Chapter 67. Return, Return, Return
Again the days blurred together. Dig, fill, load. Resting days full of fun. Thinking back there were things that stuck out in Wills memory. The day he and Minnie had taken everyone on in an epic water fight. Or the day everyone went on a fishing trip to the wild river and caught trout, so good. The day it had rained so hard and so long that the camp was abandoned for hours until it stopped, and all they had for dinner was bacon and bread. Will hoped that the children would think back fondly on these days, when they had aged out of being able to go. One day when Howard’s kids, or Sally’s children were going to go with captain Will on the Rose, they would think back to these good times.
And now the barges were full, all covered and sealed from the weather. The camp was being packed up, stoves, tables, all the enclosures taken down. Will had asked the kids to gather rocks, just regular ones, and they were building a cairn to mark the spot. About six feet tall with a long piece of driftwood thrusting up from the middle. It was still well before noon and they would be steaming away soon.
“This should be enough for Newton for the cold days, shouldn’t it dad?”, asked Minnie.Will shrugged “It depends on how cold it gets.Back in our world it got very cold, water froze solid, your skin would freeze too from the wind.”.Minnie shivered “Well that sounds awful, you sure you want to go north still?”.Naomi was listening and added “It’s been cold in Laketown, but not like that.Frost can come early some years, and sometimes it snows.It doesn’t last though, just wet and icky.”.She waved Milly over.“Hey, how cold is Newton in the winter?”, she asked. Milly shivered at the thought of winter coming “We get lots of snow, and it’s cold, real cold.Most days you can see your breath and frosts on the windows.”.Will asked “Do the ponds freeze over?”.Milky nodded “Oh yes, later in winter they do, the rivers too.”.“Is that where the ice comes from for the iceboxes?”, Minnie asked.The young girl nodded “They start cutting huge slabs and burying them deep, all through the cold times.”.
The boat was packed, it was time to leave where they had been for the past two weeks.Everyone was ferried to the Rose and the crew started getting ready to go.Boiler on, coal filled, engine started.Minnie at the helm, Will pulled anchor and they started hooking up the barges.Again like a mother duck they began steaming for Newton, followed by the full heavy barges.
The mood on the boat was good, the teens were happy to be heading home. Crew were happy to be heading for a resupply, Minnie hadn’t had her warm milk for weeks, Will was actually low on tea. So they were making the best time they could, the lake was smooth and weather holding at good. They figured back at by tomorrow evening. Tonight’s meal was fish and chips. The teens couldn’t get enough of the deep fried goodness that Will introduced to them and luckily they still had ample potatoes for this meal. If they were out any longer, well it would be oatmeal and bacon, or ham and beans, and that would be mostly beans.
Minnie was looking over his shoulder as he wrote this down.“I don’t like oatmeal much but I love bacon, and ham yes beans not too much, and no green beans ever, they are the yucky, even with butter, same with those wax bean things too, or peas, I like carrots though so we can have those, it’s okay with me.”.“Gee thanks Min, what about the chips, you like those right?”, Will asked.“Oh yeah, with gravy and cheese on top, what’s that called again.”, she asked.“That’s a poutine, very fine meal, and very popular where we came from.”, Will answered.She did look worried though.“What’s the matter sweetie, what’s got a bee in your bonnet?”, Will asked.“A what in my what?”, was the reply.That took a while to explain.Going off in many directions about bonnets, were they yellow, why would a bee be in there and so on.
That was really the point of these explanations.To lighten the mood.Something serious or life threatening would be dealt with right away, but borrowed trouble…what ifs, that was a different story.Eventually the reason for worry came out, as they were talking about roast turkey.“I’m just worried we won’t have enough food for the littles, if we got caught in that stuff again.”, Minnie admitted.It had been eating at her, but Will put her mind at rest.“I put some supplies away for an emergency, a weeks supply.Nothing fancy but food for all of us to last that week.If we need it. I stored them in the tool room.”.“Oh, is that those barrels, marked do not open?”, Minnie asked.“That’s them, but that doesn’t apply to you.Nothing is off limits for crew, especially the first mate.I thought I told you, it was on my todo list…”, Will said.Minnie had cheered up hearing that she wasn’t the only one to worry about things, and that there was a plan.Howard made an appearance with a tray for them, teapot and a jug of juice.A couple of slices of cake as well, the galley crew was baking today.Fresh bread and cakes, today it was carrot cake, one of their favourites.The young lad was not as chatty as he had been but still managed lots of information in a few minutes.After inquiring about their course and when they would be home he left, probably to tell the rest of the children all about it.“That scuttlebutt will be around the boat in the next minute.”, Will remarked.
Minnie turned to look at him “That what?”.Laughing Will explained the term and that it just meant gossip or talking about something you heard.She was shaking her head “You’re just full of stuff today, pretty funny guy you are.”.They sat in the wheelhouse, windows open to catch the breeze, making plans for the rest of the day.There wasn’t much to do though.Stay alert and watch the barges, check the course, make sure the auto coal feeders were full.That was it for Will and Minnie, Naomi had a little more to do belowdecks but not the care of the boat.Planning menus, running the galley and the mess, it was what she was good at.
The door to the galley flew open and Minnie rushed in “Have you heard the latest scuttlebutt Naomi?” she asked. “What’s that mean….scuttle bug, is that a bug or something, are we being attacked by scuttle bugs?”. Minnie spun around, searching for the bugs. “Where are they, let’s squish ‘em, stompy stompy. Come on Naomi, help me or call dad to help with the bugs.”.
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Will was at the helm, peacefully writing in his log while keeping an eye on the lake ahead.The water was calm and the weather fair, and the barges were following nicely.The voice tube suddenly whistled for attention.Will picked it up and heard Naomi’s panicked voice…”Will we’re being attacked by scuttle bugs, Minnie’s fighting them, we need help!”.Will answered with a hurried “On my way!”.Hung up the tube, roped the wheel and flung open the door and was running for the galley.He was met by a nearly hysterical Naomi, standing on a table, shouting about bugs.Minnie was scampering around the mess and galley apparently hunting for bugs too.A quick look revealed a complete lack of insects, no trace there had ever been any.“What the heck is going on…where’s the bugs, and where’s the kids?”, Will asked.“I shut the kids in their cabins while we killed bugs dad, but they’re hiding, Naomi saw them I think, but nothing now, I was hunting them, I dunno what kind of bugs they are either, she said they were scuttling around.”.Naomi stopped moving and looked over “You said there were scuttle bugs, everyone was being attacked by scuttle bugs.”.Minnie also stopped moving around, looked at Will and said “I asked if you had the the scuttlebutt, I didn't mean bugs, I was talking about gossip and stuff we talk about when dads not around.”.“There’s no bugs attacking us?”, Naomi asked slowly.Will shook his head “None I can see, scuttlebutt was wrong about the bugs.”, he laughed and went to let the kids know everything was all right.
Knocking on the first cabin a worried Milly opened the door when he called out it was a false alarm.He did the same to the next cabin and Ann answered.He told her the same then headed back to the wheelhouse to check in.A few minutes later Minnie and Naomi came up.“I’m sorry dad, didn’t mean to scare you, we got mixed up about stuff.”, Minnie said.“Me too captain, I heard bugs and freaked out, I hate them so…all kinds.I’m so sorry to have caused a fuss.”, Naomi added.“It’s okay, don’t be sorry.Just a case of getting your wires crossed”, Will said with a laugh.Min and Naomi exchanged looks, “What’s wires crossed mean?”, Minnie asked.Will thought for a moment “It means getting confused about something, if I told you I would meet you at the bakers and you went to the butchers, we would have had crossed wires.”.Minnie nodded, understanding but asked where the wires were.
Will had to explain about telephones then.That took a little while and both of them thought it was a wonderful idea.He then explained about how phones had gotten better until you had one in your pocket all the time, and were never out of contact with anyone really.That sounded even better to Minnie, Will could just imagine her with a phone.She’d be texting while at the helm, taking selfies and posting for her followers.Yup, that’s Min for sure he thought.“I don’t think we’ll see them in this world for a long time.It not progressing like our old world did, more measured, kinda held back by a few things.”, he mused.
Naomi left to get working on dinner, still a little frazzled around the edges but mostly settled. Minnie stayed in the wheelhouse at the helm while Will took a break. He puttered in the engine room, checked coal and pressures. Then to the galley for a cuppa and check on Naomi. Who was fine now and putting her helpers to work, she kinda reminded Will of Mary Poppins. She sang while they worked away, peeling, kneading and so on. The kids were smiling as they toiled away, a happy galley team. And then he was off to his cabin for a visit to the head and a clean shirt. Back to the galley for a rough inventory, then to the storerooms for the same. He had to go back to the engine room where the water gauges were. He worked in the small office for an hour. Recording speed and coal use, how much food had been consumed, how much water had been gone through. All that exciting stuff. Then back to the galley for a tea refill, a mug of juice for Minnie and a tin of biscuits. Finally up to the wheelhouse.
“Holy moley dad, I thought you got lost.”, Minnie remarked as he came in. But when she saw her snack all was forgiven and was eating a biscuit in a trice. “Just had some things to do, you know how I get sometimes..”. Minnie interrupted “Too busy and too much to do? Yeah I know. But you have to take it easier.”. Will nodded “You sound like mom, she used to say that. ‘Slow down old man, it doesn’t all have to be done in one day’…”. “She was a smart lady, you should listen to her.”, added Minnie. Will laughed.
Going along at half speed, teens lounging on deck. Just visiting and socializing, some reading, some napping. The weather was changing. A bit of a wind was blowing down form the north, the water was starting to heave more. Will always liked to be aware of the weather, living on the water made him slightly obsessive about it. Looking into the wheelhouse he could see Minnie was at the helm and aware of the change, so he continued on his tour around deck. Checking the dory, making sure it was secure, cranes locked and tight, hold hatch’s buckled down. Now to the bow to check the anchors, don’t want those banging around. Their lounge chairs, table and umbrellas were put away in the small locker they lived in while it rained. And the barbecue cover on, don’t want that damaged. A final check on the main deck and they were ready if the weather worsened.
They were near enough to shore to see some familiar landmarks.The children were calling out a particularly giant spruce or an odd rock formation, they could tell that they were on the right track.They were getting excited for home, sad too.Tonight’s meal was going to as fancy as they could make it, fish and chips, poutine if they wanted, fresh buttery rolls.Cake for afters, hopefully a memorable last day dinner.The plan was to eat on deck, but the galley would serve as well depending on rain.There were a few hours yet so they would have to see.
Well it wasn’t as bad as the first storm Will and Minnie faced on their first trip, but it was bad. They were pulling with the storm, wind and water blowing hard over the bow, stern nearly under at times. They had to steer clear of the shore as there was real danger of being beached hard. The barges were handling it well, but there was lots of motion and the cables were under stress. You could hear the twang as they dipped with the swells. Minnie and Will had searched their maps for any kind of shelter, but the closest was heading north. Directly in the face of the storm. Minnie was not a fan of that idea, neither was Will. They had decided to stay running in front of it and hoped it either blew itself out or…..well there was no other option. Will was scanning all around for safe harbour but nothing yet. Their danger was worsened by the drag of the barges, but so far the Rose was up to the task.
A positive thing was the windshield wiper worked quite well, not as good as a rubber blade but well enough. It cleared the window enough to see clearly through, for a few moments anyway. Nothing to see but more rain though. Belowdecks was a bit of a mess. Some of the children, well most of the children had bad reactions to the rough water and the buckets that had been placed around the mess were well used. Naomi wasn’t affected but she had her hands full, literally, in keeping things calm. She knew Will and Minnie were on top of things and would do everything they could to keep them all safe.
Will was always keeping one eye on the tow bollard, he could get to it in seconds if he needed to cut the line.All their work, and probably the barges, would be lost.But their lives would be saved.This was only going to happen in the direst circumstance.If one of the barges went down, it would probably take all the others and the Rose down with it.He was going to do his best to make sure that didn’t happen.