Post by Steve Sinclair on Jul 16, 2016 20:35:42 GMT
Dutch Harbor Alaska……
The Ford F150 that Nanook rented rumbles along the stone highway heading into Dutch. This is the first time since he left home that he has returned to this neck of the woods. As he rides along the coast he wonders if anyone will remember him. He wonders if his sister is still running the bar she bought with the trunk of cash they found in the shed after the boat disappeared at sea. He wonders if his other brothers are still around, what they have been up in their lives and more importantly; where is Kenny?
The highway finally gives away to blacktop and Nanook can see Dutch in the windshield of his truck. After a couple of minutes he rolls into town which isn’t very big. Crab boats line up along the docks with stacks and stacks of pots make up one side the town and on the other, the town. Houses, apartments, hotels, bars, eaterys. The little town has grown up some since Nanook last saw it.
He finds a name that speaks to him. A old beat up sign that reads “Anernerk” and Nanook pulls up in front of the place. Stepping out of his truck he slowly closes the driver’s side door and looks around. He is in his suit and tie and even though no one saw him, he is out of place. He steps up on the sidewalk and walks up to the front door. He opens the door and steps inside.
Once inside he pauses and looks around. A couple of seasoned crabbers at the bar who no doubt look older than they actually are turn their heads, give a look and go back to watching the TV and drinking. There is no bartender behind the bar and he can see someone in the kitchen. He walks over to the bar at the far end and takes a seat. A couple of seconds later the door swings open to the kitchen and walking out is this thin middle aged women. You can tell at first glance that she has worked hard everyday of her life. She is carrying a couple cases of beer and she’s not struggling to do either. She sets them down next to the cooler and quickly wipes her hands with the apron she has around her waist.
“What will it be stranger?” She asks not not really looking at Nanook.
”Something cold will be fine.”
She reaches in the cooler in front of her and pulls out a Bud light. She pops it open and sets it down on the bar in front of Nanook and that is when she glances up and she pauses.
“What are you doing here?” She says with her hand still on the bottle of beer.
”Sally.” Nanook says. Sally would be his only sister.
She slowly nudges the bottle away from her. Nanook slowly puts his hand around it. Sally crosses her arms. Not really the warm welcome Nanook hoped for since he hasn’t been home in 20 something years.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here you know.” She says and now all eyes are on Nanook.
“There problem Sally?” One of the patrons asks. A big burly guy you know is just itching to fight.
“Not Yet Jimmy. This here be my deadbeat brother who got my Dad and three of my brothers killed at sea.”
Nanook sighs. ”I’m not the one who wasn’t putting money in the boat Sally you know that. Dad refused to spend a dime on that death trap and I warned him but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Still sticking to that story after all these years I see.”
”It’s not a story when it’s the truth and if I recall, you and mom didn’t seem to mind finding all that money in the shed. At least you invested it well.”
“If you’re here wanting your cut, you ain’t getting it I don’t care what the lawyer says.”
”Well rest assure I’m not here for that. I don’t care about the money. I haven’t asked for none of it since 95 so why would I ask now.”
Sally glances down. “Fair enough. What brings you out here anyways? If it’s for mom’s funeral you’re about 5 years too late.”
”You don’t have to remind me. I still hear her words in my ears to this day and I kept my word to her. Business brings me out here. I’m looking for someone, heard he was out here working on the docks. Hoping to find him and bring him back to the lower 48. I’m wondering if you had a spare room I could crash in for a couple of days.”
You can tell she is mulling it over looking down at the floor. She finally comes to a decision and looks up at her brother.
“You can stay upstairs. I haven’t rented it out so as long as it’s only a couple of days I’m okay with that. You are my brother after all. It’s the least I can do.”
”Thanks Sally.”
“Who you looking for. Maybe I’ve seen him.” She asks.
Nanook pulls out his phone and a couple of swipes later he pulls up a pic of Kenny.
”I’m looking for this guy. Came out here a couple of months ago. Kenny is his name.”
Nanook sets his phone down and Sally looks at it.
“Can’t say that I’ve seen that one here.”
Just then from the other end of the bar. “Is he dark haired, German descent?”
Nanook looks down at the other end of the bar. ”Yes.”
The guy stands up and slowly hobbles down towards Nanook. He takes a seat next to Nanook and takes a look at the phone.
“Yup. I know that guy. New to town. Just got a job on the long line ship. It’s due back in town tomorrow.”
”Really? That is great. You know which boat?”
“The Bering Prowler.” He says.
”Nice. Thanks. This means a lot to me. If you don’t mind me asking. How do you know him?”
“Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you.”
”Sure buddy. It’s the least I can do.” Nanook says as he nods to hsi sister to give his new buddy a drink.
“He took my job and you said you want to take him back with you?”
”Oh….sorry to hear that…..and I do. I want to take him back to New York with me.”
“Well then buddy. I hope you do because then that’ll mean they will have a opening and I can get my job back.”
Nanook slowly nods and Sally sets a draft in front of him. The guy picks it up and gives Nanook a little quick nod.
“Thanks for the drink.”
”Yeah, no problem.”
Sally stops on her back into the kitchen.
“Anything else?”
”Some dinner would be nice. Whatever you got. I’m not picky.”
“No problem. Remember. Only a couple of days Kim.”
Nanook nods in agreement.
The Ford F150 that Nanook rented rumbles along the stone highway heading into Dutch. This is the first time since he left home that he has returned to this neck of the woods. As he rides along the coast he wonders if anyone will remember him. He wonders if his sister is still running the bar she bought with the trunk of cash they found in the shed after the boat disappeared at sea. He wonders if his other brothers are still around, what they have been up in their lives and more importantly; where is Kenny?
The highway finally gives away to blacktop and Nanook can see Dutch in the windshield of his truck. After a couple of minutes he rolls into town which isn’t very big. Crab boats line up along the docks with stacks and stacks of pots make up one side the town and on the other, the town. Houses, apartments, hotels, bars, eaterys. The little town has grown up some since Nanook last saw it.
He finds a name that speaks to him. A old beat up sign that reads “Anernerk” and Nanook pulls up in front of the place. Stepping out of his truck he slowly closes the driver’s side door and looks around. He is in his suit and tie and even though no one saw him, he is out of place. He steps up on the sidewalk and walks up to the front door. He opens the door and steps inside.
Once inside he pauses and looks around. A couple of seasoned crabbers at the bar who no doubt look older than they actually are turn their heads, give a look and go back to watching the TV and drinking. There is no bartender behind the bar and he can see someone in the kitchen. He walks over to the bar at the far end and takes a seat. A couple of seconds later the door swings open to the kitchen and walking out is this thin middle aged women. You can tell at first glance that she has worked hard everyday of her life. She is carrying a couple cases of beer and she’s not struggling to do either. She sets them down next to the cooler and quickly wipes her hands with the apron she has around her waist.
“What will it be stranger?” She asks not not really looking at Nanook.
”Something cold will be fine.”
She reaches in the cooler in front of her and pulls out a Bud light. She pops it open and sets it down on the bar in front of Nanook and that is when she glances up and she pauses.
“What are you doing here?” She says with her hand still on the bottle of beer.
”Sally.” Nanook says. Sally would be his only sister.
She slowly nudges the bottle away from her. Nanook slowly puts his hand around it. Sally crosses her arms. Not really the warm welcome Nanook hoped for since he hasn’t been home in 20 something years.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here you know.” She says and now all eyes are on Nanook.
“There problem Sally?” One of the patrons asks. A big burly guy you know is just itching to fight.
“Not Yet Jimmy. This here be my deadbeat brother who got my Dad and three of my brothers killed at sea.”
Nanook sighs. ”I’m not the one who wasn’t putting money in the boat Sally you know that. Dad refused to spend a dime on that death trap and I warned him but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Still sticking to that story after all these years I see.”
”It’s not a story when it’s the truth and if I recall, you and mom didn’t seem to mind finding all that money in the shed. At least you invested it well.”
“If you’re here wanting your cut, you ain’t getting it I don’t care what the lawyer says.”
”Well rest assure I’m not here for that. I don’t care about the money. I haven’t asked for none of it since 95 so why would I ask now.”
Sally glances down. “Fair enough. What brings you out here anyways? If it’s for mom’s funeral you’re about 5 years too late.”
”You don’t have to remind me. I still hear her words in my ears to this day and I kept my word to her. Business brings me out here. I’m looking for someone, heard he was out here working on the docks. Hoping to find him and bring him back to the lower 48. I’m wondering if you had a spare room I could crash in for a couple of days.”
You can tell she is mulling it over looking down at the floor. She finally comes to a decision and looks up at her brother.
“You can stay upstairs. I haven’t rented it out so as long as it’s only a couple of days I’m okay with that. You are my brother after all. It’s the least I can do.”
”Thanks Sally.”
“Who you looking for. Maybe I’ve seen him.” She asks.
Nanook pulls out his phone and a couple of swipes later he pulls up a pic of Kenny.
”I’m looking for this guy. Came out here a couple of months ago. Kenny is his name.”
Nanook sets his phone down and Sally looks at it.
“Can’t say that I’ve seen that one here.”
Just then from the other end of the bar. “Is he dark haired, German descent?”
Nanook looks down at the other end of the bar. ”Yes.”
The guy stands up and slowly hobbles down towards Nanook. He takes a seat next to Nanook and takes a look at the phone.
“Yup. I know that guy. New to town. Just got a job on the long line ship. It’s due back in town tomorrow.”
”Really? That is great. You know which boat?”
“The Bering Prowler.” He says.
”Nice. Thanks. This means a lot to me. If you don’t mind me asking. How do you know him?”
“Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you.”
”Sure buddy. It’s the least I can do.” Nanook says as he nods to hsi sister to give his new buddy a drink.
“He took my job and you said you want to take him back with you?”
”Oh….sorry to hear that…..and I do. I want to take him back to New York with me.”
“Well then buddy. I hope you do because then that’ll mean they will have a opening and I can get my job back.”
Nanook slowly nods and Sally sets a draft in front of him. The guy picks it up and gives Nanook a little quick nod.
“Thanks for the drink.”
”Yeah, no problem.”
Sally stops on her back into the kitchen.
“Anything else?”
”Some dinner would be nice. Whatever you got. I’m not picky.”
“No problem. Remember. Only a couple of days Kim.”
Nanook nods in agreement.