Tip Rats

Part 15 - Fish 2

The tide was well out and an aura of pock-marked, dark, stinking mud lined the edges of the creek. As a youngster Ned, amongst many other local ragamuffins, would come down to the creek when the tide was like this and engage in epic mud battles. Today he was doing his best to avoid all unnecessary contact with the meconial sludge as he tip-toed his way along the bank with his fishing rod, doing his best not to snag himself on the spiny shrubs that lined the bank.

'Just walk through it you poof' mocked Big Jake overtaking Ned on his left flank, shin deep in the muck and wearing a Bintang singlet that looked as though it might blow away in a stiff breeze like dandelion spores.

'I'm alright up here thanks mate' insisted Ned, determined to continue along his chosen route if only to prove a point. The space between Ned and Big Jake grew as Ned was forced to negotiate his way over a fallen tree that was biting at his fishing rod and loose clothing as well as housing an army of sand-flies that felt it proper to harass Ned long after he had passed the obstacle. Ned followed Big Jake's trail of sinkholes around a bend in the creek and found him leaning against a collapsed bank with his line slung out into the murk.

'You took your time princess' Big Jake remarked as Ned flopped down beside him swiping away at the few stoic sand-flies that remained at his bother.

'Mate, you'll be picking that smelly shit out of your toenails for days and I'll be laughing at ya' Ned retorted as he brushed the twigs out of his hair. Ned concertinaed a strip of squid onto his hook and flung it out into the brackish water.

'So what's the latest bro?' enquired Big Jake.

'Not much, just chilling'.

'Lucky bastard' Jake replied before hurriedly reeling in his line to find a fist sized toadfish croaking away at the end. 'I hate touching these slimy bastards' he muttered as he attempted to remove the fish by holding the top of the hook and helicoptering it free.

'I'm thinking about going with Andy on his trip, Chris is goi....', Ned's story was halted abruptly as the toadfish rocketed off Big Jakes hook and crashed with a wet slap into Ned's right ear.

'Sorry bro' Big Jake managed to gasp between bouts of laughter so overwhelming him that he felt it necessary to check his underpants in case he'd voided his bowels.

Ned picked up the offending fish that now lay croaking amongst the loose stones at his feet and hurled it, like a slimy grenade, clear across the creek into the dense Melaleuca scrub on the opposite side.

'Seriously bro, sorry' repeated Big Jake, still wearing a maniacal grin.

'It's alright mate' replied Ned who also found the incident rather amusing.

'Fucken hell, you launched that fish bro' said Big Jake, tracing the arc of its flight across the sky with his finger and adding his own impressive sound effects. Ned smiled in agreement and let out a rapid fire air giggle out of his nostrils.

'So what were you saying about going overseas?' asked Big Jake, returning a moderately serious air to the idyll.

'Oh, ah.... Andy's going over to the States, and Chris is gonna go too, now that he's off work indefinitely'. Big Jake nodded, taking in the information. He'd heard about Constable Bastoni's indiscretion via the small-town grapevine. 'I'm thinking about maybe going as well'.

'Do it bro, you only live once, one of you Roach's should get the fuck out of Bundy'.

'Yeah I know, I'm just not really sure if it's a good time, I should probably find a job.'

'Fuck it, you've got your whole life to work' Big Jake exclaimed. 'Get loose for a bit, you three tip rats will have a sick time over there'.

Ned nodded his head, 'yeah, maybe'. He felt a few sharp tugs on his line and reeled it in expectantly, hoping for something worthy of the empty bucket resting in the tree roots beside the creek. There wasn't a great deal of resistance as Ned reeled in his catch and his anticipation faded as he felt it drag through the mud. When Ned pulled the line out of the water a large mud-crab was dangling from the hook.

'Sweet bro, that's better than a fish!' Big Jake gave Ned an enthusiastic thumbs-up then picked up the bucket and held it out, giving it a shake, 'pop him in'.

The crab was the first edible critter Ned had pulled out of this creek for ages. These expeditions had long ago become more of a social outing than any real attempt at food acquisition, and he knew Big Jake appreciated the company.

As they walked down Scarborough Street with the crab and a 5-inch-long mullet that Big Jake insisted would be not only edible but also delicious, Ned spotted the white, douched-up Falcon parked in the street in front of the house.

'Looks like we'll be blessed with the presence of Captain Cockbreath again tonight' said Ned, pointing at Nath's wanker wagon.

'Better get used to it mate, he's moving in', Big Jake replied, his comment stopping Ned in his tracks.

'Are you fucking serious?'

'Yeah bro, he got kicked out of his place so he's staying here until he can find somewhere else. It's just for a while apparently'.

'That's what you said nine years ago and yet here you are' Ned replied cheekily. 'He's not going anywhere in a hurry'.

Ned stared at the rolling shit show in front of the house and made a decision.

*

Andy steered the ute up in his driveway and felt his mobile vibrate in his pocket as the loose bricks slid across the tray and banged up against the aluminium sides. After lobbing his boots up on to the decking and transferring the catalogues from the letterbox to the wheelie bin Andy checked the message.

I'm coming too.

'Sweet' Andy said aloud, to no-one in particular.