dangerous waters

Fisher: I’m Fisher. I work on the river, my name’s Fisher and I don’t fish, so, fuck off.

Dani: (to Eddie) He’s Fisher.

Eddie: (to Fisher) I’m…

Dani: Eddie.

Eddie: Yeah, Eddie, I’m sorry, I was, I dosed off a minute ago.

Fisher: (ignoring Eddie) I could use a beer.

Dani: Eddie?

Eddie: Just the one?

Dani: Yeah.

Eddie goes below to retrieve a beer. Fisher and Dani remain silent until he returns.

Eddie: (handing the beer to Fisher) So, you work on a barge?

Fisher: Yeah.

Eddie: Seems like an interesting job.

Fisher: If you like standing still while the world splits down the middle.

Eddie: Do you call the whole thing a barge, or is it a tug pushing barges? I never know… I’ll, I’m going to go up front and let you two talk. You know each other, right?

Dani: We’ve got some stuff to talk about so…

Eddie: Yeah, well, I’ll be up there if you need me or anything.

Eddie moves to the bow of the boat but not so far away as to prohibit him from hearing their conversation. Dani is sitting at the captain’s station facing Fisher who is leaning against the cockpit doorway. The water is still. There’s only the occasional splash of ripples and the hum of engines to conceal their words.

Fisher: Edna tells me you walk a lot.

Dani: Driving, mostly.

Fisher: When’s the last time you made pie?

Dani: I don’t really do that on Sundays anymore. There’s always a bird around, splashing.

Fisher: What kind of bird?

Dani: Blue jays mostly, sometimes a cardinal, an occasional dove.

Fisher: Them jays are smart.

Dani: They’ll take your babies.

Fisher: I got the green eye.

Dani: Sorry to hear that. How long?

Fisher: Eighteen yards.

Dani: And Piper?

Fisher: Which?

Dani: Red.

Fisher: Dead.

Dani: So, sliced cabbage or sausage?

Fisher: Piper wants the cabbage.

Dani: Which?

Fisher: Ruby.

Dani: Just so it’s not Crimson.

Fisher: Crimson’s a bastard.

Dani: Heartless bastard.

Fisher: So, you playing or what?

Dani: Always do.

Fisher: On my way then.

Dani: I’ll catch up with you when it’s done.

Fisher: I don’t have long.

Dani: The green eye.

Fisher: Got to go do the split.

Dani: Tell Piper I won’t be long.

Fisher: Fuck Piper.

Dani: Which one?

Fisher: All of them.

Fisher crawls over to the barge. Dani pulls away and begins to move upstream. Eddie sits still and quiet and tries to convince himself that he misheard their entire exchange.