the Scuffy - 25. Chapter 25

It was close to seven when we docked, I was surprised to see the cannery trucks there and several tins waiting to be brought onboard. Charles dropped anchor, Glen and I tied up the boat and then started to remove the full tins. Two of the cannery workers came on board to help. With the full tins off of the boat, we began to fill the empty tins from the hold. “If you see a tuna, pick it up and hand it up to Glen or me.”

When the hold was empty, we empty the nets pushing the fish into the empty hold. Then as empty tins arrived, we filled them. The livebait hold was empty, our ice chests were full. I got the men from the cannery to help move the ice chest to the dock. Glen left to go and get the truck, we helped ourselves to leftovers, sandwiches and chicken. I notice Johnny was favoring the muscles in his upper arm.

Glen arrived with the truck, it took three of us to lift the large chests on the truck. Pushing them in place was easy, once they were on the truck. Soon everything was loaded, I locked up and headed home. As usual I took one of the small ice chests and headed to the Wharf. Glen had driven home while I dropped off the ice chest.

When I left the Wharf, there was Peter and Jamie. “He said he’d wait for his ride.” I lifted him on my shoulders and headed to the bank. Then home, Charles was getting his shower, Glen started the wash machine and the boys were standing around naked waiting their turn to take a shower.

“Kev, I think we are going to have to expand the showers.” I looked to see where we could expand and the only thing that came to mind was to expand into the garage. I’d take a look at that tomorrow.

“Kev, is there anyway to get onto the basement from outside. Some places have an outdoor stair well.”

“No, I don’t think my dad ever had one and if he did, it was covered when the workout room was built. Maybe there is a way to provide an entrance than we’d have more showers.”

As the boys finished showering. I showered, placed the boots in the wash tank and wiped them down. The shorts where in the dryer when I went inside for something to eat.

“Did you bring all the food from the boat?”

“No, just what was opened.”

“Where is it?”

“In the small ice chest” Glen went and brought the chest in, emptied the contents and began to arrange a pot luck dinner. I gave Johnny his sweats and flip flops. Nicky went and got him a T-shirt. Glen and I haven't given the boys the new shirts.

After we ate, the boys decided they would stay here for the night. Nicky got some blankets and pillows, they'll headed to the rec room. Peter came and sat on my lap. “Are you going to sleep with the boys downstairs?”

“I’m too little.”

Just as these words were out of his mouth, Nicky came up, tossed him over his shoulders and carried him downstairs. I looked at Glen, he smiled as he ran upstairs.

Cuddling in bed, “What a day. Have you ever pulled so much fish out of the water as we did today?”

“No, I think the tuna did the work for us. I’d guess they were chasing the fish for dinner and wound up in our nets.”

“So what are we going to do tomorrow?”

“Take it easy”

“We could deliver fish”

“We could”=

The bunks on the boat are okay but there’s nothing like your own bed. Especially when you have your lover all to yourself.

Morning came at half past five as usual. We brushed our teeth, headed for the kitchen. Glen got the orange juice out, I started the coffee. Quietly we went downstairs and noticed Peter in the arms of Nicky. I nudge Glen, he smiled as we entered the weight room.

Just as we were finishing, Jamie came in, “I thought I heard someone in here.”

“Are you going to work out?”

“Yes, but not as much as you guys.”

I helped Jamie till Glen finished, then he helped Jamie. Before Jamie was finish, the rest of the boys were here. Nicky had his routine, I kept an eye on him, Charles had a modified routine but you could see his progress. Peter liked to ride my back when I did push ups, he was helping me.

I looked at Johnny, “Johnny, come with me” I took him to the shower room, taking a liniment for sore muscles, I began to massage his muscles. “How does that feel? In a few weeks you won’t get sore anymore. If it bothers you this week, have someone put this on it and massage your muscles as I am doing now. Then hot showers or hot towels will help to relax the muscle.”

By this time the guys came in, shucked their sweats and started to take showers. I helped Peter, the rest helped themselves. Wrapped in towels they headed to get dressed.

When Glen and I came down, there was Nicky with Johnny’s help making breakfast. “Nice to have slaves” Nicky turned around and emptied my coffee cup in the sink. “Sorry Nicky, if you give me a fresh cup of coffee, I’ll promote you to head slave. Seriously guys, you all worked hard yesterday, thank you. I’ll take you guys over any crew.”

Charles was coming along and soon he would be able to handle the nets. I’d give him his money when we were at Grams so he could put it in his bank, similarly with Peter. I need to find something for Peter to do, he’s seven but he’ll be eight soon. Breakfast was fun, it had been a long time that I could relax and act like a high school kid. I had someone on my lap until he saw what Glen was eating, then he switched.

“Okay guys, let’s get dressed in our sweats and I have something else for you to wear.” As the guys came downstairs in their sweats and flip flops, Glen and I handed them the T-shirt with the ships and the name of ‘the Peter Charles’. You could tell the kids were happy, hell, Glen and I were happy.

We all climbed in the truck and we were off, Grams first stop. Peter climbs down from the truck, opens the door and yells, “Gram, we’re here with fish.” Gram came out along with her neighbor. After our hugs, introducing Johnny, Gram noticed our shirts, she laughed, “I need a picture of this” She went and got her camera, we lined up, she snapped the picture.

“Gram, have several copies made, in fact, give me the film and I’ll have them made.”

I gave Gram her fish, then the neighbors. Getting ready to go, “Where’s Charles?”

It was Nicky who saw him, “Kev, look there.”

Charles was talking to a very pretty girl. He’d say something and then point to us. The girl went into the house, came out with her mother. Charles said something else, she went back in and came out with a pan.

“Looks like I’ll need to clean a few more fish.”

“Dad, this is Marie and her mother.”

“Hello Marie. You must be Marie’s mother although you could pass for an older sister.”

“I know the Irish kiss the Blarney Stone, but fishermen also?”

“Charles, why don’t you introduce Marie and her mother to the rest of the crew.” While he did that I quickly cleaned two fish.

“Dad, is it ok with the fish?”

“Well, part of the load is yours, so if you want to share, I’m all for it.” His smile would have lit up the sky on a dark night. “Go and get the pan, I’ve cleaned two fish for you.”

I watched as he said something, he took the pan and brought it to me. “Dad, can we remove the head.” I showed him how, handed him the knife and watched very carefully. That was when Marie came over and watched him do that.

He looked at me and smiled, “There you go Marie, cleaned by the very best.”

She took the fish, leaned in and gave Charles a kiss on the cheek. I think Nicky was going to say something till Glen squeezed his shoulder.

“It’s nice meeting you Marie and Marie’s mother, we have to go. We have more fish to deliver. Charles, Peter, have you banked your wages?”

Two boys headed in the house and were back within five minutes. Charles walked Marie home. We picked him up, then the teasing began. “Charles, they are just jealous. I think she’s a very nice young lady and you’re a lucky boy.”

Next stop was Nicky’s. “Mom, Dad we’re here for lunch.”

True to his word, “Hon, get those moldy hot dogs out.” Glen and the boys walked around back. I took a pan and went and cleaned two fish.

Mom came out, “Your back early.”

“Yes, Nicky talked to the mermaid, she and her friends did the rest. We came back last night but it was late and the boys were tired.”

“You’re really milking that mermaid thing.”

“You know it could be true.”

“How did that start?”

“Uncle started it when his friends asked how come he was coming back full. He told them that a mermaid fell in love with Nicky and tells him where to go.”

“And you just keep it going.”

“Mom, ask him what he did it keep going.”

“I noticed a few boats watching us. I told Nicky to go to the bow and pretend he’s talking to a mermaid. I put on a yellow wig, slipped into the water and swam where Nicky was. We chatted but pretended we were talking about fishing. I gave Nicky a kiss, disappeared under the water climbing back on board where I entered the water. Nicky started up the boat and took us to where we had originally planned on going. Fishermen are believers in the supernatural. So it was easy to fool them.”

“While you are cleaning fish, can you clean one for my neighbor.”

“Sure, here take this one over and while you do that I’ll clean another for you.”

Dad was barbecuing chicken, Mom brought out a bowl of potato salad, the boys were hungry. “Okay, fishermen, get your plates and tell me which part of the chicken you want.”

The boys let Peter and Charles go first. I watched as Peter asked if he could have a leg finishing with ‘please’. Say what you will, but Gram taught those boys manners. I sat beside Nicky and gave him his money. He put it into his pocket and smiled. “Monday, you’ll start driving lessons. I arranged for you to have a lesson each day at four.”

He looked at me and gave me a hug, Glen who was sitting opposite me, “That’s my man, you find your own.”

We all broke out laughing, Nicky got up and left, I was afraid he was choking. Mom followed him into the house. Soon they both came out laughing.

Lunch over, “Sorry, we have two more stops before we call it a night.”

“Mom, I’m going with them, I’ll call you later.”

Next stop was Johnny’s house. Pulling in the drive way, the front door opened and a big man came out. “Hi, I’m Kevin and this is my partner Glen. We own the fishing boat your son worked this week-end. Johnny, here is your pay. As you learn more and more about the boat, your pay will increase. Now Mr. Axelson, would you like some fish your son helped to catch?”

Mr. Axelson was a big man but when he looked at Johnny, he looked with love and pride. “Come on Dad, we need to taste these fish.”

I opened the chest, “Do you know how to clean these fish?”

“No, I don’t. The only fish I have eaten has been at a restaurant.”

Johnny went into the house and came out with a pan and his mother. He introduced her to us and then the boys to her. I showed Johnny how to clean a fish, like I had with Charles. I gave him the knife and watched him do an excellent job. Johnny would be one of those people who strived for perfection. As he placed the cleaned fish into the pan, “Johnny I think you should take one more.” He did, we shook hands, as we got into the truck, I saw his father with his arms around a son and a smile on Johnny’s face.

Next stop was Jamie. “Nicky, you staying at Kev’s and Glen’s tonight? Do you think they’ll let me stay as well?”

“Ask them” “Kev, can I stay at your place tonight?”

“Sure but clear it with your parents first. Hey Bob, ready to clean more fish?”

“No, but I know someone who can clean a fish in ten seconds.”

I looked at Jamie “Ten seconds.” He nodded, “How about a contest. You clean a fish and we’ll time it, then I’ll clean a fish and time it also. The best time will win and if you win, I’ll double your pay, if I win then you don’t get paid.”

He looked at Glen, Glen nodded yes, “Okay, it’s a bet.”

Jamie went first and he did clean the fish, including removing the head, in eleven seconds. Kev knew he could do it faster, he already cleaned fish training Charles and Johnny at a faster rate. But he looked at Jamie’s dad, Kev took twelve seconds. “I guess you win Jamie, here’s your money.”

As we left, it dawned on Jamie he wanted to stay over. He whispered something to his dad, he shook his head yes, then Jamie was chasing us down the drive way. Glen stopped at the end of their drive way. Jamie got in, “Where you going to leave me?”

“Not a chance”

Driving back home, “We’ll be busy tomorrow. You have driving lessons, Nicky, plus making dinner. Glen and I have fish to sell, Monday is my busy day, no lunch for me.”

“Kev, we still have some leftovers from the boat. Why don’t we finish those up and then I’ll make something fresh for tomorrow?”

“Okay, I don’t know what we have but between the boat’s leftovers and the stuff in the fridge we should be able to manage.”

We did manage to make a meal for the six of us. I called Gram and told her we’d bring the boys home in the morning.

“How about a movie tonight?”

“Dad, can I pick it out?”

“Sure, ask Nicky to play the one you like.”