The Peter Charles - 10. Chapter 10

“Scott, show Travis where to sleep and while you’re there, make sure there are clean sheets and pillow cases on the beds.” I looked at Glen and smiled, we were going fishing and I felt so good nothing and I mean nothing was going too spoil my mood.

I went and sat in the bow, as I watch the ocean and waves. Travis came and sat beside me. “I see you and Scott hit it off.”

“Yes, we have a lot in common. He told me he’s adopted.”

“Yes, and Glen and I are very glad for that. He’s a very talented son, we’re proud of him.”

“I wish my dad was proud of me.”

“Life sometimes is hard. But I want you to know that I understand a lot of what you’re going through. I never had that problem with my parents and even though I’m gay, they accepted me. But I know there are others, like yourself and Scott, who aren’t as lucky. But you have your mother who I’m sure is very proud of you. One out of two isn’t bad.”

“Yes, but a boy should be close to his father and I’m not. I’m not a hunter, I don’t like to kill animals. Every time he brings a rabbit home, I think of the Easter Bunny and if he brings a deer home I think of Bambi. I have tried, but it isn’t me.”

“I think your mother understands.”

“Yes, she does. She’s always bragging about my painting. When I win at a contest, you would’ve thought I won a lottery.” I looked at him as he said that, I could see the smile in his eye.

“I think I’d like to meet your mother, she sounds like a very nice person. Not so sure about your father, maybe a fishing trip might change his mind.”

He smiled, I put my arm around him and pulled him into me, like I have done a number of times with the boys. This was the first time one of them cried. I just pulled him tighter. Peter came out and sat on his lap. “Dad’s hugs are the best.”

Travis, gave Peter a hug as we quietly watched the ocean. You need to wonder what kind of man Travis’s father was. It doesn’t matter what interests a child has, the father should love him unconditionally. I wasn’t a foolish person, I knew in the real world that doesn’t happen. Look at Scott, because he’s gay his parents turn him out on the street. I’ll never understand that mentality or the one Travis’s dad exhibits.

Glen came out, “Peter, we need more crabs.” Peter smiled and headed back in then stopped and came back, took Travis’s arm and pulled him to go with him. I just smiled.

It wasn’t long before Glen came out and sat next to me. “I love you” I looked at him and he really did love me, I could see it in his eyes.

“Do you think your dad will allow us to keep Nicky’s car at his place till his birthday?”

“Sure, I’ll even get him to drive it home.”

“Dinner is ready Dad, Pop.” We got up and headed for the galley.

The boys had everything ready, “Any baked beans?” “NO!!!!!!!”

The boys had their beer, Glen and I had our coffee. We fixed our plates and sat down to eat. I noticed Peter was sitting beside Travis, and was showing him how to eat crab. Glen and I had one each, but we let the boys have the rest.

“There’s going to be left over chicken.”

“That’s okay, they can have it for lunch tomorrow.”

Nicky sounded the horn when we arrived at the site. I went up to the bridge, to check and to let Nicky go to eat. We were on target, “Charles, anchors aweigh.” I watched as Charles and Johnny headed for the stern. As soon as the anchors were dropped, Glen took Andy and dropped the nets. The shrimp and lobster nets were dropped by Charles using the crab shells as bait. I smiled, these boys were quite organized. I was proud of them.

I listened to the weather report, swells 3 to 5 feet, skies clear. Scott and Travis were cleaning the galley when I entered. I went to have a cup of coffee. “Travis, how did you like the crab?”

“It was good. Peter had to show me how to get the meat out. He said he was the Crab Master.” I

laughed, “Yes, he’s the Crab Master. I’m not sure which he likes more, crabbing or fishing. The mermaids really like him so they always make sure he gets the biggest crabs.” Travis looked at me. “What you don’t believe in mermaids. Andy, enlighten this poor lad.”

Andy told him how the mermaids are the ones that pick out our coordinates. He looked at me. I smiled. “Boy’s, the nets are in the water, morning comes early what say we hit the hay?”

Glen and I finished off the coffee as we headed to bed as well. It wasn’t long before we had a visitor. “What’s wrong Peter?”

“I don’t want to sleep by myself.” I knew what his problem was, normally when we slept in the bunks, he slept with us. Now he missed it. I pointed to the center, and he was in like a flash. He had that smile, we gave him a kiss and then I was asleep, I assumed Glen was as well.

Four am and the horn went off. We hustled to the stern to water the ocean. “You know we don’t really have to do this anymore.”

“No sense in filling the waste tanks. The ocean needs this.”

“Okay boys, let’s get the nets in and then we can have breakfast. Glen and Jamie took the port net while Andy and I took the starboard net. These new nets were so much better. The boys got their knives and started to clean fish.

“Charles, take Travis, Peter, Scott and Johnny and bring up the stern nets. Scott you and Johnny handle the lobsters. Travis, go with Scott and the next time you can help bring up the nets.” It was like a drill team as they dispersed with a goal on their mind.

Nicky was busy making coffee and getting breakfast ready. I looked at Glen as he brought his net in and dropped it. He need the same with the starboard net. With these nets in the water, I went to the stern to check on those nets. “How are we doing guys?”

“Dad, the starboard net wasn’t full, we got some shrimp but not a lot. We got ten lobsters.”

“The boys have been cleaning fish. Let’s drop some stuff down before the nets and then put some in the nets. We might do better if we seed the area with some of the fish entails before we set the nets. Now let’s have breakfast, wash your hands.”

Nicky had hot chocolate for the boys, coffee for Glen and I. Egg and sausage biscuits were sat on the table along with plates. The boys helped them selves. Scotty went and helped Nicky heat up more biscuits. “Dad, we need some games to play while we wait for the nets.”

“Nicky, didn’t Mom put all of our games in the attic?”

“Yea, I think she did. I might have a few in my closet. When we go home tomorrow with the fish, let’s check. I think we had some books and comics as well.”

“Glen, do we have a tablet in the desk downstairs?”

“I don’t know, I’ll check after breakfast. What time are we going to pull the net?”

“We can pull at two”

“We can teach the boys who don’t know how, to clean fish. They could do that and fill the chests.” Glen went down to see if we had any tablets and came back with a deck of cards. He showed Peter how to play fish. So now Peter is challenging the boys to a game of fish.

“Was there only one deck of cards?”

“I didn’t look for more. I’ll go back and check.” He came up laughing. “I think the previous owner planned on running a casino. There are two more decks with a tray of chips.”

“I would have thought Tony would have taken that stuff.”

“Maybe he didn’t know it was there. I don’t think he went through the drawers and desk. Probably thought that the owner would have taken those.”

“Well, the boys would like to play cards but I’m not sure about the gambling with the chips.”

“Maybe we could offer chips for doing certain things. Then we can cash the chips for them.”

“No, let’s see what the games you have. We might want to give chips for winners of the game. But not trade them in for monetary rewards. Maybe trade them in for books or projects.”

“I like that idea.”

With the pull at two, I was surprised to see we were doing better with the shrimp. Seeding the ground seems to be paying off. “How many of you don’t know how to clean fish?”

I knew Travis and Peter didn’t, but the other boys all knew how to clean fish. I took two knives, “Travis want to learn how to clean fish?” He nodded yes.

“Peter, want to learn how to clean fish?” He nodded no. That surprised me.“Why?”

“I’m the Crab Master.” Glen started to laugh.

“Okay Travis, let’s clean fish.”

I cleaned one, and then while I cleaned the second, he started to clean his first fish. Two more and he had it down pat and was just as fast as the other boys. I smiled, patted him on his back. “Good job”

The next pull was at seven, I wanted to make sure that we’d be in a position to head home after the two o’clock pull tomorrow. Lunch was sandwiches with Stella’s pastrami and chips. For dessert, we had ice cream bars. I went to the bridge to check on the weather report. While there I checked with Jim, he was doing well and said he would probably be heading in tomorrow as well.

It was six when I suggested we have dinner and then pull the nets. It was a lot easier pulling the nets on The Peter Charles than the Scuffy. We had dinner, again a good selection of frozen dinners, augmented with left overs. We pulled the nets at seven, the large hold was filled which left the bow hold for the morning pull. The shrimp pull looked a lot better, seeding before dropping the nets seemed to help. Peter watched as the port net was pulled, “Dad, look that lobster is gigantic.”

He was right, it was the biggest monster I had ever seen. How it had lasted so long without being caught was something else. “Dad, can I keep it?”

“How are we going to keep it? It needs to live in water.”

“Kev, I think there is an old fish tank at Mom’s. I use to have fish and I’ll bet it will be big enough for that big guy. Peter is right you can’t kill it, it has survived this long.”

“Okay, Peter you’re going to make sure it’s fed.”