The Multiple Eyes Boatman

     Still Hubrim. 

     "How much would you charge our two from here to Irala."

       Lao Tzu asked. 

     "Ikpala, bro."

   Jimin corrected. 

     "Yes, Ikpala. How much?"

   Well he wasn't the one to pay the fare but he was all over the price. How crazy that was. 

     "151 Aureus."

    The boatman said. Though twas a boat, but the form of the boat was satisfying. They wouldn't have to be worried about being hit by a wave or something close to that. 

    The sides of the boat were towering, it sure would swallow the weight of  all of them. Including the man in charge. 

     Jimin had been the one doing the speculation of the odds of surviving the boat. 

    "How would you manage this huge thing on the waves."

     Jim finally confessed. The fellow stared blankly at Jim, he had the off eyes. Such eyes that looked at you as though they are looking past. 

      "If you'll go, pay and hop on. None of your damn business how I do my thing."

      The man hurled at Jim. Jim chuckled and muttered,

      "Sure not my business. Multiple eyes."

     The fellow had definitely picked an offense,

     "What did you just say?"

     He left the rope he had been holding unto to balance the boat on the wave. 

     The boat began to drift off gently, tossing its weight to the tune of the waves. 

    The fellow walked to Jimin and grabbed him by the collar of the robe, before Tzu could get to them, Jim swung the fellow over. 

    "Are you insane? Why do you pick a fight with everyone? How'd you want us to go now?"

     Tzu was angered. He rushed to the fellow to help him up but the fellow pushed him off and ran towards Jim again to knock him out. 

    Jim ducked again but that time was fair on the guy. He held the fellow unto his own chest and watched the fellow kick at the sand in vain. 

   Tzu got to them and had them separated. 

    The fellow let go and began to walk into the water to grab a hold on the boat again. 

   Jim stood there, straightening up his cloth that had been rumpled. 

     "Now what?"

     Tzu shot at him. Jim didn't respond. He reached for the inner pocket in the large robe and brought out the tied white cloth. 

   He began to count the coins. There were a thousand and five hundred there in units. Twould be enough. 

     He separated two hundred Aureus in twenty units and walked to stand at the length of the wave. 

    The waves at intervals would lap on his feet. He kept giving a blank stare at the funny fellow. Twas hard to say if he was the one pulling the boat or vice versa. 

    Tzu got to Jim and stood beside him. Both watched the boat man swim to where the boat was and reached for one of the sides. 

   He held firmly unto it and climbed on. Then he shouted as loudly as you could,

     "If y'all fuckers are still in, you have few seconds to get here or I'll go."

    He noticed that neither Jim nor Tzu was making a move. Then he screamed once more,

     "It'll be after several hours before other boat owners would come. You suckers sure have no other choice."

     Jim looked at Tzu. He sighed and left the other choking. 

     "You caused this, you know?"

   Tzu accused. Jim tucked his cloth properly and looked at Tzu,

     "Fuck you."

    He said and made a strong lurch into the rolling waves. He began to swim towards the boat. 

    "I'm sure you know that I'm fucking older that your broken skull is."

   Tzu made his own jump and splash he made in the water. 

   Not long after Jim got to the boat and climbed on did Tzu do the same. 

    As soon as the boatman noticed that Jim was on the boat, he ran towards him and hit him unawares. Jim fell into the water again. 

     "Jim!!! Are you insane?"

     Tzu said trying to fight his gaze between both the boat man and fighting Jim.

    Jim finally brought his head up, breathing as though he had seen a shark. 

    He struggled towards the boat again and helped himself unto it. Leaning Tzu helped him up. But as soon Jim grabbed the plank, he pulled Tzu and made him tumble into the waves. 

    Jim climbed up, munching,

     "Even."

     Jim walked towards the boatman who was running around. He wanted to grab him and teach him a lesson. 

   Then both heard Tzu screaming. 

      Jim hurried to that side of the boat and saw Tzu fighting his way to the boat. Trying to reach him hand for the plank.

    He looked beside him and noticed the annoying boat man. He wanted to push him in, but that wasn't the right time. 

    He reached for his brother's hands and pulled him. 

   Tzu rose and Jim turned to a punch in the face. 

    "Now even."

     Tzu said. Jim savored the pain for a while. The boat man went to the corner of the boat by the North and sat to begin steering. 

     Jim wanted to go and treat his fuck up but was stopped by Tzu. 

     "Do you know any sorcerer whatsoever."

     Tzu asked as he sat at that corner of the boat. The boat wasn't that big but twas spacious. 

    "Money first."

    He shouted without looking at his back. He was pulling two ropes fixed into two sockets by the base of that corner. The ropes steered the boat to whichever direction he geared. 

  "Jim will mess you up now, if you don't talk." 

     The fellow grunted in frustration and said finally,

     "There is one in Kula. Used to be right hand man of the King of Kula."

     "Kula? Is that very far from here?"

      Tzu questioned. 

     "Not at all. We'll get there in no time."

    "Take us there then. We'll go to Ikpala later."

    Tzu instructed. There was silence for a while then the fellow said again,

       "Now my money."

      "Jim, pay him."

     Tzu turned to Jim who definitely was indifferent.

      "Not until we get there. I've got no iota of trust for this nutsack."

    He said. 

      "Your father."

      The boat man hurled. Tzu restrained Jim again from going to knock the fellow over. 

    There was peace and quiet for a long while. The lips of the water seemed to caress the base of the boat and made the boat smooth on it. 

    The view of the horizon of the horizon from the boat was quite refreshing and very much beautiful. 

    Several minutes later, they began to hear noises. They were very close to the shore of Kula. 

    They got there but the boatman stopped several metres away from the land. He stood up from the sailor's position and walked to them,

     "Now my money."

    Jim started out with a light laugh and said,

     "Catch me if you can."

      Jim turned at once and jumped into the water and began to swim towards the busy shore. 

    Tzu in wonder watched the fellow do the same. 

    He would't be only one there. He took his turn. 

    The boat man was hitting his arms against the timid waves ruthlessly in an attempt to catch up with Jim. 

   Jim got to the shore and turned to looked at boat man who was closing in the strokes. 

    He said to him,

     "You thought me that."

    He began to run towards the only path that surely would lead into the village. 

   Tzu got to the shore too and began to walk towards the path.

   He watched the boat man determinedly pursuing the crazy Jim. The boatman's large robe kicking against his knees. 

   He fell severally. 

   Tzu didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed.