Trouble at Fish Camp

Freddy Schumaker’s guts churned. If only he felt as peaceful as the soft waves coming into shore. The fish camp on Kodiak Island where he and his friend, Jake Bergren, sat mending nets was usually the most serene place in the world. But this summer, Freddy’s cousin, Pete, was at the neighboring camp. That meant trouble. Not only was Pete a bully, he held a secret about Freddy that must not be told.
Freddy jerked his head around at the sound of a grunt. Shocked, he saw Jake lying on the gritty beach clutching his belly. Pete stood over him, a menacing sneer on his face.
“Lay off!” Freddy yelled. “Jake didn’t do nothin’ to you.”
Pete turned away from Jake and glared. He balled up his fist and stepped to within a hair of Freddy’s face. “He stole my job on the Danny Boy, that’s what he did!” Pete shoved Freddy hard.
Freddy clenched his teeth, feeling his lip scar tighten. He charged into Pete, growling like a wounded bear, and grabbed his shirt. Buttons popped. Pete jerked back. They fell hard, sand spraying like birdshot. Pete grunted, squeezing Freddy’s neck. Fear shot through Freddy. He yanked Pete’s hands away with a strength he didn’t know he possessed. “Run, Jake!” he croaked. “An’ watch your back!”
Pete turned towards Jake. “Think you can show up here and act like nothing happened?” He yelled, his words spitting like hailstones. “Well, you got another think coming! You messed with me about that job … and I won’t forget it.”
Freddy’s fists tightened. “Pete, don’t threaten Jake.”
“I’m not threatening. I’m promising.”
Ready for another attack, Freddy dug into his jeans pocket for the lucky jackknife he always kept there. He crouched and held his breath. Could he actually hurt his cousin? No matter how mean he was?
Pete sneered and stepped away. The breath whooshed out of Freddy’s aching lungs as he withdrew his hand from the knife. Relieved, he turned away. He knew he’d have to figure how to keep Jake safe from Pete’s clutches.
Can’t have Pete wantin’ to beat my buddy Jake to a pulp for somethin’ that happened way last winter. I’m tired of bein’ beat up by my stinkin’ cousin. He’s nothin’ but a bully. It don’t matter I’m almost nineteen and even though he’s only fifteen, he’s tougher than me. But I gotta try an’ make him see reason.
Heart still pounding, Freddy ran after Pete. “Hey, man. We’re blood! So why the attitude? I told you before, Jake gettin’ that job on the boat had nothin’ to do with you. The skipper changed his plans, that’s all. Wasn’t Jake’s fault. Besides, that was months ago.” Freddy held his breath and waited for another punch. His fingers curled around the jackknife again.
Pete cracked his knuckles and spit on the sand as he kept walking towards his dad’s cabin around the tip of Eagle Point. “Don’t think just ‘cuz you’re my cousin, I’ll go easy on you. You’re the one who brought Jake here. You both better watch your backs.”
Relieved Pete wasn’t going to punch him again, Freddy still couldn’t shake his nervousness about what could happen next. He dragged himself back to Sitting Rock where he and Jake had to finish mending nets. He felt tired, drained to his toenails. As if he’d swum ten miles. This won’t get any easier. Tomorrow’s the opener of salmon fishing and I’ll be even more tired. Can’t tell what Pete’s gonna do next. No wonder he keeps me on edge.
But now the set-nets had to be mended. He plunked his tired body down on the rock. Not hard work, just monotonous and never-ending. A part of life for all fishermen in this Land of the Midnight Sun. He picked up his long mending needle and started mending net holes. But he found it hard to concentrate.
Looking out across the water from Eagle Point fish camp on the southwest shore of Kodiak, Freddy tried to forget about Pete. He faced the spot across Shelikof Straight where their crab boat had gone down last December. He’d never forget that day. Violent winds—williwaws—coming off the Alaska Peninsula had built to 100 knots. Between the wind and sixteen-foot seas, the Danny Boy, their seventy-two-foot fishing vessel, didn’t have a chance. Down she went, almost taking the crew of five with her.
We were headin’ for dead even with our survival suits on. Thought we’d never get the ice off that life raft. Freddy shivered, thinking about their close call.
Miraculously, the skipper’s Mayday call had reached the Coast Guard station before the boat’s navigation system quit. A Coast Guard swimmer plucked Freddy and the others out one by one, like orange fishing bobbers, from their flooding life raft.
Freddy couldn’t stop thinking about their rescue. My guts still churn when I picture us jumpin’ into that flimsy raft. Pitchin’ and bobbin’ just like the Danny Boy before the sea swallowed her whole.
It turned out okay, though. Freddy chuckled, remembering how his friend got religion over their near-disaster. Maybe Jake’s right when he says God saved us. He changed from a fightin’, greenhorn kid with an attitude to a religious fanatic. Not that it makes me think less of him. Even though his preachin’ gets tiresome at times. Freddy chuckled again.
“What’s so funny?” Jake asked, his mending needle poised heavenward. He shook his head free of the remaining sand that had gathered there when Pete had thrown him to the ground. “Your cousin’s a bully and you’re laughing?” He punched Freddy on the arm.
“Naw, it’s not that. Just thinkin’ ‘bout our ‘disaster at sea,’ as you call it.”
Jake snorted. “Yeah, some ending to our crabbing trip. But … seriously, what are we going to do about Pete? He’s a mean one. Does he hold grudges for long?”
Freddy remained quiet. He and Pete had their own history. How could he answer Jake’s question? It had been eight years since Freddy had almost let his little sister, Mattie, drown and Pete had seen it happen. Even though Pete had never said a word about it, he kept threatening to. Freddy just knew if Pete got mad enough, he’d think nothing of using the awful secret as a weapon. Then everyone would hate him. Jake wouldn’t want to be his friend any more if he knew. Neither would Jake’s sister, Joanie, whom he had met just this week.
Freddy already liked Joanie’s spunky attitude. Reminded him of his sisters. He was glad she had come with Jake to fish camp. Their boss and owner of the camp, Bernie and his wife, Barb, had hired Joanie to babysit Jessica, their two-year-old daughter, during the salmon fishing season.
No, I can’t say a word to nobody. I’ll just hafta try not to get Pete riled up any more than he is. It’ll be like walkin’ on eggs again. Like Ma and the girls and I did before Dad left. Good riddance to the drunken deadbeat.”
“What’re you mumbling about? I just asked you a simple question.”
Freddy jerked his head up. “Uh, sorry. Yeah, Pete does hold grudges. You gotta be extra careful around him.” He forced a crooked smile across his face and whacked Jake on the back. “But we don’t hafta be around him much. Not to worry.”
Jake grunted, following it with a loud sigh. “Remember how seasick I got on the way out to the fishing grounds? Well, the water may be calmer here …” he pointed towards the ocean waves “… but my muscles tense just thinking about Pete’s bullying.” Jake turned to face Freddy. “This is my problem, though. You shouldn’t have to take the brunt of his anger. Let me handle it.”
Freddy laughed. “Yeah, right. Remember on the boat last year? How you staggered up the steps to the wheelhouse an’ slipped on the deck and puked from seasickness? If Pete gets ahold of you alone, you’ll be staggerin’ the same way. Maybe pukin’, too.”