Why do I always encounter a problem every time I feel like I am starting to feel steady with how things are going? Is there some type of sadistic humor that this world has, that just wants to make me frustrated?
So what is the problem the I am now encountering? The pots that Girts ordered, they are too heavy to transport by hand. With the half dozen that he ordered from me, it would be a slog to walk each and everyone of them to his holdings. What would be an easy hour walk, if unburdened by there weight, would probably double, just from how unwieldy they are. Going back and forth to transport the pots, would take more than a day, without stopping for anything else.
Though the pots themselves were a very basic design, I spent well over an hour shaping the basic design of them. With all the additional work that I did to them, after they hardened to an extent, I spent nearly three hours on each of them, to get them to a level of quality that I was satisfied that I was desiring. Add on to that, I had to make several extras, in the case of failures during the firing process, which had to be factored into my plans.
Realistically, if I did the work on one pot at just a single point in time, I could at most produce three of them a day. Yes, it was only around three to four days of work, that would be required, but is ignoring all other things that I needed to do in a given day.
As I have not received any type of monetary payment for any of more work, I do not have the financial power to personally improve my troubles. So I did the one thing that any person in trouble does. I asked for the help of my parents.
"Daddy, can I borrow your cart to help me move some of my work to the village?" (Rehor)
"Foolish boy. Is that even a question that you need to ask of me?" (Father)
The choice of Father's use of words, showed that he was not willing to help me out of this situation. I can understand him, to a point. He wants me to be self-sufficient, and not to always rely on his help. The word of ask that he used, implied that he considered it a mandatory request.
It is a different language that I now converse in daily. Some of the words that I once considered to have only one usage, now can have multiple choices that imply different concepts. For instance, the word ask, has two different choices.
One of them, has a concept of a request where the person must comply to an order. If a proposition is used with that word choice, it is assumed that the person being asked for that thing or action, has to willing yield what is asked of them. The other word for ask, is more often used as a suggestion to receive what is asked of them.
There are some more detailed nuances in the choice of the word ask, but trying to translate it becomes complicated. The perception behind different word choices is felt in this language but not really defined. The fluid way of speaking, of native speakers, is hard for someone that has preconceived ideas of what specific words mean.
"I'm sorry for asking. I didn't mean to bother you. Forget about my request." (Rehor)
"You are an adult now, Rehor. To ask for something, you should offer something of value to the person that you ask something of." (Father)
Father used both words of ask, in his previous sentence. The first, was the one of demand. Showing that it was something I required. The second was used in a sense of a suggestion, an offer. If I was to request something from him, I should give an open-ended offer, that could be up for debate.
"I understand Daddy." (Rehor)
"Good." (Father)
"Then if there is anything I can do for you, can I then borrow the cart?" (Rehor)
"Much better, my boy. Sure you can use my cart. That is, when you do, take your sisters into the village with you." (Father)
"What? That's why you wouldn't let me borrow the cart. You wanted me to take the girls with me?" (Rehor)
"Hey, they haven't visited the village for a while, and at this moment, there is not that much work to do. And they don't get to spend much time with you, as it is." (Father)
"You are a difficult person, now that I'm learning about the real you." (Rehor)
"Yep." (Father)
Why does my Father, who I used to consider a steady and consistent person, become a jester around me? If I was not removed as much as I am from my emotions, I would probably curse him out for his foolish demeanor. Even still, I am still able to feel a little bit of frustration towards him.
There is some annoyance on my part, but I do enjoy that I am starting learn things that I never knew about him. Other than being my father, he is becoming a person in his own right, towards me. He is someone that I am not adverse to being around.
"As you wish." (Rehor)
"When will you being coming to borrow the cart?" (Father)
"If the weather is like today, probably tomorrow. If that is doable for you?" (Rehor)
"That should be fine. I will let your mother and sisters know." (Father)
"Thank you, Daddy. Though, do you remember how much a cart like you have costs?" (Rehor)
"It's been a while, but if I remember correctly, it was around thirty bronze coins." (Father)
"That's not too expensive of a price. So about the cost of about a four boar's hide." (Rehor)
"How did your mind go to the hide from a boar?" (Father)
"I'm sorry, there is a decently large sounder of boars near my land. So, I have had access to them for food and sale." (Rehor)
"Have some care in hunting them, they can be rather aggressive animals." (Father)
"I understand. I have only been hunting the lone boars that have separated from the rest of the group." (Rehor)
Two things of note for this chapter.
1. He is not speaking in the english that I am writing in. So there are difference in language and certian words have slightly different meanings. It might come up in the future.
2. Currency has finally been introduced. This might shoot me in the foot, in the future, but I have not thoroughly thought out the prices as of yet, so I might have undervalued the cast of a handcart, more like a rickshaw. The currency is based on base 10, as it is less confusing than some arbitrary system that I could have created.
As always, thanks for reading