Knee deep in oilskins and haddock, the crew of the Mary Ellen II pulled into the breakwater just as the sun started its descent over Westport. They were slinging fish and lustily singing some old, off color sea shanty about the ladies of Spain and didn't notice the tight, little knot of tourists gathered at wharf's end with their Bermuda shorts and cardboard cameras.
Gentlemen! the Daddy tourist shouted and raised his little disposable Kodak, Look this way, if you would!
The fishermen obligingly looked up and gave the city shutterbug their best Sunday smiles. With his flowered shirt billowing in the breeze and his straw hat threatening to fly off at any moment, he snapped away as if his life depended on on it. Mama Tourist clapped her hands in delight. How wonderfully quaint! she called to the boat and the crew exchanged amused smiles. Oh, and look at the dog! she added as Buttons delicately made his way around and through the catch to a seat in the stern, It's just too Norman Rockwell!
I made my way through this little cache of giggling gawdiness and waved to Gene.
One or two? he called.
Two! I called back, Company's comin'!
Step back then! he advised and with something like elegance, deftly speared one haddock and then another and tossed them to me where they landed precisely at my feet. I threw him a fifty cent piece which he caught one handed and slipped into his pocket. The tourists gawked.
Norman Rockwell or not, ma'm, Gene called to them and smiled to take the edge off, This is a workin' boat! 'Magine you might want to move to safer ground!
They nearly ran me down backing away but I held tight to my fish, walking carefully to the factory entrance where Uncle Shad neatly severed the heads and filleted them in quick, slicing motions then wrapped them in newspaper. Mama Tourist had paled noticeably at this process and covered her mouth with one chubby hand and Shad had grinned.
Don't get no fresher'n this, ma'am, he told her cheerfully and she made a small gagging noise in her throat.
How.....authentic, she finally managed but we all knew it wasn't exactly the word she'd had in mind. We watched her watching Gene and the crew as they slipped out of their oilskins and began washing up at the cold water pump - Buttons had adroitly plunged into the water, swum to shore, and was now mindlessly lapping up blood and fish guts - and it was this that finally did her in. She swayed slightly - long enough for Uncle Shad to whisper Uh-oh, then went down in a heap.
To everyone's credit, there wasn't so much as a snicker.
I made my way through this little cache of giggling gawdiness and waved to Gene.
One or two? he called.
Two! I called back, Company's comin'!
Step back then! he advised and with something like elegance, deftly speared one haddock and then another and tossed them to me where they landed precisely at my feet. I threw him a fifty cent piece which he caught one handed and slipped into his pocket. The tourists gawked.
Norman Rockwell or not, ma'm, Gene called to them and smiled to take the edge off, This is a workin' boat! 'Magine you might want to move to safer ground!
They nearly ran me down backing away but I held tight to my fish, walking carefully to the factory entrance where Uncle Shad neatly severed the heads and filleted them in quick, slicing motions then wrapped them in newspaper. Mama Tourist had paled noticeably at this process and covered her mouth with one chubby hand and Shad had grinned.
Don't get no fresher'n this, ma'am, he told her cheerfully and she made a small gagging noise in her throat.
How.....authentic, she finally managed but we all knew it wasn't exactly the word she'd had in mind. We watched her watching Gene and the crew as they slipped out of their oilskins and began washing up at the cold water pump - Buttons had adroitly plunged into the water, swum to shore, and was now mindlessly lapping up blood and fish guts - and it was this that finally did her in. She swayed slightly - long enough for Uncle Shad to whisper Uh-oh, then went down in a heap.
To everyone's credit, there wasn't so much as a snicker.
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