Dawn of the Rogue Pulsations

I leaned back at my desk and caressed my secretary's leg as she handed me the mail.
"Read this one to me, mon cherie," I said, handing one back to her. She sat down on the chair next to me and crossed her legs.
"To whom it must concern," she said, in her soft and sultry voice. "Pay close attention to what I say.
It happened about two years ago when during an assignment, the Hubble Space Telescope was oriented to the Constellation Fornax in order to capture ultra deep field observations. To capture images, in other words, at a depth or distance out into space that to date, had never been probed. Images of outermost regions never before seen by man. The images were astounding. But, even more astounding, an occurrence that went unnoticed until the announcement that came only last week from NASA that the Hubble had somehow become infected. That was the word they used. Infected."
"Shall I go on, sir?" my secretary asked.
"Yes," I replied. "I find it somehow endearing."
"A reporter asked,
"What does that mean?" The NASA spokesman shuffled his papers and said,
"An infection is basically an invasion and multiplication of microorganisms." He then stepped away from the mike and would take no further questions. I recalled several years back when I was working for NASA, having a conversation with a colleague at a bar. I remembered he said quite drunkenly,
"What if, out there, there was a non-physical intelligent civilization that existed only as some kind of radioactive pulse? And they notice the pulses we are sending out into the universe, and hijack them and ride them back to earth?"
"You tell me," I replied, being one Russian vodka behind him.
"So, they make it into our receivers," he said," "The satellites, skylab, the Hubble. From there, they are home free and beaming on down to earth."

The detective stuck his toothpick behind his ear.
"So, that's your statement?"
"Yes," I replied. "Don't you see? They are in our tvs now. Our radios. Our cars. Our computers. Our cell phones. They are listening to us all the time. They are tapping our brains. They are putting GPS devices in our shoes. They know our every move. They are controlling us."
"Sargeant," the detective said over his shoulder, "Lock him up."
So, I write to you from my cell now, and I will tie it onto the leg of a rat. Maybe it will find you."
"Its signed, 'Sincerely yours, John Whelby'," my secretary said. I couldn't help but laugh, of course.
"Will there be anything else, Mr. Fornax?" she said, dropping the letter down to her lap.
"Yes, I'd like to check your pulse now."
"I'd like to check your pulse too, Mr. Fornax." Our pulsing became one self-exciting circuit on the couch by the window until at last we screamed at the same time,
"Stupid earthlings!"

The End of Part II

TH' MARRYIN' KIND

I was sittin at granny's table this one mornin' sippin' on a cup of coffee, an' granny pusht some biscuits jus' outa th' oven in front of me. She'd also made up a bowl of red-eye gravy to drip over th' biscuits.
"Granny," I said. "I wish ye'd teach my Nelly how to make this here gravy."
Granny sat down with her cup of coffee.
"Well, I wouldn' be surprised but what Nelly might already have a handle on that. Her mama's a real good cook, y' know." I nodded, as I dug into my breakfast. "Daw, I'm unner th' assumptshun you an' Nelly are of the marryin' kind ain't ye?"
"Yes, ma'am. That's somethin' we gotta git doin' soon, in fact."
"Well, sooner th' better, Daw. Ye' know that baby could come along any ol' day now. Ye don' want yer baby t' be born a liddle bastard chil'."
"Gosh, granny. I never even lookt at it like that," I said, settin' down my fork.
"Well, you know how folks take t' talkin' aroun' these parts. Fer all they know yer jus' gonna let Nelly bear this chil' alone. That's th' way their minds git t' workin when they can't thinka nothin' else t' talk about." She got up an' she shuffled over t' th' pantry an' come back with a jar o' honey. "Make yerself a honey biscuit," she said handin' me th' jar.
"I love honey, it's th' coler of Nelly's eyes," I said. Granny chucklt. I leaned back in my chair, eatin' my honey biscuit.
"Lesseee...t'day's Tuesday. What about Sunday, granny? Sunday affernoon. Reckon that would be a good day fer marryin'?" Granny sipped on 'er coffee an' nodded.
"Sure. I could marry ye myself if'n ye like."
"Really, granny? Ye know how t' marry folks?"
"Well, o'course. In fac' you an' Nelly might not know, but I was th' one what married Missus Akkerson t' her husban', may he rest in peace."
"You marriet Nelly's mama an' daddy?!" She nodded and smilt.
"Well, somebody's gotta do it. O' course afore I could marry ye, ye'll have t' go down t' the county seat, an' fill out a marryin' form fer th' judge t' sign, an' ye'll probably have to get a health check-up too. The way it works Daw, is that t' be marriet by law ye gotta have a judge sign yer certifikit. But, as far as gettin' marriet afore God, well, mos' anybody kin do that."
"I reckon I need t' go talk t' Nelly an' her mama about all this," I said.
"Sounds like a reasonabl' startin' place t' me," granny smilt.

TH' AMBUSH

Well, I wen' over t' Nelly's house an' tol' her I was goin' t' the county seat t' git th' marryin' papers so we kin git marriet come Sunday. Nelly smilt at first but then put on a poutin' frown.
"Dawson Moorhead, you ain't even askt me t' marry ye' yet! Now you jus' go back out on th' porch, an' come back in an' do this right!" Women's got their ways about things, that's one thing that I was figgerin' out one day at a time. I went an' pickt a daisy from out by th' mailbox, an' then knockt on th' front door. I was surprist when Missus Akkerson opent it up.
"Oh, Hi, Misus Akkerson is Nelly in?" She sorta smilt at me, an' said,
"Come on in, Dawson." Then she hollert t' th' back o' th' house. "Nelly, Catfish is here!"
"Oh, hi, Daw!" Nelly said, like I hadn' jus' been there a minute ago. I steppt up t' her an' got down on one knee, an' said,
"Miss Annalee Ann, would you do me th' kindness of marryin' a poor boy such as me come Sunday?" She put her hands to her face an' took t' gigglin'. I was tiltin' my head back t' see over her big roun' belly. She took th' daisy I was holdin' out, an' went t' pluckin' off th' petals one by one.
"Well, let's see now. He loves me...he loves me not...he loves me...he loves me not.." Meanwhile, she was droppin' th' petals down on my head an' face. "..He loves me...he loves me not...he loves me!" she said, at last. She reacht down an' took my hand, so I stood up. "So is that a 'yes', Nelly?"
"Well, I reckon yer han'some enuf, but ye'll have to ask my mama's approval seein' as how I'm still such a chil'." I turnt to Missus Akkerson, but she weren't there.
"She's in the front room, Daw," Nelly said, pointin' t' the doorway. I walkt inta th' front room. Missus Akkerson was sittin' in her chair readin' th' newspaper. "Missus Akkerson," I said, gittin' down on one knee again. She laid her paper down on her lap an' said,
"Dawson Moorhead, what are you doin' down there?" I stood back up.
"Missus Akkerson, could I be so bolt as t' ask fer yer daughter's hand in holey matramony?" I could hear Nelly in th' doorway behin' me trying to keep from gigglin'. Missus Akkerson sorta lookt me up an' down.
"Well, I don' know. Yer a right scrawny lad t' my eye. How might I know ye'd take good care of my Nelly?"
"Well," I stammert, "I gradiated from school, an' my teacher tol' me I was quite enterprizin', an...."
"Oh, Daw!" Missus Akkerson said gettin up on her feet an' huggin me. "O' course ye can marry Nelly!" Nelly come over laughin'.
"We was jus' havin' fun, Daw. Yer granny tolt us ye was comin' by t' ask."
"So, ye will marry me, right?" I said.
"Yes, o'course I will. But ask me again like last time so mama can see."
So, I droppt t' my knee again, an' Nelly handed me the daisy with no petals on it.
"Miss Annalee Ann, will you..." Nelly bent down an' yankt on my head. "Yes, Dawson. I will! Now git up here an' give me a kiss." So I kisst Nelly with Missus Akkerson standin' right there watchin'. That had t' be one o' th' mos' embarassin' moments of my life. An' fer some years after at family gatherin's I had t' hear th' retellin' of this story about me askin' Nelly t' marry me.

MY SEKERT PROJECT

I went back t' granny's an' saw Uncle blaine out by th' barn tinkerin' with th' tiller motor. I tol him th' whole story about how Nelly an' her ma had put me through th' wringer. I was thinkin' he'd be consolin', but he just laught his butt off, an teast me even more.
"That's a good one, Daw! I gotta remember that one!" An' he did. He brought it up all th' time. An' after awhile, I took t' bein' a good sport, an' actually took t' re-enactin' th' scene myself.
"So, yeh. I gits down on my knee, jus' like in th' movies, with my hair all slickt back an' ever'thing, an I sez t' Nelly...."

But, I gotta tell ye', I don' know what I'd a done without Uncle Blaine. He tol' me I needed t' git Nelly a ring. I hadn' even thouht o' that.
"Hell, jus' make 'er a ring Daw," he said. I tolt him I wouldn' have no idea how t' do such a thing. He tol' me he'd made plenty a rings fer girls jus' t' git in their pants. He pointed t' th' tattoo of the dancin' lady on 'is forearm. "I made a ring fer that little gal right there." The more I hung aroun' Uncle Blaine, th' more I realizt he had done some wild an' crazy things in his life. We went over t' his place after dinner, an' he showt me how to make a ring fer Nelly.

He showt me somethin' lookt like a bar o' soap.
"This here's cuttlebone. Birds like to peck at this stuff cuz it sharpens their beaks. Now, watch this." He took an ice pick an' started makin' a groove in the cuttlestone, round an' round. "See?" he said, "I'm makin' a circle 'bout th' size of a ring. Now, you do that on th' other side. Ye' gotta try t' imagine her fingers. Does she have skinny fingers?"
"Well, acshuly, she's got purty strong fingers from milkin' cows."
"Well, alright then," Uncle Blaine said, "Try t' imagine that one finger, an' make ye a circle what will go aroun' it." So, I sat there goin' roun' an' roun' with the ice pick tryin' t' imagine Nelly's marryin' finger while Uncle Blaine sippt on a beer. Affer a while, he said, "Alright, that looks good." He went in th' back room an came out with a propane torch an' some wire. "This here is silver solder, Daw. It melts real quick-like. So take this torch an holt it while I light it up. I watcht as he lit it up, an' turned th' knob down 'til there was just a liddle pointed blue flame. "Now, take this wire, an hold it over th' cuttle bone, an' try t' drip th' silver inta th' groove ye made." The meltin' silver was splatterin onta th' floor, but Uncle Blaine said not t' worry about it. He tol' me t' drop the cuttlebone inta some water in th sink. "Now jus' git that cuttlebone, an' break it in half, Daw." I did, an' the ring fell out t' the bottom of th' sink. I pickt it up. It had globs of silver all over it, but it was a ring. "All right," Uncle Blaine said, "Let's call it a night." He gave me a file an' some sandpaper an tolt me t' work th' ring down t' my likin'. On th' way back t' granny's, he askt me if I had some kinda stone t' put in th' ring. I tol' him no. He said, "Well, look Daw, jus' go down by the river an' find ye a little purty pebble. It's got t' be real liddle - no bigger 'an a pea. Tomorry I'll show ye how t' put it in yer ring. Firs' thouh, ye need to shape the ring down, ok?" I nodded.

THE WAY THE DUST SETTLES

I sat on th' side of my bed that night, filin' an' sandin' away at Nelly's ring. I made some little groove marks all along it I thouht made it look more fancy. Tomorry I need t' find a stone fer it. I got t' thinkin' about lots o' stuff. I was thinkin' about how th' town of Shrewsbury almos' seemt back t' normal; people out workin' th' fields, women folk out hangin' laundry in th' yard, chil'ren runnin' aroun' an' waitin' fer the ice cream truck. Ye' wouldn't know if ye' just pullt inta town, that a few weeks ago the whole town was torn apart, an' death was in th' air, an' clouds of black coal dust was swirlin' all about, an' seven men got buriet alive.

I laid back on my bed an' slid the ring on an' off my pinky finger. I was imaginin' me an' Nelly standin' by th' Rose o' Sharon bush an' vowin' t' always be t'gether come hell or high water, an' kissin' Nelly right there with ever'body watchin' an' knowin' we jus' sealt th' deal.

D DAY

I did find th' perfec' liddle pebble fer Nelly's ring down along th' river. It was quite tiny, but it was round an' colort a yeller orenge that the sun shined throuh. Uncle Blaine said it was quartz. I rollt it aroun' in a wet rag of toothpaste an' bakin' powder 'til it was nice an' shiny. Uncle Blaine helpt me set th' stone inta th' ring by makin' a hole that fit it, an' stickin' it in there with some horse hoof glue. It lookt perfekt, an' th' stone lookt like th' very light in Nelly's eyes.

Sunday, our marryin' day, was on a June 6. Uncle Blaine said it was a good omen, on accoun' of that was th' day in history what markt th' beginnin' of th' end fer Hitler. I likt that idea. Fer me an' Nelly it was th' beginnin' of th' end of our lives in Shrewsbury, an' th' start of a whole new life.

TH' COMIN' OF THE BRIDE

Uncle Blaine tolt me I don' need t' have me a Best Man at th' weddin' 'cause I was my own best man. But I begged 'im 'cause Nelly was havin' a Maiden of Honor; her mama. He fin'lly said he'd do it. Granny tolt me that when th' hour come, I was t' go stand by th' Marryin' Bush an' wait fer my bride. I was a bit embarrassed when I discovert my best Sunday pants was a bit shorter than what they used t' be. I guess my legs had outgrown my need t' go t' church over recen' months, so I was surprist. Th' weddin' was t' be at two in th' affernoon, an' I had some kinda scart feelin' all mornin' fer some reason. Uncle Blaine come in an' I never afore seen him all slickt up. He give me a tie an' showt me how t' tie it. It lookt kinda silly t' me in th' mirror. He kinda lit up when I showt him th' ring all polisht up.
"Oh you got it made now, son. Her liddle eyes is gonna pop out when she sees that!" He tol' me he'd keep it in his vest pocket 'cause as my Best Man it was his job t' hand me th' ring when it came time t' put it on Nelly's finger. He lookt me up an' down an' said I lookt hotter than a two doller pistol. "Alright, Daw. Ye' ain't got a trouble in' th' worl'. All you gotta do is jus' stan' still by the Marryin' Bush an' wait fer yer bride t' show up. Kinda keep an eye on 'er 'cause somtimes gals git all light-headed in times such as this, so ye' wanna be ready t' catch 'er if she goes t' faintin'." I took a big swaller, thinkin' about the idea of Nelly faintin' on me.

TH' MOMENT OF TRUTH

I stood out in th' yard by the Rose O' Sharon bush. Uncle Blaine tol' me that Nelly an' her mama had done slippt in t' the back door of granny's house. He steppt up aside me an' said we prob'ly ought be facin' toward granny's front porch 'cause Nelly would likely be comin' out in a coupla minutes. Granny appeart from aroun' th' side of th' house in her best Sunday dress, an' carryin' a bible. She was wearin' white gloves. She smilt at me as she approacht.
"Yer lookin' right handsome an' respecktabl', Dawson," she said. She pullt off one of 'er gloves an' wet a coupla fingers with 'er mouth an' slickt down th' top of my head a bit. She nodded an' smilt. "Mighty respecktable, in deed."

A couple of granny's lady friends appeart an took t' talkin' with granny a bit. A woman I think was Missus Akkerson's sister came out of th' house an come up t' me, an' shook my hand. She was real frien'ly an' tolt me she was glad t' meet me. An' the mail man, Arnold, even showt up along with Matty Jenkins, an ol' timer, an' long-standin' friend of my gran'daddy's. Then, it seemt ever'thing got real quiet, an' ever'body was sorta lookin' off t' th' front porch. Then there was th' sound of music comin' from an open winder off th' front room. It was granny's ol' record player playin' weddin' music.
"Don't ferget t' breathe," Uncle Blaine whispert in my ear.

I heard the screen door squeak open, an' then there was Nelly, an' her mama standin' at th' top o' th' stairs. They was arm in arm as they begun slowly steppin' down. I could tell Nelly was tryin' to look down over her belly not t' miss a step. She had a bouquet of Black-Eyed Susans in her hand. Then, there she was, comin' across th' grass. She lookt like somethin' outa a fairy tale. Her dress was white an' lookt like gauze, an' it went plum down t' her ankles. An' there was a chain of white daisies wrappt aroun' her head like a halo. She was lookin' right at me, an' smilin'. I felt a bit dizzy, an' my knees took t' quiverin' a liddle 'til Uncle Blaine pokt me in th' ribs with his elbow. Then there she was standin' there right in front of my eyes.
"Hi Catfish," she said, an' there was a liddle giggle went throuh th' crowd.
"Golly, Nelly," was all I could manage t' say. Granny cought a liddle, an' we turnt t' look at her. The music went off with a loud scratch like somebody jus' yankt on th' needle. I felt in a daze, an' there was a liddle gust of air that made th' hair on th' back of my neck stand up as granny took t' talkin' th' marryin' words.

"Today marks th' beginnin' of a holy an' eternal bond between a man an' a woman. Jeremy Moorhead and Annalee Ann Akkerson stand here t'day t' join their hearts t' gether as one." Th' soun' of granny's voice seemt t' be goin' in one ear an' out th' other faster than I could ponder a thing she was sayin'. My eyes went to a bumble bee over granny's shoulder snugglin' down into a Rose O' Sharon blossom.

"Jeremy Moorhead, do you take Annalee Akkeron t' be yer lawful wedded wife?.... Jeremy??" Fer a brief minute there, I had plum forgot my own name.
"Yes ma'am, I do." Then granny took t' recitin' the various circumstances like, "...fer better or worse?....in sickness an' in health?....from this day forth?"
"Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am...." Then she went t' askin' Nelly them same questions. Nelly's eyes was wellin' up like a river about t' spill th' bank. "Jeremy," granny askt, "Do you have a ring?" I nodded, an' Uncle Blaine tugged on my arm an' handed it to me. Nelly helt out her hand an' it was shakin' a liddle. She lookt down an' gaspt as I slippt it on her finger. Somehow, it got stuck on her middle knuckle. She pullt it off an' lickt it an' handed it back t' me.
"Now try it," she said. There was liddle giggles goin' off in th' circle of folks aroun' us.
"Annalee, do you have a ring?" granny said. I hadn' even thouht about that. But Nelly nodded, an' took a ring her mother handed her. I recognized it right away. It was her daddy's weddin' ring. She had showt it to me a long time ago. It was loose on my finger when she slippt it on. I guess Nelly's daddy had bigger hands than me. Granny then pronounct us husban' an' wife an' tolt me I could go ahead an' kiss my bride. Nelly had a coupla liddle tears runnin' down her face, so I kisst 'em off, an' then kisst her on th' lips while ever'body was clappin' hands an' cheerin'.

Aroun' th' back of granny's house an' unner a big Sycamore, there was a table wih a purty cake sittin' on it, an' plates of cookies, an' things. Granny had done went an' made a chocalate cake that was four stories tall. Four layers, anyhow. It musta been a foot tall if it was an inch! There was a little man an' woman on th' top. I knew right away they was granny's salt an' pepper shakers that Uncle Blaine brung her from Japan when he come home from th' war.

Well, we all had some o' granny's cake, an' then we was just standin' an' sittin' aroun', an' ever'body seemt t' be talkin' at th' same time. I jus' kept lookin' over at Nelly bein' frien'ly with ever'one, an showin' them her ring. Uncle Blaine give me a key t' his house an' tol' me he an' granny had cleaned it up an' made it comfertable if'n we wanted to have our weddin' night there. Funny as it seems, I hadn' even given a thouht t' where me an' Nelly was gonna be sleepin' now that we're marriet folk.

MR. AND MRS. MOORHEAD

We was plenty tired by th' time we said goodbye an' thank you t' ever'one, an walkt down th' road t' Uncle Blaine' house. Nelly was barefootin' it in th' dirt an' carryin' her purty shoes. The front porch light was on at Uncle Blaine's place. There was a note on th' door. It said: 'Welcome home fer awhile'. It was signt by granny an' Uncle Blaine. I opent th' door an helt it fer Nelly.
"Daw,' she said. "Yer su'post t' carry me over th' threshold." I reacht both arms aroun' her an' picked her up by her bottom. "Daw," she gigglt, "Not thata way!"
"Too late now," I said, haulin' her on inta th' house. So that's how our first night together as husban' an' wife began. Granny had made Uncle Blaine's bed up with fresh linens an' a purty quilt. An' Uncle Blaine had set a bottle of wine, an' two glasses on th' table by th' bed. I reckon, at this point, I'll jus' leave th' rest to yer imaginashin. I will say, we woke up th' nex' mornin' naked an' feelin' embarrasst about it somehow. But, we got over that, an' wound up stayin' in bed at leas' another hour.

CORALOO AKKERSON

That was 'er name, Coraloo. Mos' folks callt her Curly, 'cause she had th' curlies' hair ye' could imagine. She was Missus Akkerson's sister an' she livt on down th' river about an hour if ye' was rowin' a little with th' curren'. Curly was a bit younger 'an Missus Akkerson, an' she was an intarestin' gal. Ye' could tell she had her some educatin' on accoun' of th' way she talkt, an' th' stuff she talkt about. She could talk about somethin', an then talk even more about it.

Like there was this one day we was all sittin' out on th' porch at Nelly's mama's place, an' Wishbone came a trottin' acrosst th' yard. When he come a waddlin' up th' steps, Curly said,
Why Nelly, yer liddle pig's got cherry eye!"
"One of 'is eyes has been lookin' sorta red th' pas' few days," Nelly said, as Curly bent down t' look at Wishbone's face.
"Yep, that's cherry eye, alright," she said. "Pigs git it all th' time rootin' aroun' in slop." I askt 'er if it would go away affer awhile, an' she tol' us that
sometimes it does, but sometimes it don't. She said if'n ye' don' keep an eye on it, it can run away on ye' an' ye'll wind up with a blind pig on yer hands. Well, Nelly likt t' had a fit when she heard that.
"Oh no! We gotta git Wishbone over t' the vetranaryian, Daw!" she said with a scart look on 'er face.
"Nelly, don't git yer unnerpants all tanglt up," Curly said. "Ye kin fix this all by yer self." She wen' in th' house an' come out with a big leather bag, like a saddle bag. "Here's what we're gonna do," she said fishin' aroun' in 'er bag. She pullt out a big squeeze bottle what lookt a bit like a baby's bottle. She handed it t' Nelly. "Now, you kin do this, Nelly," she said. "Dawson, you hold onta Wishbone an' try t' hol' 'is head still. This here is saline solution, Nelly. Ye' kin make yer own with reg'lar table salt an' some warm water. Now you just go on an' squirt some of it inta that cherry eye." Nelly squatted down best she could an' grippt th' bottle with both hands. The water went squirtin' all over Wishbone's face, an' on me too. When Curly tolt 'er t' hold it closer t' Wishbone's eye it workt a lot better. Curly said if we was t' do that fer a coupla days, Wishbone's eye should clear up ok. I askt her if it was callt sailin' solution 'cause of all th' salt water in th' ocean. But she tolt me it weren't 'sailin' solution, it were 'sayleen s'lution.

It turnt out Curly knew a lot about babies, too. She'd even delivert a few. She askt Nelly if she could take a look at 'er belly. So, we wen' in t' Nelly's bedroom an' Nelly laid down. Curly slid Nelly's dress up. I was kinda bendin' down t' watch.
"Quit lookin' so hard, Daw!" Nelly said. Curly run her hands around on Nelly's belly.
Don' take t' fussin' Nelly," Curly said. "He needs t' know about all this as much as you do. Yer a'dominal muscles feel purty strong, that's good," Curly said as she felt aroun' on Nelly. "An' yer baby's azackly where it oughta be. Nice an' low, an' head down. "Now, let me go scrub up my han's, I need t' check on another thing or two, but I think yer lookin' good, Nelly." Nelly yankt her dress back down when Curly left.
"Quit lookin' at me so much, Daw. It's embarassin'."
"Well, I got t' Nelly. I gotta know such stuff about my own wife. What would happen if'n we was off by th' river, an' the baby started comin' out? I'd have t' deliver 'er all by myself."
"Well, ok, I reckon," Nelly said. "But, ye' don' have t' look like yer enjoyin' it so much."
Curly come back in, and set down aside Nelly on th' bed. She put some vaseline on her fingers. "Now, Nelly, this won't hurt, darlin'. I'm jus' gonna feel aroun' a bit an' see if ever'thing seems alright fer ye t' have this baby, ok?"
"Daw," Nelly said, "Go sit down over there yer blockin' th' light." I could tell Nelly was gittin' flustered, so I backt off a bit an' set down. Hell, I guess I'd feel a bit funny too with somebody feelin' up inside me.

All right Nelly," Curly said. "Yer pelvic wall feels good an' healthy, an' yer pelvic bones is nicely spread. I think that baby will come a poppin' right outa there when th' time comes."
"Do ye reckon, its a boy or a girl?" Nelly askt.
"Well," Curly said, wipin' her han's with a cloth, "Lookin at the way yer baby's percht, an' jus' feelin' the easy way it moves aroun', If I had t' guess, I'd say its a girl. But I could be wrong, wouldn' be the firs' time. But you know how boys are," she said, glancin' over t' me, "They tend t' kick an' fuss a lot."

I likt Curly. She seemt t' always know what she was talkin' about. An' I was more than happy when she tol' us she was plannin' t' come an' stay at Missus Akkerson's place a week afore th' baby was due. She said they wasn't a thing t' worry about, an' she'd be right here t' help.

Y'know, I try t' be brave in th' face of th' unknown. When yer up agin a wall, ye jus' gotta try yer best t' get over it, or aroun' it, or even unner it if ye have to. But, it helps t' have somebody in th' sitiation with ye. So, I was mighty relieved t' know that Curly aimt t' be lendin' a hand. I gave her a big hug when she left.
"Don' worry, Daw," she said. "I'm gonna help ya'll git through this. You jus' act nice an' calm aroun' Nelly, even if yer not quite feelin' thata way It'll help Nelly t' jus' relax an' git ready."

ELLE ARRIVE!!

That's what Coraloo said that night above th' sound of Nelly screamin'. She said that in this case it meant that th' baby's here. They was French words. But, t' make th' short story long, let me tell ya about that night. It was a Thursday. July th' 'leventh.
Nelly was goin' about th' house with one hand down on her lower back, an' th' other rubbin' aroun' on her very big belly. An' she was mutterin' stuff like, " Oh, I jus' feel tight as a big ol' tick," an' "Oh, me, I fell like I'm about t' pop! I'm like a big ol' balloon about t' pop!" I wisht she wouldn' keep talkin' about poppin'. I been nervous ever since Curly said she thouht th' baby was gonna 'jus' come poppin' right outa there'. I was beginnin' t' think maybe I needed t' have a big ol' apple basket on hand t' catch this flyin' baby! I sat on th' couch with 'er, an' tryt t' rub her back an' her shoulders. One minute she'd say, "Rub me harder, Daw. Do it really hard." Then th' nex' minute she'd say, "Ow, dammit! Don' rub me so hard, Dawson!" I knew women was complicat'd, but I was really jus' beginnin' t' know jus' how complicat'd.

IN TH' NICK OF TIME

I knew Coraloo would be comin' that affernoon, an' I was glad about that. I kept havin' these pichurs in my head of th' baby suddenly poppin' out, an me runnin' fer th' basket. I was sittin' there holdin' Nelly thinkin' about that, when Nelly said in a very quiet voice,
"Uhh Ohhh..." I lookt down where she was lookin' an' there was a puddle formin' aroun' Nelly's slippers. I said,
"Don' worry, darlin', that's happent t' me afore too." Nelly said,
"I didn' jus' pee myself, Daw. My water jus' broke." Well, ye' might as well have rung th' four alarm bell. "Oh no! Yer beginnin' t' pop!" I said. I ran t' th' back door an hollert t' Missus Akkerson who was hangin' out clothes. "The baby is comin'! Th' baby is comin'!" She come arunnin' in a hurry. We run in th' house t'gether, an' there was Nelly standin' there moppin' up th' water with a rag unner 'er foot.
"My water done broke, mama," she said, wipin' her foot aroun' on th' floor. Missus Akkerson lookt at me.
"Dawson, I'm glad ye callt fer me, but jus cause 'er water broke don' mean th' baby's about t' come flyin' out like Tinkerbell. Nelly, you go clean yer self up, an' put on a fresh gown, y' hear? I'll come an' help ye' in a minute. Ye' need t' jus lie down now."
"Yes, mama," Nelly said.

I sat out on th' front porch steps lookin' up an' down th' road fer Coraloo. I was a fish outa water, fer sure. I somehow started thinkin' about noodlin' in the river with gran'daddy, an' about ol' Catfish Cooper. An' it occurrt t' me that havin' a baby is sorta like noodlin'. Mos' th' time yer jus' patien'ly waitin', an' then when that ol' fish come poppin' up, ye' grab it fer dear life. It made me feel a bit better t' think about that baby like it was a catfish 'cause I'm quite good at catchin' catfish.

I could see red dust risin' down th' road, an' I heard th' rattle of Coraloo's ol' panel truck, an' then th' motor backfirin' as she geart down aroun' th' bend. I made a note in my head t' tune her motor up for her. An' then there she was pullin' up t' th' house.
"Len' me a han', Daw," she said as she climbt out. We wen' aroun' back of 'er truck an' she opent th' doors an' handed me a stack of towels. "Run these in t' Charlie," she said.
"Charlie?"
"Charlene, Daw," Curly said. "My sister. Nelly's mama. I jus' always callt 'er Charlie."
That was th' firs' time it acshuly occurt t' me that Missus Akkerson had a firs' name.
"Nelly's water done broke," I tol' her.
Curly nodded an' reacht inta th' truck fer her saddle bag, an' some other stuff.
"That's good," she said. "Yer gonna be a daddy t' night," she said, tossin'' me a big smile. "Are ye' ready?" I nodded, but I don' know if any body kin acshuly be ready to see a whole new baby come inta th' world. Nevertheless, I sight a sigh of relief knowin' Curly was here. I didn' have t' act like I was the cap'n of th' ship anymore. Curly could be th' cap'n, an' I'd try t' be her handy first mate. An' now we was about t' venture out on th' sea of life.

THE CLOCK TICKT ON AN' ON

We had us sev'rel chairs pullt up aroun' Nelly's bed. There was a coupla candles an' a oil lamp flickerin'. There was a 'lectric light in th' ceilin', but Nelly said it was too bright. Curly an' Missus Akkerson an' Nelly talkt sorta quiet back an' forth. I mos'ly sat there holdin' Nelly's hand. Her palm was sorta sweaty.
"Daw, git yer Nelly a nice col' cloth t' wipe 'er face with," Missus Akkerson said.

I was in th' kitchen wringin' a rag out at th' sink when I heard Nelly yell somethin' awful. When I hurriet back in, she was sorta huffin' an' puffin'. Curly lookt at her watch.
"Seven minutes," she said.
I wipt Nelly's red face down. She had her eyes closed.
"Don' leave me, Daw," she said almost like a whisper.
"I ain't goin' nowheres, Nelly," I said.

Th' nex' half hour or so was like bein' on a roller coaster. There'd be minutes of quiet, an' then what seemt an eternity of moans an' screams, an then quiet again. Nelly even cussed a few times. An' onct she grabbt at my arm so hard, her fingernails drew blood. Curly tol' me three times t' go wash my hands. I don' think my han's has ever been so clean. Missus Akkerson an'Curly helpt Nelly scoot down t' the bottom edge of th' bed. An' Nelly had her knees drawed up.

"Ok, here we go," Curly said, it's startin' t' crown." I lookt over her shoulder an' could har'ly believe it. The pink wet top of th' baby's head was slowly pushin' out from b'tween Nelly's legs. Curly stood up from th' chair between Nelly's legs an' said, "You best be sittin' down fer this, Daw." She pushed me down in th' chair. That was th' firs' secon' I realizt Curly was plannin' on me catchin' this baby when it come flyin' out. Curly laid a towel across my lap. "Jus' hol' yer han's down here, Daw," Curly said, pushin' my arms down. Nelly was makin' gruntin' soun's, an Curly was sayin' "Nice an' steady, Nelly. Jus' nice an' steady."

It seemt my eyes was stuck wide open. I ain't sure I was even breathin'.
"Nice 'an quiet-like, Dawson," gran'daddy said. "Jus let that ol' catfish come to you." Th' baby's head was gittin' bigger. I could see its liddle nose. "Put yer han's unner its head Daw," Curly said. "Jus' nice an' still like. That's it. Don't try to pull on it. Jus' let it slide on inta yer palms. Thata boy."
"I think that ol' catfish is about ready t' make its move, Daw," gran'daddy whispert. I nodded.

The baby's head got free an' suddenly turnt t' one side. "Perfect," Curly said. "Jus' cradle its head, Daw. Slide one hand unner its back. That's it. Here it comes. Th' baby's arms slippt out an' they jerkt inta th' air like tryin' t' catch somethin'. My han's was wet an' slipp'ry, an' there was steam comin' up from between Nelly's legs. "Jus nice an' steady, Daw," Curly said, bendin' down close t' me. "Here it comes, jus' cradle it right down on yer lap."
"Holt onta her, boy," gran'daddy hollered. It seemt like it jus' plopped right down on my lap all of a sudden. "It's a girl!," Curly announct. The baby lookt all slimy an' bloody, an' it was wavin' its arms an' kickin' its feet, an' cryin' like a wil'cat. I could hear Nelly cryin' too. Curly took t' wipin' on th' baby's eyes an' nose, an' mouth.
"What's wrong with 'er," I said.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with 'er, Daw. She's perfekt," Curly said.
"Why's she screamin' then?"
"Its when they don't cry you worry, Daw. Now, wrap yer towel aroun' her an' lift 'er up here t' her mama. Bring 'er right up here 'tween Nelly's legs."
"What about th' cord?" I said, lookin' at it danglin' out from th' towel.
"We'll git t' that in a minute. Jus' put 'er up there on Nelly's belly." Nelly's han's reacht out fer it.
"Its a girl," I said.
"I know, Daw," she sobbt. "Its Robin Bluebell."
I wen' up aside Nelly an' watcht her rub her fingers aroun' on Robin Bluebell's face. She was gigglin' an cryin' at th' same time. I put my face down close an' lookt at th' liddle baby. She was lookin' right back at me.
"Hello, Robin Bluebell," I said. I knew right there in that moment, smellin' Nelly's hot breath on my face, an' lookin' inta Robin Bluebell's eyes, that I was a goner fer sure. And to this very day, that remains true.

"Go ahead an' see if'n she'll take yer tit, Nelly," Missus Akkerson said. Jus' rub it agin her mouth, an' milk it a liddle. There ye' go." I stood hypmatized watchin' that liddle baby suckin' on Nelly. Her liddle fingers was even tryin' t' hold onta Nelly's tit.
"Come 'ere, Daw," Curly said. "Feel on th' cord. Do ye feel any pulse?" I felt it an' shook my head no, as I lookt at th' cord danglin' down 'tween Nelly's legs an' disappearin' inta where it all started. Curly rollt th' baby over a bit on Nelly's belly an' handed me a string. "Tie a good ol' fashiont' knot right there, Daw," she said, pointin' up close t' th' baby's belly. "Tie it good an' tight. Perfekt, Daw!" she said. She handed me another string. Now tie ye another one right about there. She pointed a few inches further down. "You get th' honors, Daw," she said, handin' me a straight-edged shavin' razor. I har'ly recall ezackly, but, I cut th' baby loose. Curly laid out a towel unner Nelly's bottom, an' a pan t' catch th' after birth. Missus Akkerson give me a big hug, "Congratulations! Yer a daddy!" I nodded, but I was a bit weak in th' knees, I don' mind tellin' ye. Then Curly hugged me. I hugged her back real hard, an' thankt her fer bein' here. "Why I har'ly had anything t' do," she said. "You brouht that liddle girl inta th' worl' all by yerself, didn' ye? Nex' time ye needn' be callin on me t' help. Yer a natchural!"
"Ye got 'er, Dawson!," gran'dady hollert. "Yer a born noodler! Lord, what a fish!"

End of Part II

The Tale of the Turtle and The Pig.....And More

THE TALE OF THE TURTLE AND THE PIG

After spendin' a day at sea, I decided t' spend that nex' day wanderin' Ossabaw Island an' gettin' t' know more about the place. First off, I went to this store down by the wharf that had a lotta gear fer folks that was the sea-goin' type. I foun' me a pair o' big ol' rubber boots the man in the' store callt Helly Wellys. They was a bit like what the Cap'n was wearin'. The man said they was real easy to kick off if you was to fall overboard. He said if'n ye was wearin' some boots ye' couldn' git off, they'd fill up with water right fast an' you'd sink down to Davy Jones' locker. The pichur of drownin' in boots full o' water was enouf to convince me to buy me some Helly Wellys. An' I got me a big ol' waterproof floppy hat too that had a chin strap so's it wouldn' blow off yer head in a storm. Then I went an' bought me a straw hat cuz I was hankerin' to walk th' beach, an' I was sunburnt enouf already.

After puttin' on my Helly Wellys an' my straw hat, I set off fer th' beach. I soon fount out that ye can walk th' beach fer ever an' ever. After awhile, lookin' up an' down the beach I was all by myself. Not a person anywhere's nor a house. Jus' sand, an' ocean, an some grassy dunes, an' beyond them, palmetto groves. I saw an island pig comin' out of a grove an' down over a dune, but when he saw me, he turnt an' went th' other way. Goin' a ways further, I come acrosst a man takin' pichurs of a big ol' turtle. Th' turtle lookt like he was jus' paddlin' about in the sand with his big flipper feet. The man was takin' pichurs of all this. When he was finisht, I askt him about what it was that big ol' turtle was doin'. He tol' me these Loggerheads come up outa th' sea an' make themselves a nest in th' sand, an' they lay their eggs there. As we stood there watchin', sure enough, that turtle laid three big eggs in the hole she dug. Then she sorta crawlt outa th' hole an' took to coverin' them up, kickin' sand over 'em. Finally, she just waddled off inta th' ocean an' disappeart. The man said she wouldn' come back, she'd jus' leave them eggs to hatch all by theirselves, an' then the baby turtles would crawl off inta the sea too.

I askt th' man if them Loggerheads was good eatin'. He tol' me people have eaten sea turtles fer centuries. But, fact is, these days, many are thinkin' its not a good idea cuz purty soon all the turtles would be gone fer ever. He tol' me that here on th' island the turtles got big enouf problems all ready on accoun' of the pigs. Seems these island pigs got themselfs a taste fer turtle eggs, so they patrol the beach lookin' fer nests, an' root 'em up with their noses. He said as far as he was concernt, it was a big problem cuz the island folks like their turtles what come to visit, but they like their pigs too.

I sat fer ahwile on th' beach jus' list'nin' t' th' sea roll in. An' I laid back an' clost my eyes, an' jus' lissnt. I felt like a baby bein' rockt t' sleep.

THE LETTER

When granny hollered fer me, I was on the back porch gettin' a big ol' tuna I brung home ready to cook on th' grill. A speshul treat fer granny an' gran'daddy. I callt back to 'er, an' she came out an' handed me an envalope.
"This came in th' mailbox fer you," she said. I lookt at it. It was made out t' Jeremy Moorhead. That was me, alright, but ain't nobody callt me that fer a long time. Not sinct Aunt June bug re-namt' me Dawson. Ever' since then ever'one callt me Dawson or by my self-given nickname 'Catfish'. Then I read who it was from. Missus Jolene Moorhead. I lookt up at granny. She was smilin' at me.
"Is this from my mama?" I said, my voice sorta crackin'. She nodded.
"I'll let ye read it by yerself, an' if ye wanna tell me about it ye can, Dawson." She turnt an' walkt inta the house.

I sat on the porch step an' lookt at her name on th' envalope , not hardly knowin' what t' think. It was from somewheres in Texas. I opent it up, my hands sorta shakin' a bit. It was two pages long, an' written in a nice hand.

"My Dearest Jeremy,

How I have missed you and Axel over the years! I suppose I don't deserve for you or your brother to ever wish to know me since I left you there so long ago. But not a day has gone by but what I haven't wondered how you were, and how you were growing, and what you looked like as the years passed. I suppose you are both handsome young men now. I know and truly have prayed that my mother and father would look after you both. I knew then when I left, that it was the best I could do.

Perhaps you have wondered whatever happened to me, and where did I go, or if I was even still alive. It's a long story, Jeremy. For now, let me say that when I left Shrewsbury, I didn't even know where I was going at all. I was just wanting to find your father and,................as it just so.....happened,........."

I woke up on the sand aroun' sunset, still thinking for a minute that I was readin' a letter from my ma. I ain't never had no kinda dream about her. In fact, mos' days I didn' even think about 'er at all. I realizt I had jus' slept fer sev'ral hours when I was suppost t' be loadin' up fish t' take back t' Shrewsbury. At that point I reckon'd I'd need t' stay over another night at th' motel.

HEADED HOME AGAIN

Rufus had his hands load me up with some crates of shrimp, mackeral, and tuna. He notisst m' boots an' tol' me I coul keep 'em in the locker on the Pelikin's Folly. But, I tol' him I was plannin' on wearin' 'em home so I could show 'em off. He laughed at that, but said,
"Well alright then, but ye' are plannin' on comin' back ain't ye?"
"Aye, Cap'n," I replyd. "I'm a sea-farin' man now!"
He laughed again. "Well, ye' go an' holler that at that ocean out yonder, an' see if it don't put ye t' th' test, mate."
I waved at 'im as I pullt away.
"See ya nex' week, Cap'n!"

When I got home an' unloaded my truck over in Round Town, I askt granny how Uncle Blaine was doin'.
"Well, he's some better, I reckon, but he's still a bit puny if ye' ask me. He's been kinda worryin' about lettin' ye make that run by yer lonesome. Now, where did ye git them funny lookin' boots?"
"Them's my sea-goin' boots, granny. I done went out t' sea, an' me an' Cap'n Rufus caught all them fish I jus' brung back."
"Lord, have mercy, I do declare!" granny said.
"I made me a whole lot o' money, granny. The Cap'n, he paid me fer helpin' 'im bring in th' fish, an' then I got me some more money sellin' em over in Round Town." I pullt a big ol' wad o' dollers outa my pocket.
"Well now, ain't that a sight!" granny said. I pullt off sevrel bills an' stuck 'em in her hand.
"Now you take this granny, an' go buy yerself a bonnet an' some perfume. An' I ain't takin' no fer an answer. Granny took t' cacklin' so hard she almos' lost her teeth.
"Now, wouldn' I be th' talk o' th' town sportin' a bonnet, an' stinkin' up the air!
Maybe I'll jus' git me some o' them boots like yourn. They'd be right handy sloppin' the pigs."
"Well, y' jus' go on an' git whatever yer heart desires, but while yer at it, git gran'daddy a big ol' cigar, an' git my aunty some o' that there cherry smokin' tobaccy she likes." She took t' laughin' agin.
"Well, alright then. Yer somethin' else, Dawson, I do declare. They went an' broke th' mold when they made you!" I kisst granny on th' cheek, an' took off t' see my Nelly.

NELLY'S BELLY

It'd only been a few days, but I swear, Nelly lookt like she swallered a whole watermelon. I took to rubbin' on her belly, an' suddenly I ackshuly felt it movin' aroun'!
"Did ye' see that Nelly? That little baby was tryin' to feel my hand." Nelly giggled. I think that baby is jus' sayin' she ain't quite ready t' meet yer acquaintense." Missus Akkerson gave me a hug, an' then said,
"Well look at you!" She pointed at my big rubber boots. I kinda shrugged like it weren't no big deal.
"Aw, thems jus' my sea-goin' boots." Missus Akkerson made us all some hot chocolate, an' we sat aroun' the table, an' I tol' 'em about my latest adventure.
Nelly said,
"Dawson, I'm scart yer gonna git yerself drownt, an' leave me an' the baby all alone in th' world." I tryed t' calm 'er down.
"Cap'n Rufus said he ain't never seen no man take t' th' sea like I did. He said he would make me his first mate, if'n I stuck with it." 'Course I didn't tell 'em about how we had to fight off a storm, an' how I almos' puked my guts out, an' couldn' walk straight when I got back on land. I figgered there's some stuff a man can't tell a woman, 'cause they'd jus' get all emoshunal.
"What does that mean, Daw - 'first mate'?," Nelly askt.
"It means I'd be makin' me a whole lotta money, Nelly. Enough t' get us a little place on th' island. An' a place where's you'd have yer own room too, Missus Akkerson.
"Oh.lord have mercy, Dawson. What in th' world would I do on some island?"
"You wouldn't have t' do a thing, Mssus Akkerson. Onct you see Ossabaw Island, you'll wanna live there, I jus' know you will."
I sat out on th' front porch with Nelly fer a spell, an' I tolt 'er about my dream of gettin' a letter from my mama. She said maybe it was some kinda premanition. I shrugged an' said I didn' know zackly what it was. Then I tolt her about th' island pigs an' how they was stealin' eggs from the turtles. She weren't none too happy about that. She said she would never allow Wishbone t' do such a thing. That's my Nelly, she has such a sweet little heart.

Sometimes When Ye Can't Open A door, Sombody Comes Along.

I guess I've been feelin' purty good about myself, braggin', an' so on. But, I figgered I was gonna have t' think positive even if'n I was flyin' by th' seat o' my pants. Things come along sometimes, where ye' jus' gotta step up t' th' plate. I was fixin' t' be a daddy in th' wink of an eye. It weren't no time to be suckin' on my thumb. Truth is, I was quite scart about all these things. But, I figgered that sometimes ye' jus' gotta pretend yer way inta some other way of bein'. If it weren't fer my love of Nelly, ain't no way I'd be doin' what I'm doin' now. I gotta admit, there's times I jus' wish I was down along the river with gran'daddy noodlin' aroun' fer a catfish, or lettin' Aunt Arnelle make over me like I was a baby. I got this feelin' that somewhere inside of mos' ever' body no matter how olt, there's a little baby what wants to jus' be rockt t' sleep.

When I went over t' see my Uncle Blaine, he was actin' like he was back to normal, but I knew he weren't. I did convince him that we oughta grill this big ol' tuna I brung him. I brung him some of his favrite beer, too. We stood about the grill watchin' that big ol' fish cook up. I askt 'im who won the fight last night. He said,
"Sugar Joe. He's got a helluva upper-cut." He kinda motioned with his fist. I went t' tellin' 'im all about my experience on Ossabaw, an' about Rufus. An' I laid out a big wad o' dough he had comin'. He pusht it back at me.
"I don' need it Dawson. Ye' keep it fer yerself, ye' hear? The govermint keeps sendin' me checks ever' month, an' I kin get along jus' fine on that. I guess they's feelin' guilty fer makin' me go out an' kill people."

We took to just pullin' big chunks o' that tuna while it was still on th' grill, an' washin' it down with beer. Uncle Blaine tolt me he didn' rightly want t' be goin' on th' road. He got a taste of it fer ol' times sake, but he'd been down too many roads already. I tried t' tell 'im otherwise, but he jus' wouldn' hear it. He tolt me t' jus' take th' durn truck, an' see if I could make a life.
"But, I need ye' Uncle Blaine," I said. "Y' know so much about how t' do this kinda thing, an' I'm all wet behin' the ears." But, Uncle Blaine, he had his mind made up.
"Only thing, I want from you, Dawson, is fer you to figger out how to get the hell outa this town. Now, you owe it to yerself, you owe it to yer purty little Nelly. An' you kin do it. If ye' was to do that much, I'd feel like I done a right good thing t' lend ye' a hand." I tried t'give 'im a big hug, but he jus' pusht me away.
"Get offa me, boy. I'm jus' givin' ye' the fight of yer life. I'll be in yer corner. But, it's all up t' you. It's you whats got t' go an' take on ever' contender." With that he started re-enactin' Sugar Joe's fight. "He was dancin' aroun'. He was up on his toes. Dancin' in a circle. Fast little jabs. Talkin' t' the man. Then, in the seventh roun' he let go an uppercut outa hell. He droppt the man t' th' mat. See what I'm talkin' about, Dawson. That's th' way life is, it's a fight. Ye' gotta get in th' ring, an' talk some serious bus'nuss. Ye' see what I'm sayin'?" We then took t' sparrin'. I was jabbin' an' jabbin' inta Uncle Blaine's big meaty hands. An' he was sayin', "That's what I'm talkin' about. That's what I'm talkin' about. Bring it on. Is that all ye got?" I'll never ferget that night. I'll never ferget my Uncle Blaine. In some ways he was kinda like th' daddy I never had.

My Dreams Keep Gettin' Bigger

Me an' Nelly met with Missus Shire once a week like she tolt us t' do. She said I'd been doin' a purty good job keepin' up with my school work, an' she give me an 'A' on the report I wrote about the problem with the pigs an' the turtles on Ossabaw Island. But she did say, however that my spellin' was somethin' awful, an' I got a lot of room fer improvement where that was concernt. Nelly was an expurt speller. In fact, she won the big spellin' bee an' was pronounct th' best speller in th'county fer her age group. Whenever we was t'gether, she'd take to makin' me spell words. She knew some words I ain't even heard of. Like 'antidisitaryentabalism', or somethin' like that.

I made sev'rel more runs to th' island as spring was approachin'. An' me an' Cap'n Rufus was gettin' t' be a reglar team. I was gettin' right good at handlin' the Pelikin's Folly, an' one day th' Cap'n took hisself a nap on th' deck an' I brought 'er all the way back t' th' harbor by myself. I was really gettin' the fever fer th' sea, an' the Cap'n tolt me he was gonna make me 'first mate' come May. An' most excitin', he took me out t' this part o' th' harbor where he had an ol' boat house. He tolt me that if I wanted to, I could stay up in th' loft, instead o' payin' fer a room at The Three Little Pigs Motel. He had an ol' wooden boat dry-dockt below. He said it was his very firs' boat.
"She's a tired ol' lady now," he said pattin' his hand on the side of it. "Paints peelin' off, an' th' motor's blown t' hell. Been sittin' here fer 'bout ten years now - gettin' dry rot here an' there. I always thought I'd whip 'er back inta shape one o' these days, but I jus' ain't had th' time. I climbed up on' 'er, an lookt aroun'. There was dust ever'where, an' big flakes of blue an' green paint. There was an ol' trawlin' net full o' holes sittin' in a tanglt heap. "I reckon I out-growed 'er anyways, she ain't but half the size of The Pelikin's Folly. I walkt aroun' th' back an' dusted off the painted letters there. She was callt 'Aunt Chovy'.
"You want me t' help ye bring 'er back, Cap'n?"
"Naw, I reckon she'll jus' fade away over time. She was a spunky gal in her day though. I was jus' a kid like yerself when me an' my daddy built 'er. Guess I jus' keep 'er aroun' fer sentimentil reasons." I turnt an' lookt at 'im.
"Rufus, would you be willin' t' sell me this boat?" He took t' laughin'.
"Son, if'n you were t' take this ol' gal out on the water, you'd be drownin' in about ten minutes."
"I'd fix 'er up, Rufus. I'm handy. I could do it. I could bring Aunt Chovy back t' life, I jus' know I could. Can't ye' jus' pichur it, Cap'n? Aunt Chovy out there bobbin' aroun' like in the old days?"
"I'll tell ye' what, mate. You take ye' some time t' think about what yer talkin' about. Come May, if'n ye still got it on yer mind, well, we'll talk about it. Ye' can't take a boat out on th' water without the coast guard inspectin' it an' givin' ye a license fer it. Fer that matter, ye ain't even suppost t' be handlin' The Pelikin's Folly without a license to do that. I let ye' take the wheel a time or two, but if'n the Coast Guard was ever t' stop us, me an' you both would be in a heap o' trouble. Now, there's a place over in Savannah where ye' can take classes on seamanship, an' navigation. That's yer startin' place. Then, ye'll have to take an exam. If ye pass that, then yer a bona fide able-bodied seaman. Ye' see what I'm sayin', Dawson? There's a lot more to it, than meets th' eye. An' I can't even tell ye' how much it would take to bring Aunt Chovy outa th' mothballs. So, ye go, an' put all that in yer pipe an' smoke it. I ain't sayin' no, I'm jus' sayin' ye' can't go puttin th' cart before th' horse."

I knew Rufus was tellin' it t' me straight. I got a whole lotta learnin' t' do. I had more on my plate now than ever afore. I swept out th' loft of th' boathouse, an' made me a list of things I needed to get t' doin'. It was a long list. Lookin' back on it now, I musta lookt like a crazy person t' have such notions. An' on the drive back t' Shrewsbury I couldn't get th' Aunt Chovy offa my mind.