Chapter 39. They’re Coming

The rest of the afternoon and early evening were taken up by chores on the boat, getting ready for the temporary crew. Having been through this a few times now everyone knew what to expect and didn’t really anticipate any trouble with the kids. The two chaperones that came along were chosen because they were experienced with younger children, and level headed. Not that it was really an issue, as Will had noted before these young people were very different from the young people of his world. Everyone that came along on the Rose wanted to be here, and knew the expectations. Naomi had told him there was a certain bonus for those that had gone a’voyaging. They were given more consideration than those that had never volunteered. “When I went with you first, then a second time,” Naomi said, “I was …, I’m not sure how to explain it. People listened to me, adults greeted me as an equal. I wasn’t treated like a child anymore.”. “I see, and it’s the same here, in Newton you think?”, he asked. “We’re pretty well the same people, there’s just more of them. I think they try hard to impress you so you will base out of here.” she added. He knew that but his first loyalty was still to Laketown, it might change in the future.

They were making up the bunk beds, filling safety lanterns, checking the covered fire buckets, the usual. Minnie had fallen asleep in the lounge after their swim, she had come down to check the water in the Christmas tree and just nodded off. Will never had the heart to wake her. She would be up in her own time and get on with whatever she had planned. Meanwhile after the crew quarters were ready Naomi went to menu plan, Will checked the gathering supplies. Sun hats, gloves, shovels, boots, canvas bags and so on. Everything had to be ready, and it was. Even the folding tables and chairs for lunch and dinner ashore, the small stoves and ovens, umbrellas, tents, they were all checked. It hadn’t taken long, everything was in the right place, mostly because it was put away there the last time he used it. And now it was tea time, before supper was started. Will carried his mug and plate of biscuits to the lounge, Naomi brought her paperwork as well as her own cuppa. It was still a treat to come into the cosy room, all that was missing was a fireplace, there were the usual radiators, now silent band cool. But a crackling fire would be aces. Try as he might Will hadn’t been able to figure a way. The room was quite near the waterline and on rough seas a chimney would have been ripped away and water would gush in, so that was out.

As he clinked his mug down and sat, Minnie opened sleepy eyes, stretched and asked “So what’s for dinner tonight?”. “I was going to do a meatloaf, with camp taters, nice and simple.”, Naomi replied. “Yum.”, was the only thing Minnie said. As the Rose rocked gently the ornaments on the tree clinked reminding Will of his cats. It had been many years but that sound still opened his eyes, even from a deep sleep, he was up and looking for the orange menaces. Sitting by the decorated tree, just blinking at him as one paw would just barely touch a glass ball or a metal jingle bell, barely enough to make it move. As if daring him to say or do anything. They had been generally good around the tree, just once in a while they would give it a poke. Maybe it was to keep me on my toes he thought. They had decorated, with what they had, a few days ago and Will had wrapped a couple of presents and put them in the box the tree stood in. Had to be in a box or they would go slithering around in rough weather. They had found that out the hard way. The mess tables, chairs and benches all had special fittings to hold them in place. In the lounge Will been distracted and simply forgot. One day of rough travelling had managed to trash their nice tidy lounge, and as they put it back together job one was holding things in place. Luckily the tree was springy enough and had only suffered minor injuries.

Of course things being bolted and screwed to the deck meant the days of rearranging things for fun were over. That made Minnie happy, she didn’t like changing things around “It’s fine where it is, why bother?”, was her attitude. Naomi was the same, she had told Will her families tavern had looked the same for nearly a hundred years. He had sighed, he still liked to rearrange but would have to settle for the on deck furniture. Even the loungers in their private bow area were fixed, which made sense. It just wouldn’t do to be travelling across the lake with furniture falling off the deck. “Hey, have you ever heard of hammocks?”, he asked Naomi. She shook her head, “No, what are they?”. He explained they were slings made of heavy cloth, suspended at each end and you could sleep in them. “Sounds fun, but why do we want them?”, asked Minnie. “Well, I don’t like the three high bunks in the crew rooms. If someone was to trip or fall out it’s a long way down.”, Will explained. “We could cut them down to two high, a bit more space between would be nice. And put up a few hammocks.”. He went on that sailors had always slept in them, they took up less room and swayed with the ship and you wouldn’t roll out of bed. Another reason was they could be stowed away easily too. “Could I have a hammock, in here, to curl up in now and then?”, Minnie asked. “You sure can. What say we mess around with it tomorrow morning. Build a couple and see what you think?”, he asked. Naomi and Minnie agreed but it had gotten a bit later than they thought and it was time to get cracking on dinner. The meatloaf wasn’t going to be ready so it was fishing time.

Will was determined that his bad fishing luck had to break and today was the day. The rods had been stored below decks while they had been in the frozen north but could be stowed on deck now. They each had a favourite one, with their names carefully carved and painted on the wooden grips. Minnie’s was smaller and flexible, Will’s was as long as he was tall and fairly stiff, Naomi’s was in between. They used a bit of cheese for bait and started casting, the distance of the casts were incredible and it was a good thing there was a steep drop off. Will got nothing, of course, this was getting very frustrating. Especially since he saw Minnie reeling in furiously, Naomi waited with a long net and snatched up the first catch. Sighing he cast again, checking his bait was still there, and didn’t reel in too fast this time. Out of the corner of his eye he spied Minnie shushing Naomi, who apparently already caught another. “It’s fine, I’m hungry enough to even eat someone’s else’s fish.”, he laughed. “Good thing, cause you know….”, Minnie said. Will sadly reeled in his un-needed line and was happily surprised when there was a hard tug, “Hooray dad, finally.” Minnie yelled. “About time you know, now we won’t have to hold back.”, Naomi added. Will said nothing, gave a sharp tug to set the hook, and reeled in. There was a fair bit of fight and because his tension was set low the fish occasionally got a little further before Will yanked it back. He was just having fun but a long sigh beside him, and a bit of a belly gurgle inspired him to speed it up. He snapped his rod and the fish left the water at warp speed, Naomi flashed her hand out and caught it before it slapped Minnie in the face.

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“Wow nice catch sis, saved me. Dad, that’s the smallest fish I’ve ever seen..”, Minnie said with a laugh. It was indeed tiny, all eyes and tail. Will didn’t have the heart to keep it so back in the water it went. Naomi was stifling a laugh and looking out to the lake. “At least I got one, bad lucks over.”, Will cheered, “Let’s go eat.”. Minnie was waving bye bye to Wills fish, Naomi joined in, of course Will had to, “Goodbye bad luck, stay away.”, he called across the waves. “You think that will work.”, Minnie asked, “it can’t hurt.”, Will replied. He took their fish to the bow and quickly cleaned them, four large juicy fillets ready for frying up. Naomi had started the camp potatoes already and it only took a few minutes to lightly fry the fish, a nice quiet dinner on the bow. In the dimming sunshine, the gulls wheeling around, town settling down, it was a very peaceful and pleasant meal. They had the remnants of their cakes for dessert. Will went below for a bath but was outnumbered by first Naomi then Minnie. It didn’t bother him that much, they weren’t on a schedule, yet. When the kiddies came aboard it would be a whole other kettle of fish.

While waiting for his turn in the bath Will was playing around with a hammock. Now he had never made one before, he had owned the type that was on a frame, not the free hanging one. Figuring this out was turning out to be more difficult than he realized. The material he was using was canvas, not all that easy to work with but strong. Laying it out on a flat surface then trying to figure out how to get the thing to hang properly. Tying a loop around excess cloth didn’t work. Next he was planning a rod sewn into each end and then a rope hooked on. That would be tied to the supports. There was at least an hour, maybe longer, probably longer until he got a chance to bath so why not use it wisely. A very frustrating time later Will had given up on hammocks and was on deck with a cuppa soothing his frazzled nerves. “I suppose we’ll figure it out, But not today.”, he told a nearby gull. “Talking to the birds again dad?”, Minnie asked beside him. Looking very sleek and brushed she was ready for the next few days work. “I was playing around with the hammock, but couldn’t get it, it’s not a one person job.”, he answered. Minnie nodded “Good thing I didn’t try it, I would probably have chucked it into the lake.”. Will laughed, at least she knew her own temper, “We’ll try it again, maybe when the kids are on board, the evenings are nice and quiet.”. A snort from behind startled him a bit, it was Naomi, “Nice and quiet, when the demons are on board. Where have you been the last few trips?”.

The sight of her reminded Will it was his turn for a wash. “Later guys,”, and he went below to have a long soak. The high bathtub waited, full of fresh hot water ready for him to soak, “Oh thanks sweety”, he murmured as he stripped off and relaxed. In water to his moustache, only nose and eyes showing, if felt glorious. Twenty minutes later he was back on deck in his usual shorts and light shirt. It couldn’t really be called a tee shirt as it had a collar still, so more of a golf shirt. Darren the tailor had been a bit scandalized when Will had shown him what he wanted. Then shrugged, the captains and crew were always a bit ‘off’. Min and Naomi were at the bow, playing cards and chatting about the incoming crew. Wondering whether they would be as hard working as in the past. “Oh hi there.”, he boomed making them both jump. “Oh hi there yourself.” Minnie said, as she picked up her cards. “What were you guys talking about so intently?”. he asked as he sat in his lounger. “We think you should change the age limit for the crew, no one younger than fourteen.”, Naomi said firmly. “Okay.”, Will said. “I don’t think you should have…did you say okay?”, Minnie asked. “I did, I agree with you guys.”, Will explained, “They might be hard workers, but twelve is a bit young. I know it’s always been this way, and I know the lake effect is harder on the older folks. But as Stephen explained it to me, way back when, the kids are okay til seventeen, eighteen. Then it’s game over.”. So that was agreed, Will would let the town council know tomorrow.

Looking out to the horizon, the lake was calm in the bay and the day was coming to spend. Will decided to take a look at the barges and see what shape they were in. Minnie came along but Naomi passed, she was feeling lazy after her bath. The first checked out, no damage to the hull and no water leakage inside, just a bit of rain blown in over the months. The second and third were in equally good shape, walking back to the Rose they heard a “hallloooo” behind. Turning they saw Dave the councillor, but not in his formal clothes, just work dungarees today. “Evening Will, Minnie, have a nice walk?”, he asked. They went to meet him at the land end, he was old enough to be nervous around the water. A few dozen yards down the waterfront was a small gazebo, unoccupied st this time and the three of them sat on the benches. “So what’s up Dave, just having an evening wander or were we the purpose of your visit?”, Will asked, after the usual pleasantries. Dave shook his head, “Nope, no reason, I was heading home after picking up a bit of supplies…saw you guys and here I am.”. Minnie looked at Will and shrugged, “We were actually coming to find you tomorrow. Got a bit of a change to tell you.”, Will went on as Dave was nodding a bit nervously. “We think twelve is too young for the ship kiddies, so we agreed it should be fourteen years and older. What do you say?”, Will asked. Dave shrugged “I’ve always thought twelve was young, it’s fine with me. Your boat, your decision.”. Well that was easy, Will thought. That settled Dave went on to tell them about the chickens he had smoked yesterday, how nice they were but took a bit longer than he thought. “Ah”, Will said, “You have to spatchcock it, take out the spine and flatten it, much quicker then.”. Dave thought this was a great idea, pulled out a notebook and carefully wrote it down, “Spatchcock, what an odd word. From your home country I assume?”. “Yeah, we’re not from around here.”, Minnie said. “I always thought you were from Laketown, it is somewhere different that you hale from.”, Dave asked politely. “Hold on to your hat, you’re gonna love this.”, laughed Minnie, “There was this guy that dad met…