ARROW - 129. Chapter 129

Arriving Barcelona, Colin was there to meet us. Only he thought it would be me, so he was surprised when he saw Geno. I laughed when Geno picked him up. “Okay, show me the house so we can get started.”

I looked at Colin and then started laughing. “He wouldn’t let me come alone once he knew about the house.”

“Let’s get settled in at the hotel and then we can see the house.”

Arriving at our hotel, I booked a room for Geno. At first he said he would stay with us in our room. Colin took one look at Geno, and I knew that wan’t going to happen.

Dropping off Geno’s suitcase, taking his tool bag we headed for the house.

“How is the wharf? Any problems?”

“There was one but they fixed that. The original wharf was too low, at high Tide the wharf was covered with water. They proposed two solutions, build the wharf on a boat like base which would let the wharf to rise at high tide or build the stationary wharf higher and further out in the sea.”

“What was the solution?”

“Build the wharf higher and extending the wharf.”

Arriving at the house, we watched Geno look the place over. He walked inside, toured the rooms, shaking his head all of the time.

“First we repair the roof and paint the house.” I looked at Colin, he was laughing. That was when Alesander showed up with some teenage boys.

Colin introduced Geno. Now Geno spoke some English but no Spanish, so I was interpreting for him.

“Alesander, he wants to repair the roof and paint the outside of the house. What do you think?”

“I’m not sure what condition the roof is in. I did notice some water stains on the walls. How is he going to get up on the roof?”

“We will have to get ladders and we will need new shingles.” At first Alesander didn’t know what shingles were. Colin told him and he needed to find some men to do the roofing. I knew Geno wasn’t going to like that. Colin told him it had to be done so it could be guaranteed for the life of the shingles. I knew that Geno didn’t know anything about guaranteeds. He looked at me when I told him what they were going to do and why. It soon dawned on me, my job will be translator for Geno.

Once Geno understood, he focuses on painting the outside. He asked if there were ladders. Two of the boys who were with Alesander said they had ladders and went home to get them. While they were gone, I explained to Alesander who Geno was and when he heard I was coming, he insisted to come and help.

The boys returned with the ladder, Geno took one, laid it against the side of the building, taking a scrapper from his tool sack, climbed the ladder. He began to scrape the wall. I watched as the paint seemed to fall away from the wood easily. He brought a piece of the scraped paint down to show me. I knew what the problem was and Geno was right. The paint they used did not permeate the wood. It was a surface paint that once dampness got to the wood, the paint loss its adherence and could be easily peeled away. I took Alesander over to the house, they was a small bubble, breaking it, I pulled the paint patch away.

The paint would have to be removed, the underlaying wood needed to be sealed and then paint applied that would be absorbed by the wood.

The two boys started to scrape the old paint off. Geno was the boss as he gave them scrapers to use. The boys worked from the ladders, Geno worked the bottom section where he could reach from the ground.

“Alesander, we need to go to a paint store and buy paint. The way Geno works he will have this place ready to paint by the end of the week. Colin came to check, “The paint was a cheap job and is easily being peeled away. Watch the boys.”

We watched one of the boys peels strip of paint to the ground level. Colin picked it up and played with it.

“It is like a color paper.”

“The paint needs to be able to soak into the wood. This paint isn’t oil based and that is what you need.”

That night in bed, “I think we should get a professional to paint the exterior of the house. With winds blowing off the sea, the paint must protect against salt water.”

“Geno won’t be happy.”

“Yes he will, I’ll explain to him about the salt water and getting the painting done by a company so they can guaranteed their work. I’ll turn him to working on the inside. The walls need repair and painted, the bathroom needs to be replaced and the floors needed to be sanded and painted. That should keep him busy.”

“I wonder if Charles could send a crew over. They would know what needs to be done. The basement needs work, I was thinking of putting in drain lines to a sump pump and pump the water to a drain. Remind me tomorrow to check where the kitchen and bathroom drains go.”

The morning arrived and so did Geno. Colin and I quickly got dressed, went and had breakfast at the hotel. “Geno, we need to repair the walls and floors.”

“You need a new bathroom as well.”

Walking to the house I detoured to the wharf. Grandfather was still there, “Colin, I’m taking Geno fishing. You will have time to call Charles.”

“Grandfather, no fishing?”

“No, you want to go?”

“Geno, want to go fishing? The boys will continue to strip the old paint off the house. I think Alesander is hiring a roofer this morning. You can help with that once they start. Let’s go fishing.”

So we went fishing, I was hoping Geno would catch a big tuna. I was baiting traps which I’ll drop when we start fishing. “Grandfather, go by Alesander’s house.”

We followed the coast and as we cleared the wharf, you could see the house and the men working on the wharf.

As we passed the wharf, Grandfather blew his whistle. The guys working looked up, waved. Then I saw the roofers doing the same and the boys removing the paint on the side of the house.

I thought, if Grandfather stopped. we would have those boys on the boat with us.

Arriving at Grandfather’s favorite spot we started to fish. I dropped the traps over the boat, Geno, Grandfather and I began fishing. I was hoping Geno would catch a big tuna.

At lunch time, I pulled up the traps. They had shrimp but no lobster. I remembered when Grandfather broke some of the shrimp in half to bait the traps for lobster. I did that and dropped the traps. I took a few of the shrimp, broke off the tail section. Pulled the tail and the gut, gave it to Geno to eat. He looked at me as if I was crazy, I did another and this one I ate. “Is it good?”

“Delicious” He ate the one he was holding, Grandfather laughed at the face he made.

Grandfather started the boat and aimlessly drifted around. When I saw Geno’s line go taught and then Geno was heading to the back of the boat. Grandfather cut the engine, but what ever Geno had on his line was pulling the boat. Grandfather, came and helped Geno pull in his line. Then I saw it, “It’s a whale”.

It wasn’t as we got closed it was the biggest tuna I have ever seen. I looked at Grandfather, “I knew I’d get that sucker one day. He has been taunting me for years.”

Grandfather’s passion for large fish was because of this one fish. That is hard to believe. With the two of them working the fish closed to the boat, I had a grappling hook and when it was close enough, Grandfather yelled, “Use the hook”

I did and we hauled the tuna aboard, it almost filled his hold. I could reach done and touch it. Grandfather, was happy and full speed back to the dock.

Arriving at the dock, instead of going to his doc, he docked at an empty place at the head of the wharf. Then I saw why. They had a rig, that would allow grandfather to hook the fish and unload it. Tail first, the fish was pulled into the air. It was immense. I took pictures of grandfather and the fish, Geno and the fish and Geno took one of me and the fish. Then grandfather did something I didn’t understand. He kissed the fish and pushed it back into the sea. I watched it flip it’s tail and it was gone. The few people on the wharf, clapped.

Grandfather started his boat, he was going to his dock. He had shrimp and lobster to sell. I looked at Geno, he was watching Grandfather leaving. I immediately thought of Hemmingway’s Old Man and The Sea.

Walking to the house. Geno wanted to know why he released the fish. “For some reason he had a deep desire to catch that fish. But now that he did, what was he going to do with it. Sometimes the pleasure is in the hunt and once you catch what you are hunting, there isn’t anymore pleasure.” I wasn’t sure Geno understood, I never fully understood as well. But there must have been some history there.

I showed Alesander the photo of his grandfather and the tuna. He started to laugh, “He finally caught him. Maybe now he will fish like the rest.”

I thought, Grandfather will still go to his fishing grounds but he won’t be after Goliath anymore.

That evening I showed the photo to Colin. “Is that why he was defiant about not fishing like the other fishermen?”

“I think so. Something happened when he first caught this fish. Now catching it again was like telling him, he was mine and when ever I wanted, I’d catch him again.”

“I talked to Charles, he’ll have a crew here the day after tomorrow. You will need to pick up his crew and get them settle in the hotel.”

“Did he say how many where coming?”

“Five or six. I outlined the project for him and our current status. I feel better having his crew here. You are going to be needed as translator.”

“To bad I didn’t bring the boys, they could have been a help translating.”

“Let them have fun.”

“When you see them, be prepared. They want some of their friends to go back with us.”

“I guess they could stay in the new building.”

“Be prepared for a few shopping trips.”

“With you keep inviting people, my idea of a hotel is beginning to make sense.”

“We are lucky to have friends In Europe.”

I snuggled into Colin’s arms and sleep came quickly. GG came, her smile said all was right.

Morning came and so did Geno. After breakfast, I reserved three bedrooms for Charlies’s crew,

Walking to the house, we could see the boats going out. “Colin, look isn’t that grandfather’s boat.”

“Yes, I think it might be. Yes, he is heading out a little further.”

I pointed Grandfather’s boat to Geno.

“How did you like fishing yesterday?”

“It was great and the size of that fish, I have never seen one that big.”

Arriving at the house the boys were back removing the old paint. Geno got his scraper and joined right in.

“There’s Alesander. Let’s see if he has lined up a painter.”

“Alesander, have you found a house painter?”

“Yes, I have found two. One will be here soon and the other will be here at lunch time.”

“Did you mention about Charles crew coming over?”

“No, I’ll do that after we get the painters out of the way. It’s best I don’t overwhelm him.”

“We need to keep Geno busy as well. We don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“I have a perfect project for him. Geno, I have a project for you.” I took the plans for the wharf, walking of he area, “The idea is for the boats to unload at the wharf, then with buggies the fish will be moved to the kitchen. I thought if we built a wooden walkway from the dock to the kitchen, we could use those grocery carts. The wooden walk must be supported with blocks. Here, we dig out a trench about 254 millimeters, pour 75 millimeters of concrete, then use some concrete building blocks centered to the base everty 200 millimeters. With the base, we can build a walkway from the dock to the kitchen door. Want to try it?”

A smile was his answer. Now he had a project.

Geno worked essentially from breakfast to dinner. Colin had lunch catered by the hotel. Alesander’s delivery truck arrive the night before but Alesander didn’t have a license. That became my job.

So now I delivered fish, shrimp and lobster in the evening, lunch in the afternoon and running errands.

Charlies’s people arrived. I got them settled in the hotel and then took them to Grandfathers boat for a fishing trip. I wanted them to stay awake and get a good night sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, I introduced everyone. Walking to the house, Colin told them about the project. Everyone once in a while Geno would look at me and I would translate for him. As it turned out Colin became a translator as well. From Italian to English, Spanish to English and of course English back to Spanish or Italian.

I called Italy and spoke to the boys, our parents, Marie and Nonna. The baptism was delayed another week which gave us a little over two weeks to get the work done.

By the week-end, Geno had the trench finished and was ready for the concrete base.