Ocean's Trial

by Carlton, Demelza

  She looked worried. "What's that? I can't take all those home! The ice will melt before we get home!"

  Tony glanced at me. "Payment for your trouble. Merlino gave you his assistant's share of the catch to apologise for letting your dinner escape."

  Lucy shook her head violently. "Oh, no, those are Maria's. She caught the crabs. Please, Maria, you take them. You went swimming in that dreadfully cold water and got soaked!"

  The last thing I needed was more fish, on top of the excess I already had. I peered into Lucy's extra buckets – and saw they were all packed with sardines. There must have been fifty pounds of them. Merry's ice chest might take one bucket, but six? We'd have every cat in Fremantle clawing down our door.

  In the face of Lucy's desperation, I nodded, then looked away to keep my thoughts hidden. My eyes landed on a sign on South Terrace. Hee Kee – the Chinese tea merchant. I'd promised Merry that I'd pick up some more tea. We drank far more of it with the cold weather and Hee Kee was the only one who carried Merry's favourite jasmine tea.

  When Tony returned, I mentioned my need for tea and he kindly agreed to drive me to the door of the shop and wait while I picked up whatever I wanted. Gratefully, I slid from the truck before he could help me down and entered the shop.

  I inhaled deeply as the spicy scent hit me – tea of all sorts. Some earthy, some sweet and some so sharp I wondered what they were made from. Hee Kee himself wasn't in sight – just his diminutive wife. I asked for a pound of jasmine tea and she turned and shouted something in a language I didn't understand. She was answered by the deeper tones of her husband, who appeared with a huge tea chest in his arms. He set it down on the counter and opened it.

  The fragrance he released made me gasp. Green tea. The scent after a meal with my mother and sister. Sharing tea with William on the Trevessa, when I first told him about Giuseppe. This scent sent me winging home to a past I could never recover.

  My reverie was broken by the screech of Mrs Hee berating her husband. The tea box of precious memories closed and he hefted it again. "Sorry, ma'am. Ship delivered wrong tea – strange Japanese tea, not what is ordered. I will find your jasmine tea."

  "No, wait!" I had to have it. Memories of William and my family dwelt in every leaf. "I like this tea. How much will it cost?"

  Mrs Hee's eyes sharpened as she barked out several short syllables.

  Mr Hee shook his head, looking annoyed. "No. I can't ask for more than a shilling a pound. My wife says two, but it is easily fifty pounds. A hundred shillings for the chest is far too much."

  Both were too much. I didn't have that much money on me – I had two, not fifty or a hundred. Perhaps I could trade some of my fish for a pound of the precious leaves. I glanced outside and watched Tony tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. In the back were half a dozen buckets of...

  "Would you take fifty pounds of sardines, fresh caught this morning?" I asked eagerly.

  Mr Hee relayed my offer to his wife, who looked hard at me. When she spoke, her words sounded like, "You new here?"

  I shook my head. "No, I'm not new. I always come here for my tea. I work over at the fish market, and..."

  Mr Hee laughed. "She said yu nuhai. It means fish girl. The Japanese tea is worthless to me – I don't do business with Japanese. But my wife and her mother love fresh fish. Let her see your fish and if she agrees, the tea is yours."

  I beamed. "I still need a pound of jasmine for Aunt Merry, though."

  He bowed. "I will fetch the jasmine tea. Ask your man to bring the fish in."

  My man. I fought laughter at the thought of Tony Basile ever being my man. A good man, yes, but...

  Tony jerked to attention as I approached the truck. I gestured for him to get out and help me with something in the back and he jumped to do just that. He carried four of the buckets while I trailed behind him with the last two. Mrs Hee's eyes shone at the sight of the first bucket before the light died beneath her businesslike façade. I hid my smile and waved at the buckets. "Fifty pounds of fresh fish, for fifty pounds of green tea."

  Mr Hee reappeared, carrying a second chest. When he opened this one, the unearthly scent of jasmine assailed me. His wife gave him a tiny nod and he set the new chest on top of the old. "Fifty pounds of fresh fish is worth twice that weight in tea. One chest of green tea and one of jasmine. My mother in law and my wife will love me tonight and all week, so thank you, fish girl."

  I laughed and uttered my own thanks as I followed the two men back to the truck. Mr Hee loaded my chests into the back under Tony's supervision while I climbed back into the cab.

  Tony started the truck again and we were soon headed toward the river and my house.

  Rain drummed on the truck roof and cascaded down the windows as we trundled along, but Tony was strangely silent. It wasn't until he stopped the truck that he spoke. "There's nothing you wouldn't dare, is there? I mean, today you helped one of the new fishermen and had rival fishermen working together. Then you dived into the storm-tossed harbour for three measly crabs and knocked a man down for insulting you. You caught that six-foot fighting fish by hand...and you just managed to bargain down a Chinaman...no, a Chinawoman...for a hundred pounds of tea you didn't have to pay for. Maria, you scare me."

  I laughed easily, but I felt a frisson of fear at the sound of so many remarkable things in one day. "It's been a very busy day. It's a good thing the storm will give me a day of rest tomorrow. I shall need it."

  "Would you come fishing with me tomorrow?" he burst out.

  I laughed harder. "The whole fishing fleet's securely tied against the terrible storm coming in and you want to go out fishing in the middle of it?"

  He smiled weakly. "My dad tells this crazy story about how he and his mate went out in a storm like this one in a dinghy. They just sat off the rocks near Cape Peron and fished up hundreds of snapper. He said it wasn't just there – any rocks in shallow water. The snapper go crazy in storms and come right in. The other boys think I'm mad for believing him, but he swears it's true. Between the two of us, we could handle the boat, and we'd stay close to shore. Please?"

  Was he reading my mind, my desire to feel the storm's power on the water, instead of holed up in my house? "Come by my house in the morning to pick me up. If the weather's not too crazy, I'll come with you."

  "YES!" He jumped out of the truck and cheered, despite the rain running down his face. Shaking my head, I headed for the veranda as he unpacked my things from the back of the truck.

  Seven

  "How was work? I hope you brought some more tea. The girls were quite a handful today – it seems the storm's stirred up more than the river and the ocean this week. I'm afraid I've had a whole pot since I came home." Merry sat at the kitchen table, behind her empty teacup, looking as exhausted as I felt.

  I grinned. "We have a treat tonight. A big dhufish and a wahoo – compliments of the Basile boys." I laid my bounty on the table and unwrapped them.

  Merry eyed the striped fish, its tail twitching over the side of the table even as its pointed snout lay on the other edge of the timber surface. "Are you sure you can eat this? It looks like one of those Tasmanian tiger things, but a fish."

  "Aunt Merry, this is the tastiest fish in the sea and it's been three years since I've seen one, let alone eaten one. I'll pop the dhuie in the ice box for tomorrow or Friday, but I'll cook this one for dinner myself if I have to."

  Heavy boots sounded on the boards as Tony entered the kitchen, burdened by both tea chests. "Where do you want these, Maria?"

  I pointed to an empty corner of the kitchen that Tony quickly filled with my tea.

  "Where did you get so much from? We can't drink all that – it'll take us months!" Merry exclaimed, squinting at the chests. "At least you got the right kind, but what's this one? I don't recognise the writing."

  Tony leaned against the wall, grinning. "Your niece went for a swim in the harbour today, which caught her a bumper catch of Fremantle sardines. They just happened to be the
tea merchant's wife's favourite, too, so she traded them for enough tea to last you until next year. At least tea keeps better than fish!"

  I reached for the empty tea tin. "Would you like a cup, Tony? Seeing as we have so much to spare and you carried it in."

  "I'd love one," he replied, watching me as I bent to fill the tin from the chest. "That does look good."

  Blushing, I straightened, recognising the hint of lust in his expression. Whether it was my still-damp skirt and bloomers clinging to my bum or my naked enthusiasm for the smell of tea leaves, I didn't know, but it certainly put Tony's comments about other men's fish in context. I busied myself with the kettle, teapot and other tea-making paraphernalia in an effort to avoid meeting his eyes.

  "You should stay for dinner, Tony," Merry suggested. "After all, we can't eat all of this huge fish by ourselves."

  "Speak for yourself," I said, pouring steaming water over the leaves. "If it takes me every meal for the next three days, I'm not letting a bite of this beast go to waste." The awkward silence behind me forced me to turn and add, "But Tony helped catch this monster and he was kind enough to let me have it. You should stay and have a taste, though it'll ruin you for any other fish."

  Tony's relief manifested in a smile. "When you have the best, why would you want anything less?" His eyes burned into mine. "I can't stay because I have some deliveries to make, but I can come back afterwards, if that's all right?"

  I nodded. "That'll give me some time to fillet this fish and peel the potatoes. Best be here by five."

  He promised he would be, then left, whistling. I heard his truck start up and motor down the road.

  I grabbed the wahoo. "I'd better do this outside. This is going to be messy."

  "When are you going to let your heart love again?" Merry asked.

  My mouth didn't seem to want to close, but my voice had died in my throat.

  "Tony Basile is a good man and I've seen the looks you get from him and plenty of others – both good and bad. It's been three years, Maria. Don't you think you've waited long enough for your shipwrecked sweetheart? If he hasn't come to find you in three years, especially after you sent him a telegram, don't you think he might have forgotten about you?"

  I almost confessed to my subterfuge with the pearls, which I'd had to keep hidden for months before I returned them to her. The fish markets paid well in fish, but even now, monetary reward was minimal. The fishing industry never had been and never would be a source of great wealth. And I'd never sent the telegram.

  "Maybe," I managed to say.

  "Don't you owe it to your heart and your own happiness to let another man into your life? One who will cherish you the way you deserve?" she pressed.

  I sighed. Yes, I'd love to share my life with a partner who was my equal, but the only man who came close was William. I had savings enough to take ship for any port in the Indian Ocean, but I had no idea where to start looking. Besides, my life here was far too comfortable for me to want to leave. I knew people and I had a place here, with all the fish I could eat, tea and, occasionally, chocolate. What more did a girl like me deserve?

  Eight

  I slapped the fish on the old washstand we kept on the veranda for cleaning fish. The rusted tub at one end served to hold the scales, bones and guts while I carved the once-living creature into something we could cook. The small drawer that might once have held a lady's toiletries now held my prized filleting knives.

  When dinner was scaled and gutted, I realised I'd forgotten something. I called to Aunt Merry, "Could you please bring a dish for the fillets?"

  A few seconds later, the door swung open and she set a large bowl beside me. Instead of returning inside, Merry stood on the veranda, shading her eyes as she stared at the river. I turned to find out what it was. Aside from the higher water levels and choppy waves, courtesy of flooding upriver in Northam and Guildford, the only unusual thing I saw was the stationary launch billowing smoke beneath the rail bridge as a train puffed its way across the span. After perhaps ten minutes, the SS Reliance emerged and headed for the dock at the bottom of the hill.

  The wet weather had dampened the enthusiasm of what seemed like every amateur photographer in Perth and Fremantle. For the last week, the banks had been crowded with sightseers, clogging the road with their Brownies on tripods, attempting to record pictures of the swirling floodwaters. The rain seemed to have washed them all away.

  Once the vessel had tied up, the crew jumped onto the jetty and set off home. Last of all was Captain Henderson, who waved at us and ambled up the hill for a few words with Merry. As soon as he was within earshot, Merry called, "Is everything all right with the old ferry, captain? Why did you stop?"

  He waved away her concerns as if they were flies. "Nothing wrong with the Reliance, Mrs D'Angelo. She's old and reliable, like her name. No, it's the bridge I'm concerned about. What with the flooding and the storm, I thought I should check that it's still sound. There's a small crack in the abutment, but I'll speak to the fettlers in the morning to see it fixed. Nothing to worry about. That bridge is older than my boat and built by convicts – of course it's showing some wear." He cocked his head to one side, then the other, peering at my tub full of fish innards. "What sort of fish did you pull out of the ocean there, Maria? That's a strange looking monster if ever I saw one."

  I smiled, setting my hand on top of the fish flesh as I ran my knife up its spine. The fillet came away long and thick – perfect. The only other fish that came close to this was bluefin tuna and that was a poor comparison. "This delicious beast was a wahoo. Must've been blown into our fishing grounds by the storm. Now, he's dinner."

  He shook his head. "You enjoy your strange fish, ladies, and take care in this storm. Hope the river doesn't rise any more. My wife promised me roast mutton tonight and I've been looking forward to it since Sunday." Captain Henderson rubbed his hands together and set off up East Street.

  I piled the last two fish steaks into the already full bowl and held it out to Merry. "What do you think? Fried with a little flour-and-egg batter? Or poached in cream? I have a clove of that Italian garlic Sal gave me last week."

  She took the bowl and nearly dropped it, it was so heavy. "How do you normally prepare it at home?"

  At home, we ate it raw. I swallowed, trying to decide whether I should tell Merry or lie to make it easier.

  Merry seemed to take my indecision for distress. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned your home. I know you miss it. The school chickens have been laying far more eggs than the cook uses, so I have plenty of those. If you go pick up some more butter, I'll get these battered and we can fry them up. We could fry the leftover boiled potatoes from yesterday, too – a good, healthy meal. I have nothing for pudding, though, because the chocolate's all gone..."

  I blushed. I knew exactly where the chocolate had gone. "I'll buy some more when I get butter." I hurried off to change into clean clothes so I could walk back into town.

  Merry's admiring smile made me blush all over again when I returned in my newest dress, one the same blue as today's stormy ocean, covered by my best coat, as my everyday one was still damp with salt water. "Don't forget an umbrella," she called after me as I straightened my hat in the reflection in the hall mirror. I pulled on my gloves and tucked an umbrella into my shopping basket. Though I preferred the less polished look that I wore to work in the mornings, after work I learned to look every bit the lady, just as Merry did, down to the carefully polished toes of my shoes.

  Instead of walking or taking my bicycle, I caught the tram to Market Street, where Roma Fruit Palace stood. I dashed through the drizzle to the shelter of the shop awnings and pushed open the door. The delicate chime of the door-bell wasn't necessary – Salvatore smiled broadly, the moment he saw me.

  "Good afternoon, Maria. What do you need today?"

  "Chocolate," I admitted. "Butter, some more potatoes, something ready-made for sweets tonight, and do you have any cooking apples left? I'm thinking of making apple
pie tomorrow, what with the fish market closed for the bad weather."

  He laughed. "You need a husband to cook for, Maria. That would soon cure you of looking excited about making apple pie."

  "Ah, but I'd have to share my chocolate with a husband," I responded with a smile, examining some tinned goods that I couldn't identify. "It would have to be a very special man for me to want to share my greatest pleasure!"

  Sal turned an alarming shade of red. "Well, a husband...he'd give you...he'd share...I'm sure you'd make your husband so happy he'd have no need to touch your chocolate. He'd – "

  The crash of a wooden crate dropping to the floor, sending tomatoes everywhere, made him switch from rambling to roaring, "Useless lout! I should have told Mama to send you to America, not Australia where you destroy my shop and earn nothing from your job!" He advanced on his assistant, who was now on his knees, trying to scoop up tomato pulp in his hands.

  I pitied the boy and reached for an empty crate. "Here, put the undamaged tomatoes in here and then you can –"

  "I don't need your help! Haven't you already done enough for one day?" the boy shouted, jumping to his feet. Between his swollen nose and blackened eyes – none of which I'd given him – I recognised the angry Giorgio. My smile faltered in the face of his fury.

  "This is the woman you got into a fight over?" Sal demanded.

  Giorgio's belligerent chin rose. "That's the...woman."

  "I'd black both your eyes myself if Merlino hadn't already. You apologise to Mrs Speranza and go get her a pound of our best butter. Now!" Sal watched as Giorgio dragged his feet to the back of the shop and out of sight before Sal sighed. "Always was a spoiled brat. What did my idiot of a baby brother get up to this time?" He moved efficiently around the shop, assembling my list of requirements...including an impressive quantity of his best chocolate.

  I quickly related the crabs incident and brushed it off as unimportant.

  Sal snorted as he placed the items in my basket. "He said he got into a fight for looking at some girl Merlino fancied. Then he said some real unpleasant things about the girl – not fit for your ears, even if they weren't about you. I'm sorry he made trouble for you. My family sent him here to Australia so he wouldn't get into any more strife. Been here a week and already caused more trouble than he's worth. Merlino said he'd use him for bait if he saw him in the fish market again. What should I do with him now?"