died and before he found his work on the Opal.

His eyes roamed over the inner walls of the house planked with wooden panels for insulation. Old photographs hung over them. He smiled when he saw his face in the frames.

Ria glanced the way he was looking and stared. "Is that you?" She pointed at a browning photo of a boy running through the rain, a laugh coming out of his lips.

"That's me," he said, turning to her now.

She rubbed her wrist, the one Gin had been tugging and pulling on when they were back on the docks. Guilt crept up behind his neck.

"Did I hurt you?" He reached out and took her hand, turning it to check. They sat opposite each other, but the room had meager space, and they were so close face-to-face.

"It's fine," she said but didn't pull her hand back.

Gin pressed his thumb over a faint red line on her skin. He was about to apologize when Andro and Carmi came out from the kitchen.

"Here we are," Carmi said, holding a tray with a pot of coffee, some mugs, and a basket of bread. She set it down on a small side table near Ria.

Gin dropped Ria's hand and straightened in his seat while Carmi served the coffee, handing hot mugs to each of them.