Bill was just pouring a coffee intones travel mug, when knock came to the front door.
"Deres bes someone at da door, Willam."
Bill walked across the living room.
"Thank you, Nanny Dove."
"Youse welcome."
Bill laughed, as he answered the door. It was Henry Tucker.
"Morning Henry."
Bill had been waiting for Henry so they could go to the fish plant and do a tour with Clayton Rideout, who used to be the plant manager.
"Mornin' to youse, Bill, me son. Is youse ready to go."
"Come in. I just have to grab my jacket and coffee and we can go."
Henry never moved. He just stepped back from the door.
"You can come in, you know."
"Is Nanny Dove in dere," he whispered.
"Ise be in 'ere, 'enry Tucker," Nanny Dove yelled from her rocking chair.
Henry smiled and took a couple more steps back.
"Den Ise be waitin' out 'ere for youse, Bill, me son."
"Okay. Just be a second."
Bill looked at Nanny Dove as he grabbed a light jacket and his coffee.
"Henry seems to be a tad bit scared of you."
"As 'e should bes," Nanny Dove snapped.
"Scared as shit, 'e shud bes."
"Should I ask why?"
She pointed to the door.
"Why don'ts youse ask dat scoundrel, 'enry Tucker?"
Bill shrugged. "Okay."
He started for the door.
"I will see you later."
Henry started walking as soon as Bill stepped outside.
"She's still be 'oldin' a grudge, dat one."
"And why would she be holding a grudge toward you?" Bill wondered.
Henry slowed, once he reached the cobblestone road, Bill caught up with him and the two walked toward the fish plant.
"So? What is this grudge?"
"Its be nothin' really. She's jest be an old woman whose be set in 'er ways."
"Okay," Bill laughed, "if you say so."
Henry stopped and turned to Bill.
"Whats did she tells ya?"
Bill shook my head.
"She never said a word. She told me to ask you."
Henry looked back at the house.
"Stubborn old woman."
He shook his fist at the house.
Bill laughed again.
"Are you going to tell me?"
Henry started walking again.
"Well, Bill, me son. Dis goes back a long time ago, when I were a young man. Ise tinks I were maybe fifteen or sixteen at da time and lookin' fer a wife."
"At fifteen or sixteen?"
"Dis bes da outports me son. Youse gits married young 'ere or at less youse used to. Now a days dese young folks be waiting' until dey bes in dere twenties and even some into dere tirties."
He looked at Bill.
"Like youse and yer woman Matty."
"Well me and Matty ..."
"Yes boy. Ise knows."
He laughed.
"Ifin youse and Matty nots bes a couple den Ise bes da Mayor of da Bay."
"But you are the Mayor," Bill reminded him.
Henry let out a long breath.
"'ow youse 'spect mes to finish dis story ifin youse always interrupts I."
"Sorry, please carry on."
"Anyways, likes Ise was sayin'. I was lookin' fer a wife.
Nows, me son, Ise bes tellin' youse dat the picking was pretty slim at dat time, but one Christmas Lizza Rideout came 'ome.
Now I knows yuse gonna ask who's Lizza is and Ise be tellin' youse. Lizza was da sister, da youngest sister of Matilda Rideout, who married Samuel Dove."
"So Lizza was Nanny Dove's youngest sister?"
Henry slapped Bill on the back.
"Now me son, Ise tinks youse got it. Youse don't be 'alf as slow as what 'arry says youse be.
Anyways. Lizza was off in Corner Brook gettin' 'er 'ighschool education. She was stayin' wit relatives of the Rideouts. Ise tinks dey were Temples, ifin me memory serves me well.
Well, me son, Ise looks one look at Lizza and dat be dat. And she be likin' me too me son. Ise tells ya, wes were 'appier den two peas in a pod.
But wes 'ad a problem."
"Nanny Dove?" Bill suggested.
"Yes me son, youse nailed it. She's didn't want me 'avin' nuttin' to do wit 'er sister, Lizza. She wanted Lizza to finish 'er education and stay in Corner Brook. She didn't want 'er comin' back to da Bay."
The two started walking down the hill that led to the community wharf and the small fish plant.
"So what happened?"
"Well, me son. Lizzie and Ise ... wells wes both be young and not dat bright at the time and youse knows ...
well one ting leads to another and then another and 'fore youse knows it, wes were naked in da bedroom of Nanny Dove's cottage. Youse knows da one, where Matty stays?"
Bill stopped and stared at Henry.
"Really? In the cottage?"
Henry nodded.
"Yes, me son. Dere wes were, goin' to it and guess who t'rows open da door and catches us?"
"Nanny Dove?"
"Me son, Ise tells ya. Ise never moved so fast in all me life as I did dat night. But it didn't do me any gud. Nanny Dove she grabbed me and t'rew me at da wall and kicked me in da naked ass.
I barely gots out with me jewels in tact. She tried a couple times to kick me in da jewels, but Ise grabbed me clothes and ran naked down to da beach."
Bill stared to laugh. He had tried not to laugh, but he had the image of Henry running naked on the beach and Nanny Dove scurrying along after him, trying to kick.
"And what happened?"
"Well, Bill, me son. Ise guess youse can figures out da rest.
Lizzie went back to Corner Brook, but she found outs a few weeks later dat she was 'avin' a baby.
Nanny Dove nearly lost her friggin' mind. She comes after me with a sawed off shotgun and threatened to shoot me fuckin' nuts off ifin I didn't do da right ting and marry Lizzie."
"So did you?"
"Well boy, Ise still 'as me family jewels. I agreed right away to marry Lizzie and she was 'appy enough to marry me.
But I guess da gud Lord 'ad other plans."
"What happened?"
"Well, me son. Da night dat Lizzie was s'pose to comes 'ome, dere was a terrible winter's storm dat came outs of nowhere. Lizzie and one of da Temple boys was in da car and a big truck hit dey 'ead on."
Bill put his hand on Henry's shoulder.
"Henry, I am so sorry."
Henry took a deep breath and wiped a tear from his eye.
"So be Ise, me son. I was 'eartbroken. But dat was a long time ago, me son."
"You never married?"
Henry shook his head.
"No me son. Lizzie was da only one fer me.
And dat be why Nanny Dove still be holdin' a grudge. She blames me fer Lizzie's death."
"But it wasn't your fault," Bill tried to assure him.
"It was an accident."
"I guess its all 'ow youse looks at it, Bill, me son. Ise looks at it oe way and Nanny Dove, well she looks at it another. She figures ifin Ise not got Lizzie pregnant, den she would never 'ave been in dat accident and she wud still be wit us."
Bill shook his head.
"It was fate Henry. Just the shitty way things worked out."
"It were shitty fer sure, Billy Boy. Dere still bes times I wonders 'ow tings wud 'ave worked out. And the sad part 'bout it bes dat 'er spirit ain't be 'ere in da Bay."
"She's not buried here?"
Henry nodded.
"Yes, me son. 'er body bes 'ere, but 'er soul still bes wandering' out dere somewhere on dat 'ighway. See. da spirit 'as to stay where dey die. Even tho da body be somewheres else."
"That is sad," Bill sighed.
The two were standing in front of the main door to the fish plant.
"Dat bes a long times ago, Billy Boy and right now, wes 'as other tings to tink 'bout."
Bill agreed.
"The past is the past, Henry."
"Dat it bes, Billy Boy."
He patted Bill on the back.
"Come on, me son, lets go see Clayton."
Henry Tucker