How We Were DSC_7393_01
Big Bertha and the Lemon Wine Sauce
It took a little shuffling to figure out where Big Bertha should go in the boat for the best trim. She ended up on the seat back of the bow, with Little Mac in the bow seat itself.
"I hope you haven't took offense," said the boatman to Bertha.
"Dear Heart," said Bertha with a chuckle, "if I took offense every time people wondered what to do with all of me, I wouldn't have time for anything else."
"It's just that it's really important, you know, how the boat balances," said the boatman. "If it came on to blow, why, there wouldn't be no fixing things then."
With everything he said, it seemed to the poor boatman that he dug a deeper hole for himself. He had the good sense at that point to say nothing further and simply to guide the boat out of the harbour and through the islands to the spot offshore he reckoned would be far enough. It didn't really matter where they went. They weren't going to find any fish. Still he had brought the gear. Who knew? Miracles happened. Fat women went to sea.
"It's good of you to bring us out," said Little Mac, when they had sunk the land and the boatman was handing out rods.
"Can't guarantee anything," said the boatman.
"Oh, don't you worry," said Little Mac. "Satisfaction is guaranteed."
They stayed over the bank for an hour, in which time Big Bertha hooked and landed six sizable flounder and the three men caught nothing but seaweed.
"She never goes but she catches something," Little Mac called back as the boatman gunned the engine for home. "Never fails. We could of come in a blizzard. We could of come at the end of the world."
"A seamstress," the boatman said to himself as he turned and spat backward into the wake. "A fat old seamstress with her hair in a bun. Bringin' 'em in like a midsummer madness. I'll be blowed."
"Don't thank me," Little Mac was saying to his wife. "It's all Gillie's doing. Fellow owed him a favour and Gillie felt he owed me one for helping refloat Serendipity. And I always owe you one."
He kissed his hand and laid it palm down on her knee. It looked small as a child's there.
"And I always thank you anyway," said Big Bertha. "And I always will. Lord, I haven't been out that far for years. Miles out! I feel like I'm reborn."
The tide was low when they came in slow past the exposed shoal in the Southwest Passage. Behind them the incoming fog was in the process of erasing the horizon.
They had flounder for supper with the boatman, whom they wouldn't let say no to their invitation.
"What else today?" the boatman said to himself as he held out his plate for another helping. "Second coming?"
In handing the plate back, Little Mac winked at their guest. "Now don't be embarrassed," he said. "That lemon wine sauce is to die for. And Bertie, well, she's just a miracle. You'll never forget her. I guarantee it."
12 January 2018
Texas Jim
Prospect, Nova Scotia
www.granitecoast.ca
Category:Scenic
Subcategory:Oceans
Subcategory Detail:
Keywords:and, atlantic, black, boat, boatman, canada, coast, fishing, granite, launch, motor, north, nova, ocean, passengers, prospect, rocks, scotia, sea, silhouette, skiff, standing, tiller, waves, white