"Honey? Do you need anything at Tucker's?"

"No, me love, Ise bes fine. Unless youse can figures 'ow Ise could 'ave a nice stiff drink of whiskey."

Bill turned and stared at Nanny Dove.

"It is not you that needs to drink. It is those around you."

"Matty, your 'ubby is givin' me a 'ard time. Again."

Matty walked out of the bedroom, toward Bill.

"I would say its the other way around, old lady."

She gave him a quick kiss.

"Want to have a barbecue for supper?"

"Sounds good."

"Then grab some steaks or pork chops. Whatever you feel like."

"Okay. Be right back."

"Oh, Bill?"

He turned.

"Yes hun."

"See if Henry has any lettuce in yet. He didn't have any yesterday, but he said that Ronnie would be here first thing this morning.

Oh and some radishes too, if he has any."

"Okay."

Bill put his hand on the door handle, as Matty popped in the kitchen. He hesitated for a moment and then took it back off, as Matty popped out again.

"Oh and get me some fresh milk and see if he has any butter in yet. He was out yesterday."

She popped back in the kitchen.

Bill leaned against the door and lit a cigarette, as he waited.

Matty popped back out.

"And we need some smokes and you only have one cigar left and we are almost out of bread."

Bill nodded as he drew on a cigarette and watched Matty pop back into the kitchen, but then like a rubber ball, she popped right back out.

"Forget the bread. I'll bake some fresh bread instead."

"That would be great," Bill commented. He really did love Matty's fresh bread.

"Good. Then get me a ten pound bag of flour and some yeast. And see if Henry has any raisins. I will make you some raisin bread too."

She blew Bill a kiss.

"Love you."

Bill caught the kiss and held it to his heart.

"Love you too, baby."

Nanny Dove laughed.

"She bes like a gopher poppin' in an out of a 'ole."

"Oh and I just remembered. Henry was going to bring me in some broccoli and cauliflower and some mini tomatoes."

Bill continued to lean against the door, smiling and nodding, as Matty continued her list.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Matty pointed at the door.

"You gonna just stand there or are you going to Tucker's."

"Just waiting for you to finish my love."

She skipped to Bill, smiling.

"I'm done."

She kissed him quickly and skipped back to the kitchen.

Bill looked at Nanny Dove.

She simply shook her head.

Matty reappeared in the living room.

"Oh I just remembered. I need some ..."

She stopped and stared at Bill for a moment.

"You know what?"

"What?"

She smiled.

"Just forget it. I'll make up a list and go myself in a little while."

"You sure?"

She nodded.

"I'm sure.

Why were you going there anyway?"

Bill thought for a second.

"You know what? I can't remember."

"Then let me get dressed and we will go together."

She ran into the bedroom.

Bill started walking back across the living room toward the couch.

Nanny Dove was still laughing.

"Ifin youse runs real fast, youse can git out of 'ere. Go to Jamaica. Git dat condo."

Bill shook his head, as he sat on the couch.

"No. I would miss this insanity too much."

Bill pulled his cellphone from his pocket, as he felt it vibrate.

"Hello?"

He listened for a second.

"Hey Henry. I was just coming over to see you. Me and Matty needs to pick up a few things."

Again he listened.

"Uh huh .... uh huh .... uh huh."

Bill snuffed out his cigarette.

"WHAT?" he yelled.

"I'll be right over."

He put the cell phone back in his pocket as he stood up.

"Fuck me."

Matty ran out of the bedroom.

"What's wrong, hun? Who was that on the phone?"

Bill started for the door.

"It was Henry. He says he wants to see me right away."

"Is something wrong?"

Bill stopped at the door and turned to Matty.

"He says there is a man there who wants to see me."

"What man?"

"He claims he is my Uncle Fred."

Bill ran across the cobblestone road, to Tucker's Store and jumped the stairs to the main door.

"Where is he?"

Henry pointed toward the back of the store.

Bill could see a man at the back the store, looking at the freezers.

"Thanks Henry."

He started walking toward the back.

The man saw him, smiled and hurried up the aisle.

"Billy. Billy. Billy."

He put his arms around Bill and gave him a huge hug.

Bill did not reciprocate.

The man stood back holding Bill's arms.

"Let me look at you. As I live and breathe, it is you."

He hugged Bill again.

"I can't believe I found you."

Again, Bill did not move his arms, only to gently push the man away from him.

"What are you doing here Fred?"

Fred smiled.

"Is that any way to greet your favourite uncle?"

"My what?" Bill snapped.

"Oh come on Billy. How long has it been?

What ten years or so?"

"Seventeen years, Fred."

He looked surprised.

"Has it been that long?"

"Yea. I was sixteen when you threw me out of the house."

"Well now Billy, that wasn't all my fault.

You did sleep with my wife."

"What?"

Bill took a deep breath to calm down.

"She came into my room at night and molested me."

"Tomatoes, Toe-mat-toes.

That's all in the past."

He took hold of Bill's arms again.

"Let me look at my favourite nephew."

Bill pushed his hands away, stepping back.

"I am your only nephew and you still threw me out of the house when I was sixteen."

Fred started laughing.

"Well if you lived at home here at sixteen, you would be an old man."

He stepped in closer to Bill.

"I heard that in these outports they get married when they are like twelve or thirteen."

Bill took a step back.

"What do you want Fred?"

"Can't an uncle want to see his favourite nephew?"

Bill shook his head, stepped around the man and started walking back toward the front of the store.

"Go away Fred. Go crawl back under whatever rock you crawled out from under."

"Oh, that's the way it is, is it?"

Bill turned quickly.

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Mr. High and Mighty there. Give him a few dollars and suddenly he forgets who his family is."

Bill started laughing and rolled his eyes.

"Ah.  of course. That's it then.

Never heard a word from you for seventeen years, but suddenly here you are. Arms wide open."

Bill started walking toward him.

"So you heard about my lottery winnings and you decided that suddenly ...

out of the fucking blue ...

I need to go and see my nephew."

Bill stopped a couple feet from Fred and glared at him.

"Was that it?"

Fred shook his head.

"No. That's not it at all. I just decided that I needed a vacation, so I came to see you."

"See me?

How did you even find me, Fred?"

"I googled you."

Bill shook his head.

"Fucking google."

He turned and started walking away from him, again.

"Go the fuck home Fred. Get back in whatever you came here in and go back home."

"I don't have a home, Billy."

Bill stopped, shaking his head, staring at the ceiling.

"Fuck me."

"I lost everything. Look, I got into the gambling and it got a little out of control."

"I know I don't want to hear this."

Bill could hear Fred walking toward him.

"I have nothing, Bill. Only the clothes on my back and what I have in that duffle bag by the door. I have $50 bucks in my wallet and that's it."

Bill turned around.

"I will give you enough money to get the fuck out of here and start over, somewhere else.

Somewhere far, far, far, fucking farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, away from here."

He stepped toward Bill.

"Thank you Billy."

Bill put up his hand to stop him.

"That's it then Fred. It is far more than I owe you."

He nodded.

"You're right. I don't deserve any more."

Bill took a deep breath. He almost felt sorry for Fred.

"How much do you think you will need?

Five grand?

Ten grand?"

Fred had the strangest look on his face. A slight smirk came to his face.

"I need 250 grand."

"WHAT?"