In the small courtyard of an old countryside house, a large wooden tub sat beneath the afternoon sun, filled nearly to the brim with cloudy, soapy water. A thick blanket was submerged inside, its fabric darkened by moisture as it floated heavily against the surface. Standing in the tub, a pair of pale bare feet stepped rhythmically against the soaked material, pressing and twisting it beneath the water. Each movement sent ripples of soap and water sloshing against the wooden edges while droplets slid down slender ankles already damp from hours of work under the heat.
The summer sun hung high overhead, warming the courtyard stones until they radiated heat back into the air. Sweat gathered along his temples and the back of his neck, his brown hair slowly escaping its place and sticking to his forehead in messy strands. He paused briefly to brush it away with the back of his wrist before returning to the blanket, only for the loose strands to fall right back into his eyes.
