Backlands Joint Ventures
Posted: September 8th, 2021, 11:52 am
- Where do I put that, mister? - asked a tanned bricklayer, holding a sack of gravel.
- Over there, sonny, by 'em stone blocks - pointed Matteo, without even looking. He kept scribbling on some sort of construction plans, adding notes and measurements on occasion. Putting the chalk bit back atop his ear, he raised the blueprint to peruse it again.
- Mattie, the color fellow's here - said a tall blonde lad hardly past his twentieth winter.
- Mattie? Wha' am I, a dog?
- S-sorry, sir, I mean-
- Ha! - the old sailor laughed heartily, smacking the other's shoulder - Jus' messin' with ya! Be right there!
The ruckus amid the yard kept on since early morning, the hammering on stone and wood keeping the annoyed farm animals at bay. A handful of vats lay on the ground to dry, coated twice with a special varnish recipe. Every now and again he'd stop to check something with the crew lest they didn't have enough water for the mortar or had doubts regarding whichever timber to use.
Much was happening as of late that required his attention, but Matteo was pleased to be overburdened. It was good for someone his age and he knew it. He'd soon spice up the farmlands market with goods he had yet to encounter elsewhere, not to mention a brand new place one of his fancy acquaintances was about to open! Matteo could never remember the bloke's name, but 'twas he who gifted Sheila to him. Crossing the treshold just to tie a bandana on, he gazed longly at her, still on the shop counter. What a beauty!
However, now he needed to find the man who'd take the blueprint for approval back in the Province. They called such fellows couriers, though he'd never understand why all these names for people that went back and forth with papers for other people to put stamps on. Really silly business. But if that's what it would take to further his partnership with Fields, then that's what he'd do. Off he went towards the Market Lane, humming an old tune and probably misremembering it entirely. But Matteo kept on smirtling, a smirk not even the damn smell of burning bodies seemed able to erase. Good stuff was just around the corner.