The other day, our neighbour Cecil asked me if I could take him to
get a jar of gas. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I said
"yes" because that's the kind of friend Cecil has become.
He and I are more or less the same age, but he grew up here in
Rose Blanche and spent his whole life fishing.
Cecil's not our only wonderful neighbour, his wife Dorothy
is the same. They're not only friendly folks, but also very generous. They've
given us scallops, fish and the other day, a feast of fresh lobster.
Which brings me to a couple of their adult kids, young Cecil
and Leona. By all accounts, young Cecil takes after his Dad and Leona after her
Mom. Young Cecil is a fisherman and Leona loves to cook and can bake up a
storm. You might remember in one of our previous stories about getting blessed
with a welcome gift of fresh bread and pastries.
In appreciation for their generosity, we've tried to help
Cecil and Dorothy out too with a hand here and a drive there when they need something. Cecile
and Dorothy don't drive a car because their life was built around the sea.
Their vehicle of choice has always been a boat, and that's not uncommon here.
Getting back to taking Cecil for a jar of gas, in fact, we
got what I call a can of gas for his boat. I guess "jar of gas" is just
Newfoundland speak, while a "can of gas" is mainland speak or maybe
Ottawa Valley lingo. When I think about it, both terms may just be a little old
fashion, because today of course, all gas tanks are plastic.
Anyway, Marlene and I've learned to understand most of what
Cecil and Dorothy are telling us, and it appears they understand much of what
we say too. So, our friendship feels good, and we're very fortunate to have
them as close neighbours. They add colour to our lives here on Parsons Point,
and we hope, we do the same to theirs.