have two or three on this line.”
Mansir put the net in the water and watched as T-Boy with expert hands, pulled the crabs over the net then gave him a nod . He lifted. T-Boy was right. There were three crabs in the net, huge ones with blue claws.
“ Wow, these things are big. Hey over there, we just pulled in three whoppers,” Mansir yelled to Joelette and Ozamae.
“ That's just a start. You haven't seen these two boys eat crabs.” Joelette answered.
The next net held one big one . The crab hung onto the net with its claws and Mansir couldn't get it out.
“ What do I do with this one T-Boy?”
T-Boy turned his head to the side and said . “Reach in and work him loose. He won't hurt you.”
Mansir reached in and felt the sharp pinch of a powerful claw on his finger. Cursing under his breath he jerked his finger free pulling the claw off the crab in the process. He squeezed his finger to stop the pain and watched it bleed.
“What happened?” Joelette said as she ran over to them.
“ That crab just cut my finger,” Mansir said. He looked from the clawless crab and then at T-Boy. The little guy's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of blood coming from the cut. An unsaid plea crossed T-Boy's face.
“ T-Boy, didn't you tell Mansir how powerful a crab’s claw was?”
“ Yes, he told me,” Mansir said before T-Boy could answer. “I guess I needed to see for myself. You can bet I won't be reaching into a net with a crab in it again.”
“ Here, wrap this around your finger.” Joelette handed him a strip of cloth. “We'll put some ointment on it when we get to the house. You two stop horsing around. We have supper to catch.” She smiled before she turned around.
Mansir returned to crabbing . “How many crabs do you think will be enough, T-Boy?”
T-Boy's face tinged with red looked up at Mansir . “A sack full.” He coughed, cleared his throat. “I'm sorry. I didn't know that crab would break the skin. Thank you for not telling Mom what I did,” he said as he walked off to run another line. “But I’m still the man of the house,” he muttered.
Mansir opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind . Now wasn't the time. MaeMae and the Doc both thought time healed everything. Maybe it did. He would give the boy time.
The four of them continued to crab, catching dozens.
“I think we have enough. We better get back so we can clean them for MaeMae,” Joelette said.
“ Wait let me check this one.” Mansir pointed to a line pulled taunt. “Bring the net, T-Boy.”
Mansir pulled slowly as he had seen T-Boy do, he could feel the tug on the other end of the line . “This one’s big, maybe big enough to fill you up, T-Boy.” As the line got closer to shore, Mansir saw two round eyes come up out of the water.
“ I think you better let that one go.” T-Boy said. “You've caught a gator.”
Mansir tossed down the line and grabbed T-boy under his arm. He ran toward the truck. “Run, Joelette. It's a gator.” He ran past Joelette and Ozamae and then realized she wasn’t running. Not only that, but she was doubled-over laughing.
Joelette tried to catch her breath. “He's not after you. He wants the crabs. I've never seen an alligator chase a man up a hill yet. Now put T-Boy down and take a couple of breaths. You look like you're about to pass out.”
Mansir s et down T-Boy.
“ I can't believe you're afraid of a little ole gator. I never saw someone run that fast, you picked me up like I was a pile of sticks,” T-Boy said in between bouts of laughter.
Joelette and Ozamae sat beside them . “You should have seen yourself running with T-Boy's legs flopping behind you in the wind. That was the funniest thing I have ever seen,” Joelette said.
The sound of all their laughter was infectious Mansir found himself chuckling with them. Lord, it felt great.
“ Well that had to be one of the scariest sights I've ever seen. I played tug-a-war with an alligator. Not one of the smartest
Mansir put the net in the water and watched as T-Boy with expert hands, pulled the crabs over the net then gave him a nod . He lifted. T-Boy was right. There were three crabs in the net, huge ones with blue claws.
“ Wow, these things are big. Hey over there, we just pulled in three whoppers,” Mansir yelled to Joelette and Ozamae.
“ That's just a start. You haven't seen these two boys eat crabs.” Joelette answered.
The next net held one big one . The crab hung onto the net with its claws and Mansir couldn't get it out.
“ What do I do with this one T-Boy?”
T-Boy turned his head to the side and said . “Reach in and work him loose. He won't hurt you.”
Mansir reached in and felt the sharp pinch of a powerful claw on his finger. Cursing under his breath he jerked his finger free pulling the claw off the crab in the process. He squeezed his finger to stop the pain and watched it bleed.
“What happened?” Joelette said as she ran over to them.
“ That crab just cut my finger,” Mansir said. He looked from the clawless crab and then at T-Boy. The little guy's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of blood coming from the cut. An unsaid plea crossed T-Boy's face.
“ T-Boy, didn't you tell Mansir how powerful a crab’s claw was?”
“ Yes, he told me,” Mansir said before T-Boy could answer. “I guess I needed to see for myself. You can bet I won't be reaching into a net with a crab in it again.”
“ Here, wrap this around your finger.” Joelette handed him a strip of cloth. “We'll put some ointment on it when we get to the house. You two stop horsing around. We have supper to catch.” She smiled before she turned around.
Mansir returned to crabbing . “How many crabs do you think will be enough, T-Boy?”
T-Boy's face tinged with red looked up at Mansir . “A sack full.” He coughed, cleared his throat. “I'm sorry. I didn't know that crab would break the skin. Thank you for not telling Mom what I did,” he said as he walked off to run another line. “But I’m still the man of the house,” he muttered.
Mansir opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind . Now wasn't the time. MaeMae and the Doc both thought time healed everything. Maybe it did. He would give the boy time.
The four of them continued to crab, catching dozens.
“I think we have enough. We better get back so we can clean them for MaeMae,” Joelette said.
“ Wait let me check this one.” Mansir pointed to a line pulled taunt. “Bring the net, T-Boy.”
Mansir pulled slowly as he had seen T-Boy do, he could feel the tug on the other end of the line . “This one’s big, maybe big enough to fill you up, T-Boy.” As the line got closer to shore, Mansir saw two round eyes come up out of the water.
“ I think you better let that one go.” T-Boy said. “You've caught a gator.”
Mansir tossed down the line and grabbed T-boy under his arm. He ran toward the truck. “Run, Joelette. It's a gator.” He ran past Joelette and Ozamae and then realized she wasn’t running. Not only that, but she was doubled-over laughing.
Joelette tried to catch her breath. “He's not after you. He wants the crabs. I've never seen an alligator chase a man up a hill yet. Now put T-Boy down and take a couple of breaths. You look like you're about to pass out.”
Mansir s et down T-Boy.
“ I can't believe you're afraid of a little ole gator. I never saw someone run that fast, you picked me up like I was a pile of sticks,” T-Boy said in between bouts of laughter.
Joelette and Ozamae sat beside them . “You should have seen yourself running with T-Boy's legs flopping behind you in the wind. That was the funniest thing I have ever seen,” Joelette said.
The sound of all their laughter was infectious Mansir found himself chuckling with them. Lord, it felt great.
“ Well that had to be one of the scariest sights I've ever seen. I played tug-a-war with an alligator. Not one of the smartest
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