A houseboat. Finegan Fine

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A houseboat. Finegan Fine Page 12

by Nancy Lieder


  between the beds, from use.

  89

  Several oldsters are tending the garden. Half are in wheelchairs, which

  pull alongside the beds so the oldsters can simple reach over and pull

  weeds or collect produce or whatever. Some oldsters are using walkers

  and sit on the edges of the beds. The beds were intended to be

  accessible and to not require bending down, designed for the

  handicapped or aged.

  Finegan and the manager are followed by a curious Joey who is trying to

  get the many cats to come up to him. He bends over and calls to them,

  but they are illusive though interested and keep circling him. The

  manager is pointing while talking.

  We were fortunate, having these put in ahead of

  time. And we saved the seed, year to year. All

  those things were therapy, physical therapy.

  We’d make a big deal out of it, sorting seeds

  into plastic zip bags and labeling them,

  sharing them with family. Now it’s proved to be

  a Godsend.

  Some of the oldsters turn their heads at their approach and smile and

  wave. Finegan asks,

  What do you do for meat?

  The manager puts her finger to her mouth, a shush motion, and in a low

  voice replies.

  I’ll tell you later.

  Finegan and the manager have been walking along the path, which circles

  around and returns to the complex buildings. They are approaching some

  benches along the path. The manager sits down, patting the seat next to

  her for Finegan to do likewise. She looks down the path to be sure no

  one is close enough to hear.

  You can see we’ve got cats. We’ve got a

  population explosion.

  The manager glances at Finegan’s face, prepared to drop the bomb and

  wanting to see if he’s ready for it.

  I’ve got several female cats that bring me

  their catch. It’s the females that hunt. . .

  Must be a rat population explosion somewhere,

  as they rarely fail to deliver. Every morning,

  there they are, dead rats, fresh meat, on my

  doorstep.

  90

  She glances at Finegan’s face again.

  Well, it’s protein! I cook it to death, meat

  falls off the bone, mix it into the soup that’s

  supper every night. . . No one’s died yet.

  Finegan leans back against the bench back, putting one foot up on the

  other knee, relaxed. He says,

  I’m sure you’re not the only one. . . Don’t you

  fish?

  The manager says,

  We don’t have a pier. Don’t have a boat. And

  except for myself, who could manage it? They’d

  drown trying. . . We do have a pole and line.

  Some relative would come for a visit and haul a

  resident off to some riverbank for a picnic. So

  we had a pole and line on hand. . . But I can’t

  leave. I’m the only one here. . . Plus my day

  is long enough as is.

  Just then one of the female cats saunters up with a dead rat in its

  mouth and drops it at the manager’s feet. The manager leans forward to

  praise and pet the cat.

  Why thank you Mitzy! That’s a beautiful gift!

  ______________________________

  The peace on the main street has been shattered by the sound of lumber

  being pulled apart, nails loosened but still holding and complaining as

  boards are pulled apart. The mayor comes to his window to see what’s

  going on.

  Hey! You can’t take that! That belongs to

  someone.

  Finegan appears in a window near where his canoe has been tied. The

  window has been pushed out for easy access. He sticks his head out the

  window to yell back.

  So sue me. . . How come you’re not helping that

  woman up there tending the old folks?

  The mayor gets a disgusted look on his face and flaps his hand again in

  the direction of Finegan, as though dismissing him, and turns to

  shuffle back into his apartment. Lumber pieces start flying out of the

  window – studs and railings and numerous floorboards, splashing as it

  hits the water. In the background there is more hammering as Finegan is

  retrieving nails as he dismantles the building.

  91

  The oldsters in the garden are all shock still, their jaws a bit agape,

  heads turned in the direction of the noise, listening to the sound of

  construction.

  ______________________________

  That evening the manager, Finegan and Joey, and several of the oldsters

  in wheelchairs or clinging to walkers are looking out over the water in

  a beautiful sunset. A floating pier can be seen, with a long ramp down

  to the pier accessible by wheelchairs. Former 6” wide hardwood floor

  boards from one of the old flooded town buildings, torn from the floor

  of the second floor, are used as the pier bed and lengthwise as a ramp

  to the floating pier. As the water raises, the pier will too.

  Posts from an interior railing are placed along the side of the ramp

  and pier, with rope strung between the posts as guardrails. The whole

  lot is irregular, the posts painted white, the floor boards a scuffed

  brown, and the rope of varying thickness. Finegan did not have a saw so

  the ends of boards stick out at the end of the pier. Studs have been

  hammered along the top of the pier bed, along the edges, as wheelchair

  guards. Some chairs from the raided second story apartment are placed

  here and there for those coming to fish on walkers.

  The manager looks sideways at Finegan, who is standing beside her. She

  says,

  You must stay for supper. And I think the

  residents have some seed they want to share

  with you. They don’t see much family these

  days. In fact, not in over a year.

  Then realizing what he must be expecting for supper, she whispers.

  Tonight, it’ll just be vegetable soup!

  Finegan whispers back.

  No, no, have your usual! I’m fine with that!

  Then, turning to the residents grouped around her, the manager says,

  We may not have TV any longer, but now, during

  these beautiful sunsets, we can do some

  fishing! Does anyone remember what we used for

  bait? John, do you remember? Worms. Yes, it was

  worms from the garden!

  ______________________________

  Finegan and Joey are coming through the fog, approaching the houseboat

  where it is moored below the nursing home complex. Finegan has a clear

  plastic bag filled with little zip lock bags of various seeds, hand

  92

  labeled and dated. All is taped watertight. Barney is barking in

  greeting, his tail wagging. Finegan says,

  Better tuck this high and dry.

  Joey reaches down to pet Barney, appreciating the fact that he is not

  evasive as the cats were. Joey tells Barney,

  You wouldn’t have wanted any of that soup

  anyway, buddy. Just yucky vegetables. . .

  Joey stands up and looks around for some leftovers from breakfast to

  give Barney, taking them from a covered frying pan atop a box. Barney

  snatches the fried potatoes from his hand and gobbles them down. Joey

  says,
r />   Just old people food. They didn’t have much.

  Just dead rats.

  Finegan smiles as he puts away the package of seeds, and

  says,

  Yeah, who’d eat a rat!

  93

  The Pawn Shop

  Finegan and Joey are walking through a business district of a small

  flooded city. The business district is above the water line, though

  most of the small city and its suburbs have been flooded. The area

  appears deserted and has as usual been devastated by quakes and high

  winds. Shingles have been ripped off roofs, masonry buildings have

  collapsed, frame buildings have been thrown sideways, and any signs not

  painted on the buildings themselves have been blown about and are in

  the street. Portions of the signs can be read, saying things like

  “Insurance” or “Municipal” or “Handy Mart”.

  It is drizzling, so Finegan and Joey are steadily becoming damp, their

  clothing starting to stick to them. They arrive at a former pawnshop,

  the fading sign painted on the wall above the door. The door open, and

  they hear noises of someone bustling around inside. Finegan says,

  Ya spose they’d have an umbrella?

  The pawnshopman is rearranging shelves, moving items off a shelf,

  dusting the shelf, then returning the items. For all the clutter, the

  place is immaculate, all except for the pawnshopman himself. He is

  short, has an extremely dirty white shirt on, rolled up at the sleeves.

  He wears a gray-stripped vest, also covered with dust in places. His

  gray striped pants are bagging and stretched out over the knees from

  too much kneeling. His black leather shoes are scuffed, the shoelaces

  flapping under foot.

  The pawnshop is filled with items, so every shelf is crowded and every

  corner piled high. Items line the front of the counter and are piled on

  the counter top. These are all items formerly of value, when a monetary

  system was in place and people were not starving. Jewelry lays in

  piles, though some is placed under the counter for safekeeping.

  Electronic equipment is stuffed into the shelves behind the counter,

  with some speakers placed along the front of the counters. Fine

  ballroom dresses and tuxedos are hanging on a rack toward the back of

  the shop. Dish sets, fine pottery, glassware and crystal are displayed

  on one shelf, the boxes containing the full place settings behind these

  display items. Leather cowboy boots and matching belts are on another

  shelf, along with accompanying items such as cowboy hats. Under the

  counter in one spot are displayed metals of honor from past wars or

  with a presidential seal, given in appreciation.

  Finegan and Joey are gawking, looking around in amazement as they

  slowly walk down the middle of the shop, between the counters. They

  94

  look high and low, not saying a word, taking it all in. The pawnshopman

  says,

  What can I do you fer?

  Finegan says,

  Got any umbrellas?

  The pawnshopman says,

  None of those, but got a sale on over here . .

  He walks over to a counter top piled high with video games.

  Half price, today only.

  Finegan says,

  But we got no electricity!

  To which the pawnshipman replies,

  It’s coming back.

  Both Finegan and the pawnshopman stop the conversation and just stare

  at each other at this point, as Finegan is stunned at this delusion and

  the pawnshopman does not want to get into details. Finegan leans an

  elbow on the counter, leaning toward the short pawnshopman who is

  standing proudly behind his wares, fingertips resting on the counter

  edge and back ramrod straight.

  How do you figure? You must know something I

  don’t.

  To which the pawnshopman replies,

  Yez sireee, it’s coming back. When they come

  through here laying new lines and roads, we’ll

  all be back in business again. Yez a matter of

  time.

  Just then a man wearing his Sunday best, suit and bow tie and shined

  shoes and hat walks into the pawnshop. He is carrying a small wooden

  box, which he sets on the counter. He opens it carefully and music

  plays. He almost visibly breathes a sigh of relief, as though he had

  expected it might not work right. He looks at the pawnshopman, who

  says,

  Not much call for these, but it is a beauty.

  What you looking for?

  The man in his Sunday best looks a bit worried as he is going to try

  for food instead of the usual – cash.

  I’d trade for a sack of flour for the mizzus.

  The pawnshopman replies,

  None of that, but I do have a sale on over

  here.

  He gestures at the pile of video games.

  ______________________________

  95

  Finegan and Joey are walking away from the pawnshop, followed closely

  by the man in his Sunday best who has several video games in his hands.

  Finegan turns on his heel to address the man, still fascinated by the

  mass delusion ongoing in this town. Finegan nods to the pile of video

  games he is clutching.

  Can’t eat those.

  Finegan is now walking alongside the man, who is trying out the

  pawnshopman’s sales pitch on Finegan, as he must now go home and face

  the little lady.

  These are worth more, overall. Growth item. Low

  price now but the value of these babies will

  skyrocket!

  Finegan asks,

  So when are the crews expected to arrive?

  The man in his Sunday best says,

  We ain’t heard, but that’s cause they’re real

  busy.

  Finegan is still engaging the man in his Sunday best in conversation as

  they approach his home, having never encountered a mass delusion

  before. The path is along a path worn into the yard, which is no longer

  mowed. Joey has now caught the fascination too, and realizes what

  Finegan is trying to do with his polite questions. Joey is walking

  along beside Finegan, straining to hear every word.

  The home where the man in his Sunday best and his missus live has

  collapsed, the roof falling into the center of the home, the beams

  having broken during the quakes. But an entry into one wing has been

  arranged through a window, a piece of rug placed over the windowsill to

  soften the slide in and out. The porch of the small home is sloping but

  the roof is holding.

  The missus is wearing a cotton dress and slip-on shoes, sitting on a

  stool in the yard, plucking a chicken. She has her long hair piled on

  top of her head and pinned with hairpins, out of the way of her work.

  The missus is gutting the chicken, pulling the entrails out into a

  bucket between her knees where she has also placed the feathers. She

  tosses the plucked chicken into a roasting pan to her side, and digs

  around in the entrails for the heart, liver, and kidneys of the

  chicken, also to be roasted. As the threesome approach, she looks up.

  The man in his Sunday best says,

  Another bargain, my dear! I’ll just put these

  away with the rest of our treasure.

 
; 96

  At this, he sprints for the padded window frame, and putting one leg

  inside he slips through to escape any questions from the missus.

  Finegan and Joey are left to introduce themselves but no need as the

  missus starts talking.

  Oh Lord. More junk.

  The missus swings on the stool so she is facing the roasting pan and a

  pot with some dressing, and begins to stuff the dressing into the

  chicken. It’s evident that she does the work around the place while her

  husband dreams on about the recovery to come. Finegan is in the midst

  of motioning toward the window where her husband disappeared, ready to

  speak and has his mouth open, but is interrupted again. The missus sits

  up straight, catching her breath, and brushes away a strand of hair

  that has escaped the pins.

  At least it keeps them busy. We had some that

  just withered away, couldn’t take the loss.

  She nods in the direction of the padded window where her husband

  disappeared as she bends to finish stuffing her chicken.

  He thinks he’s got gains.

  Just then the man in his Sunday best appears in the padded window,

  slinging one leg out and turning to pull the rest of his body through.

  He has a chalkboard in his hand and holds it up with an ecstatic look

  on his face.

  Maw, best ever!

  ______________________________

  The pawnshopman walks up to his shop and opens the door with a key.

  A crowd of a half dozen people has formed outside the pawnshop, all

  carrying clothing or small boxes or electronics in their hands. Some

  are dressed in casual clothes, others wearing their Sunday best. The

  pawnshopman says,

  Open for business!

  Finegan and Joey are walking down the middle of the street, past this

  congregation, heads turned to watch the drama.

  The crowd is bargaining with each other while waiting for their turn in

  the pawnshop. One woman holds up a sequined dress, holding it out to

  her side for display, trying to sell it to a man who is holding a box.

 

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