Page 2 of Catching the Kot'oll Driver

Actually, I do shower when I have to meet with other beings, but I’m heading home, so I skipped that.

Driving transport ships to move cargo from planet to planet means that I don’t meet a living being for the period I’m in the space. If I travel to remote places, maybe the company will send a fleet instead of just me, in case we run into bandits. But apparently, they don’t care enough about the cargo. It’s nothing expensive anyway. And I fly along popular trading route. No bandit will attack such an exposed and well-monitored path.

I press the button for shampoo and body wash. They conveniently drop on my head and my body from the dispensers on the ceiling. I rub them on my body and my hair. It is always great to be at home.

I tap the button for the water again, closing my eyes as its warmth rushes through me. It has been a while since a shower feels so good. If I had more patience or more time before dinner, I’d use the bathing tub. But for now, a shower will suffice.

After I clean myself, and before Father complains, I dry myself and put on fresh clothes. I stroke my beard as I look at myself in the mirror. Maybe it is time for a haircut. I feel my hair. Maybe later. Longer hair won’t kill me anyway.

I head down the stairs again in my home clothes. A loose T-shirt and sweatpants suit me better. On the spaceship, I can get away with wearing boxers, which isn’t bad, but feels like I’ve never gotten out of bed.

Speaking of which, it has been so long since I could sleep in a real bed.

I cover my mouth as I yawn. The chair at the driving dashboard on the spaceship can be adjusted to be flat, but that’s different from a bed.

My stomach rumbles even more when there’s already a scent of food in the living room. I’m starving for nice food. Mother always knows how to make the perfect food. Sometimes I wonder how Mother can make the best food while Dren, one of my brothers, can’t make something better, even though he practiced under a famous chef and is a chef himself.

Maybe Mother knows magic.

Mother is setting the table, so I go over to help. She says, “Efaze should be back soon.”

“Oh, he’s back? I thought he’d be in the store.”

Mother shakes her head. “Not today. You must have forgotten about the weekly break.”

I give a wry smile. “I suppose. I don’t even remember what day of the week this is.”

She lets out a soft sigh. “But you know the date, right?”

I nod. “Yeah, that’s the only thing that matters to me.” I set up the fork and spoon as Father puts a large bowl of smashed vegetables on the table. Mother makes the best gravy. Just by looking at the orange, which may as well be golden, sauce, I don’t want to wait for Efaze.

Mother says, “We asked whether Telke would be back since you’re here, but he has a tournament going at this moment, so he can’t come.”

Father scuffs. “Because of silly floatball, like always.”

Mother scowls at him. “Come on... It’s a school event. He’s the coach, he has to be there.”

Father rolls his eyes and gets back to the kitchen.

I guess Telke won’t be upset over missing dinner with us. He’d miss out on the food, but I doubt he will ever miss Father’s hate toward floatball. Even if he didn’t have the floatball tournament with the school team, he may still come up with some excuses so he doesn’t have to be here.

I ask, “How’s he been doing after the injury?”

Mother lets out a soft sigh. “I suppose he is fine. This is a sigh at how he didn’t even think about himself. He’s always a nice kid and grows up to be a big-hearted male.”

That’s not wrong. Telke is the talkative one among us, the kids, but only when Father isn’t around.

The doorbell rings, so I go over to open the door.

Efaze comes in with a scarf on his neck, covering his nose, leaving almost nothing out there in the wind. I chuckle. “A red hat, huh?”

He grunts as he hangs his coat and takes off the hat. “Whatever, I don’t care, as long as it keeps the snow off my head.”

“This is supposed to be your rest day.”

“It is. But it doesn’t mean I don’t work.”

I shrug and get inside, closing the door. Efaze is good and easy to get along with. Telke never stops talking, and I’d find the need to give some kind of response, but with Efaze, that’s not needed.

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