Vignette 19: Dawn

Ten—Dawn



With the arrival of dawn, a friendly sun peered over the horizon, silhouetting the islands and casting golden beams that skipped over the rippling water stroked by a gentle breeze. In the space of a breath, the silhouettes vanished and an early-morning goldness flooded the islands and the pier jutting from the cape. Triggered into bustling activity, the pier vibrated with the heavy footsteps, growls, and calls of rubber-booted lobstermen, clad in wraith-like yellow oilskins, buying gasoline and half-decomposed, odorous, redfish bait.

Oarlocks rattled, dinghies bumped dully against one another, and bailing cans scraped irritably against uneven bottoms amid muffled curses. The even lap. . . clunk. . .lap. . . clunk recorded the progress of two-score skillful seamen rowing toward two score lobster boats.

With activity transferred from pier to harbor, marine engines coughed sullenly, sp7ttered coldly, and sprang to life fatalistically. One by one, the lobster fleet chugged out of the harbor in search of delicacies to grace American tables.

A few desultory sea gulls, searching for spilled bait, glided and winged about the empty, sun-drenched pier.