Matty hung up the telephone just as Bill walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist.
She whistled at him.
"Sexy!" she sighed in her most alluring voice.
"Put some clothes on, Willam and stop walkin' 'round me 'ouse 'alf naked."
Bill laughed.
"First off ..."
Nanny Dove glared at Bill, pointing a finger.
"Don't youse be sayin' dis not bes my 'ouse."
Bill walked into the bedroom. As he closed the door, he yelled playfully, "its not your house Nanny Dove. Not as long as I am alive."
He closed the door laughing.
Nanny Dove looked at Matty.
"Ifin 'e keeps talkin' like that, 'e mite be joinin' me sooner den 'e tinks."
She started knitting again, laughing.
"Ise likes dat Willam. 'e bes cool."
Matty started laughing.
"Cool?"
"Yes, cool. Dat means 'e bes okay."
"I know what it means. Just never heard you say it before."
"Well, me dear, maybe Ise tryin' to be a little more hip."
"More like a broken hip," Matty laughed, as she poured a small drink.
Nanny Dove flipped Matty the bird.
"Oh that is real cool, old lady."
Matty looked toward the bedroom.
"You almost ready?" she yelled at Bill.
"Don't rush me," Bill yelled from the bedroom.
He opened the door and stood in the living room.
"All of this takes time," he smirked, standing a pose.
"More likes a waste of time," Nanny Dove laughed.
She pointed to the bedroom.
"Maybe youse shud goes back in and tries again."
Matty finished her drink and took Bill's hand.
"Come on. Lets go to the Pub where there are live people."
"Dey not bes as cool as me," Nanny Dove yelled behind them.
"And youse two be 'ome by twelve," she laughed.
She started knitting and rocking again.
"Ise bes da coolest."
As they walked into Dove's Pub, Matty and Bill noticed that the Pub was full, but there wasn't a sound. Everyone was sitting at the bar or at tables or simply standing. They were all staring at Bill and Matty.
"Okay," Matty whispered.
"This is more than a little creepy."
Henry Tucker walked to Bill and Matty.
"Bill, me son. We's 'as to do someting to youse."
He took Bill by the arm and started walking out of the Pub.
Bill looked at Matty.
"What is going on?"
Matty just smiled, as she realized what was happening.
"You will be okay."
Henry led Bill out of the Pub and down the cobblestone road that led to the bay itself. Everyone else in the Pub followed and as they walked, they were joined by every resident of Tuckamore Bay.
Bill was a little nervous, especially when he could see spirits standing on the rocky beach, near the fish plant dock.
He looked at Matty.
"This isn't some kind of sacrifice, is it? Like, you don't have to burn a mainlander at the stake once a year or something?"
Matty just smiled, as she took Bill's hand.
"We don't burn them anymore, Bill. We tie an anchor to them and drop them off Anchor Point."
Bill forced a smile.
Henry Tucker stopped at the water's edge.
"Bill, me son. Ise be takin' off me sneakers ifin ise were youse and maybe youse socks too."
Bill did as he was told. As he did, Henry put on a pair of knee high rubber boots.
"Come me son," Henry said, as he led Bill knee deep, into the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
Bill shivered slightly as the cold water surrounded him.
"Bill, me son. Wes all thot that youse were jest a mainlander. Not dat youse were a bad mainlander, but none da less, a mainlander.
Now wes be told dat youse is no mainlander. Youse is one of us."
Henry turned toward the spirit of Silas Williams.
"Silas bes tellin' us dat youse is actually 'is direct descendant. And dat bein' da truth, dat makes youse one of us.
But wes 'as to get da mainlander out of youse."
Henry looked around at all those gathered.
"Wes stand 'ere in da waters of our Mother, the Atlantic Ocean. She 'as brought us fish to eat and to keeps our ancestors 'ere at day Bay by giving dem a job fer many many years. She 'as been 'ere for ev'ry one of our births and now she will be 'ere for da rebirth of Billy Williams."
Henry filled a small cup, someone passed him and filled it with water. He then poured the water over Bill's head.
"With this water, da Mother Ocean accepts youse 'as one of 'er own."
Bill shivered slightly, as the cold water flowed off his head and down his back.
Henry passed the cup to Matty and took a yellow coat from his brother Harry. He passed the coat to Bill.
"Dis bes an oilskin coat. It will keeps youse dry and warm when da rains and winds blow in from da ocean."
He then passed Bill a matching hat.
"Dis will stop da water from soaking yer 'ead and rollin' down youse back."
"I could have used that a minute ago," Bill joked.
Those gathered laughed politely.
Henry laughed.
"Der also bes a pair of rubber boots, but youse can't put dem on 'till wese finished."
He then passed Bill a long wooden oar.
"This is a symbol to let youse know dat no matters what, da Mother will always allows youse to find yer way 'ome."
Henry pointed to a freshly painted 16 foot wooden dory, tied to the dock.
The words, 'Billy Boy', was painted on the boat.
"Dat bes da dory dat goes with the oar. Be 'ard to git 'ome without it."
Bill smiled.
"Thank you," he said, to all gathered.
"Now me son, youse jest 'as a few more tings to do."
Henry took a paper from his jacket pocket, unfolded it and passed it to Bill.
"Dis bes The Ode to Newfoundland. It bes our song and we needs youse to recite it fer all of us, to reminds us what it means to bes a Newfoundlander."
Bill held the paper and started reading off it.
"When sun rays crown thy pine clad hills,
And summer spreads her hand,
When silvern voices tune thy rills,
We love thee, smiling land.
We love thee, we love thee,
We love thee, smiling land.
When spreads thy cloak of shimmering white,
At winter's stern command,
Thro' shortened day, and starlit night,
We love thee, frozen land.
We love thee, we love thee
We love thee, frozen land.
When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,
And wild waves lash thy strand,
Thro' spindrift swirl, and tempest roar,
We love thee windswept land.
We love thee, we love thee
We love thee windswept land.
As loved our fathers, so we love,
Where once they stood, we stand;
Their prayer we raise to Heaven above,
God guard thee, Newfoundland
God guard thee, God guard thee,
God guard thee, Newfoundland"
Everyone clapped as Bill finished.
Bill folded the paper and put it in the pocket of his jacket.
He wiped a tear from his eye and whispered, "Thank you."
"Don't bes t'ankin' us yit, Billy Boy, 'cause now youse gotta be kissing' da queen of da oceans."
Bill had the image of one of the young women being dressed in a mermaid outfit, but it was not to be.
"What the fuck?"
Henry laughed as he took a large fish from a large bucket that two of the men had placed next to Henry.
"Dis bes da queen of da North Atlantic, me son. Da cod fish."
Bill looked at the live fish Henry was struggling to hold.
"You want me to kiss that?"
"Pucker up, me son," Henry laughed as he held the cod close to Bill's mouth.
All those gathered were chanting, "Kiss. Kiss. Kiss."
Bill looked at Matty. She blew him a kiss.
"Fuck me," Bill laughed, as he kissed the cod on the lips and immediately spit into the ocean.
A huge cheer went up and Henry gently put the fish back in the ocean.
"Now," Henry continued.
"Jest one more ting to do, me son."
Harry passed his brother a bottle of Newfie Screech Rum.
"Dis will 'elp git da taste of fish off yer lips. Ise bes sure young Matty Dove don't wants to be tasting' dat," Henry laughed.
Matty shook her head.
"Not happening Billy Boy."
"Can't says Ise blames youse, Matty," Harry laughed.
Henry continued, holding up the bottle of Newfie Screech. "Legend 'as it dat da Jamaicans sent did rum to Newfoundland. It is said to be made from the leftovers of da gud rums dat dey makes dere in Jamaica. But wese all knows dat da joke bes on dem. It bes da best rum in da world.
Named after da sound dat the wind makes as it blows thru the sails of da old sailin' ships, Newfie Screech 'as long been a proud part of Newfoundland."
He turned to Bill, passing him the bottle.
"Now me son. To shows dat youse bes a true Newfie, I needs ouse to take a big swig of dis 'ere Screech."
Bill took the bottle and then a deep breath and amid the constant chants of, "Chug, chug, chug," he drank about ten ounces of the harsh rum.
Everyone gathered on the beach laughed and cheered, as Henry took the bottle from Bill and passed it to his brother.
He then waited for the cheering to stop.
"Ladies and gentlemen, both live and spirits."
He took Bill's arm and led him out of the cold water.
"May I present Tuckamore Bay's newest son and a lost soul dat finally found 'is way back 'ome ...
Billy Williams."
Another large cheer erupted as each and every person of Tuckamore Bay either shook Bill's hand, patted his back or gave him a kiss.
Matty kind of scowled at some of the younger women who kissed Bill on the lips instead of the cheek.
At the end, only Nanny Dove and Matty remained.
"Well Willam. Ise guess dis means dat Ise stuck wit youse."
Nanny Dove gave Bill a spirit hug.
Matty walked up to Bill, took his face in her hands and kissed him long and gentle.
"Welcome home, my love."
"Thank you, sweetie."
He kissed her back quickly.
"Now can I put on my socks and those rubber boots. My feet are fucking freezing."
He plopped down on the rocky beach and quickly put on the socks, rolled up his pant legs and put on the rubber boots.
Several of the men helped Bill to his feet.
"Now," Henry yelled.
"Its bes time to properly welcome Bill to our family."
He pointed up the hill that led away from the beach.
"To Dove's Pub."
Another cheer erupted as everyone hurried up the hill.
Henry shook Bill's hand again.
"Welcome 'ome, Billy Boy. And don'ts worry. Tonight, dis party bes all on us."
He hurried off up the hill.
Matty took the oar from Bill and walked to the dory, putting it on the floor of the wooden boat.
She then kissed Bill again.
"I do love you."
Bill kissed her gently on the lips.
"That's nice," he laughed, as he ran from her.
"You son of a bitch," Matty yelled playfully.
Bill got no more than twenty feet before he tripped over his own feet, falling on the rocky beach.
Matty helped him up.
"Takes some getting used to," she informed him, talking about the heavy rubber boots.
"Best you learn to walk first."
Bill laughed and kissed Matty.
"I love you."
Matty shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever," she laughed, as she ran up the hill.
Bill slowly followed behind her.
"Come on, slowpoke," she yelled back at him.
"The party will be over before you get there."
She disappeared over the crest of the hill.
Bill turned and looked back over the Bay.
"I am home."
He turned and started up the hill.
The part lasted until the wee hours of the morning.