Just maybe the best life is a simple life.
We call him Bravo. I think I heard his real name once, but I don’t remember it. He is a fixture here on this side of Guanaja. If you can’t find him out on the water, you can find him in one of the local drinking establishments. His state-of-the -art fishing vessel—as nice as it is– isn’t equipped for foul weather so he goes out when the weather (think wind) allows.
We never know when he will show up with fish but when he does, we usually buy it. Sometimes wahoo or mackerel, or grouper, sometimes king fish, occasionally tuna, and if we’re lucky, red snapper—he knows I really like red snapper. I always call for Elizabeth when he arrives because I’ve learned that if I buy his fish I have to clean it. If Elizabeth buys the fish he will clean it for her. His price always includes a beer.
There is no fishing pole on his boat; he fishes with handlines, as does most of the locals. Fishing poles are an unneeded luxury. He probably would not use one even if you gave it to him. I’ve noticed the fish don’t seem to care one way or the other how much your fishing gear costs.
He is always quick to smile and quick to give me a hearty hello whenever or wherever I see him. If the wherever happens to be somewhere that serves beer, he isn’t shy about asking me to buy him a beer or two or more. If he has beer and you have time, he has more than a few stories to tell.
Next week I will talk about boring stuff–money–and how I had a game plan to make improvement and changes. I had a list of things that need to be done immediately and things that can wait awhile. That plan went to hell in a handbasket when I returned to the island, stepped out of the boat and put my foot through the dock. The dock was one of my wait-awhile projects.
One response to “The Old Man and the Sea”
Sounds like he is a very interesting man. Bet he has a lot of stories to tell.