Beneath the Awning

Rain weighed down the awning over Danri's stall. A gust lifted one corner, and its fastening cord snapped under the strain. Shaya, crossing the market with a dry piece of canvas tucked beneath her cloak, stopped to hold the pole upright. Danri hurried to save two sacks from the edge of the shelter. Tulra reached the broken cord and discovered that it had not been badly tied: it was worn through. Shaya pulled out a strip of fabric, folded it over several times and used it as a temporary binding. The stall withstood the next gust. “Will I have to pay you?” Danri asked. “When the wind comes back,” said Shaya. She was not joking. If the binding held, Danri would return for a permanent repair; if it failed, Shaya would bring better cord. Either way, she wanted to see that stall again before the next storm.