Matty and Bill were walking along the cobblestone road, toward the fab plant, when they heard the sound of a huge truck engine.
A black Ford F450 pickup pulled up by the side of them and stooped for a moment.
"Hey Freddy and Gertrude," Matty waved.
The horn sounded, like a foghorn in the night.
Bill tried to stare into the windows, but the dark tinting didn't allow him to see anything. The truck drove off.
"How do you know who is in that truck?"
Matty took Bill's hand, as they continued walking.
"Who else would be in it? Its Freddy's truck."
"I've been meaning to ask about that. Where did he get it? When I first came here, he was driving an old beat up something or another."
"You bought it for him," Matty informed him.
Bill stopped.
"I bought it? I don't even have a truck as nice as that."
Matty pulled on his hand.
"You have a nice truck and besides, its more or less your truck. I guess its kind of a company truck."
"And why would Freddy need a company truck. He cleans the filters at the plants and checks the readings."
"Do you want to do that? Pull dead animals and shitty toilet paper globs and ..."
"I get the point. Freddy has a shitty job. But really? That truck?"
Matty laughed.
"Yea. Freddy is no Einstein, thats for sure, but, he does more than just clean shit from the filters. He keeps those plants running like new. That man can strip down a car, tweak it, put it all back together, with pieces left over and make it run better than it did before. And he could do it blindfolded with one hand behind his back.
Frank says he is doing an amazing job at both plants. He knows those plants better than anyone.
Just don't ask him what the capitol of Canada is. Or the capitol of Newfoundland is. Or even where Canada is on a map.
But give him anything mechanical or give him the dirtiest jobs out there and he will do it. And he is fiercely loyal."
"Yea I was wondering about that."
Matty stopped and stared at Bill.
"Freddy swears there was no one in the Hood Civic hatchback, when he accidentally hit it ... 12 or 13 times."
"Yea, I was going to ask about that too. Really? Twelve or thirteen times?"
Matty smiled, as she continued to walk again.
"I am sure that is just an exaggeration.
So did Clayton tell you why he wanted to see you."
Bill shook my head.
"Nope. He just said come down and ..."
Bill stopped as he saw the new building attached to the wharf.
"What is that?"
"That is the new dry dock. How did you expect them to work on the boats without a building to do it in."
"I was down here last week. There were just a few pieces of steel poking out of the water."
Matty started jogging to the wharf.
"You snooze, you lose, old man."
Bill just shook my head. He was quickly beginning to expect the unexpected when it came to the Bay. He had never met people with such tremendous work ethics. They would work 24 hours a day to finish a job and then drink all day to celebrate.
By the time Bill reached the wharf, Matty was there talking to Clayton and Ken Johnstone.
Clayton was holding two bottles of champagne.
"We allow drinking on the job?" Bill joked.
"Of course wes do, but not dis pop. Wes only drinks da 'ard stuff."
Bill wasn't sure if Clayton was joking or not.
Clayton laughed, slapping Bill on the back.
"Ise jest be jokin', me son. Wes drinks pretty much anyting wes can gits our 'ands on.
But dat not bes why we is 'ere today."
Clayton pounded on the wall of the new building that had mysteriously appeared in just one week.
Bill heard the sound of engines starting and moments later, two fishing boats emerged from the front of the building.
"May I introduce the 'Matty D.' and da 'Wild William'."
The two fishing boats went around the front of the wharf and stopped on the far side.
"Is that the same two boats?"
Ken Johnstone nodded.
"Yes, boy. They bes da same old wharf rats dat were 'ere a couple weeks ago. Now, me son, dey be as good as anytime on the water.
Come on. Lets me show youse."
Kenny took Matty and Bill on a tour of the Matty D.
The entire boat had been refurbished. The deck had hardwood floors and the Captains cabin was fully restored with hardwood and leather, complete with new Captain chairs. Behind the Captain's cabin was a small galley where meals could be prepared and served to the tourists.
Kenny explained that the boats had been stripped down to the bare bones and all unnecessary equipment had been removed. There was no need for the commercial equipment anymore, as the boats would only be used for tourists.
He told Matty and Bill that there would be comfortable swivel chairs installed on the deck, as soon as they arrived from St. Johns.
Below deck were two small washrooms, a storage room and even a small room with a cot.
"Jest in case we gets a seasick one. At least they will 'ave a place to lay down," Kenny explained.
"And Ise got that engine purring like a contented cat. Ise tells youse, Bill, me son. They two bes boats youse can be proud of."
Bill was beyond impressed.
"They are beautiful. I don't know what to say."
Clayton passed Matty and Bill a bottle of champagne, each.
"Ifin is were youse I be sayin' something like,
Ise christened thee the Wils William and da Matty D."
Matty and Bill christened their namesakes.
"Now comes on," Clayton said, as he and Kenny jumped aboard the Matty D. Len Dove, who had driven the boat out, helped Matty and Bill onto the boat and then jumped off, untying the ropes, so Clayton could bring the Matty D. to open water.
Clayton and Kenny took Bill and Matty on a tour around the shoreline of Tuckamore Bay and Sandy Bay.
As they boated into Sandy Bay, Bill could see the other four boats, now up on shore. They were stripped down, as well and Bill could see several men on each boat.
"Len and Mac Dove are supervising the refurbishing of the boats for those fancy cabin style rooms that they will rent out."
"How are they coming along?"
Kenny nodded.
"They be runnin' into some problems, but nothin' that the boys can't handle. Lenny says they will pretty much be finished by winter, 'cept for the insides. They can work them through the winter, once they gets some electricity there for the heaters."
"Light and Power are going to run underground lines for us," Matty explained.
"Had to promise a few discount rooms for that, but it will be worth it."
Bill smiled. He was so pleased to see the plans coming together, so quickly.
"It looks amazing."
It was the first time Bill had ever been on a boat and he was like a kid. Clayton even let Bill steer the boat, once they were on open water again.
"So how do I do this?"
Clayton pointed toward the shore.
"Sees dem big fuckin' rocks in dere?"
Bill nodded.
"Don't fuckin' 'it 'em," he laughed.
Clayton took over the controls again and as they rounded the southern tip of Tuckamore Bay, he stopped the boat.
Matty passed Bill a strange wooden reel with a heavy rope on it and an even heavier fish shaped hook.
"This is a cod jigger."
"How do I do this?"
"Just drop the hook over the side and let out rope until you are about 20 or 30 feet down."
Bill did as she said.
"Now put the reel on the deck and grab the rope. Wrap it around your hand a couple times and jerk it up quickly. Then let it go, so it sinks again and then jerk it again."
Bill did as he was told.
"How will I know if I get anything?"
Matty laughed.
"You will know."
Bill continued to do as Matty told him, until he felt it stop suddenly, like it had hooked on something.
"Shit."
"What's wrong?"
"I think I hooked on some rocks or something. I can barely move it."
Matty started smiling.
"I think you got a cod."
"Now what?" Bill barked, excitedly.
"Start pulling it in," Matty laughed.
Bill started pulling as fast as he could.
"Its heavy."
The cod broke the surface.
"Honey fuck. Look at that."
Matty grabbed a gaff from the side of the boat.
"Hold tight."
She bent over the rail and sunk the sharp gaff into the cods head and with one smooth motion pulled it on the deck.
"Look at the size of that," Bill gasped.
"Its fucking huge."
Clayton slapped Bill on the back.
"Dat be a fine cod dere Bill, me son. Must be nar on 20 pounds. Dat will make fer some good cookin'."
Kenny passed Bill a beer.
"We be makin' a Newf out of youse yet, me son."