The Waterman: A Novel of the Chesapeake Bay by Tim Junkin Read Free Book Online

was in trouble. I was twenty-six. I thought I was running out of time.” Bertha paused for a moment. She sighed. “The details aren’t important. But love was what I believed in. Your father was taken with that show. He was there nearly every night. It just happened. And it was like God had put me on this earth to love him. Nothing else mattered. It was as if there were no choice to be made.”
    Clay was staring into his water. He picked up the glass and sipped it and set it down.
    â€œI don’t blame you, Bertha. Not mostly, anyway.”
    â€œI’m blameworthy. But I believed it was true and right, and I didn’t know what a family was that could be broken like that.”
    Paula came toward them with their lunch plates, and Bertha stopped. The food was set before them. Clay poked at his crab cake.
    â€œI don’t know what went wrong between your mother and Pappy. But he was already distant. He was there with the same need I had. I didn’t think I caused it.”
    She stopped talking. They both were silent. Then she went on.
    â€œHe wanted more children. You might not know. He said he wanted you to have brothers and sisters. I wanted to wait, while your mother was alive. And then it just never worked. I thought we’d have more time. I’m sorry.”
    Paula brought over a pepper grinder and asked Bertha if she wanted some pepper on her salad, and Bertha said yes, thank you. After Paula finished, Bertha picked up her fork and mixed her salad, then put her fork back down.
    â€œClay, I’ll always love your pappy. But you and I . . .” She lingered over her thought. “We both have a good measure of life left.”
    Clay acknowledged this. “I know that, Bertha.” He watched her. “Strange, but you’re the closest thing to kin I got left.”
    Bertha reached over and put her hand atop Clay’s hand on the table.
    Clay felt awkward but kept still.
    Bertha gently pressed Clay’s hand and then released it.
    â€œI have more than enough with the house and money and my shop. You see, after a few years being married to Pappy, I realized I should never count on anyone else taking care of me but myself. That’s why I started the shop. It brings me a small but steady income. Plenty people think your pappy took care of me, but in the end it was the other way around.”
    â€œHe worked hard, you know that.”
    â€œThat is true. Pappy worked hard and he played hard and he spent hard. And he grieved hard too.”
    Bertha looked up at the ceiling.
    â€œHe loved me, Clay, and there was fire between us. But he was hurt from what he did. It ate at him. I believe truly he would have undone it if he could.”
    She looked down and picked up her fork.
    â€œFood’s getting cold.” She motioned.
    Clay ate a few bites from his crab cake.
    â€œYou going to keep the house?” he asked.
    Bertha waited. She finished her bite of salad and wiped her mouth with her napkin.
    â€œYes. For now at least. One day at a time.” She took a sip from her water glass.
    Clay thought of Pecks Wharf, the marina, the boats, all mortgaged, all being sold.
    â€œClay, will you do something for me? Will you go back to school and finish? That’s what Pappy wanted.”
    â€œPappy’s gone now.”
    â€œYes. Well, I’d like you to finish. It’s the smart thing to do. If you’d let me, I’d like to lend you what you may need to finish, to get your degree.”
    Clay reflected on this. “I appreciate the offer, Bertha.”
    â€œWell?”
    â€œI’ll think it over. I’ve got a few hundred left in the bank. I expect that will see me through for a while. I haven’t decided about next fall yet. But I appreciate the offer.”
    â€œWhat about the summer?”
    â€œI’ll be around. I’m planning to rent a room at the farmhouse, where I’ve been staying with Byron. I’m going to work