9 9. Paddling And Fishing On Ase Creek (2/2)
”But they look pretty though and very tasty, too,” Onome said.
”Well,” Igho said, ”they may be pretty but they are fish and should be eaten!”
Ufuoma laughed.
Before long, Ufuoma finished laying his hook and they pulled ash.o.r.e for a while. Igho wanted to know what was next. Ufuoma told them that they needed to wait for some time to allow fish to eat the baits before he could inspect the line for any catch. They ate the banana he brought with him while they waited.
After about 45 minutes, they set out to inspect the hooks. They made a modest catch; ten egani, five ewha, and eight ejase completed the catch in the first round of inspection. However, two egani that were not properly hooked fell back into the water just before Ufuoma could reach them. The two city children screamed at the loss; Ufuoma asked them to be quiet and explained that such loss was also part of the fis.h.i.+ng business.
Onome and Igho were excited at the catch all the same. But Ufuoma said it was poor and hoped that it would be better in the next two rounds before nightfall. In the last round, almost every hook caught a fish. Igho and Onome were happy; Ufuoma smiled at the two of them.
”But we didn't catch this much in the first two rounds of inspection,” Igho remarked.
”How did it happen?” Onome chipped in.
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
”Evenings and nights are when fishes go out to hunt for food the most,” Ufuoma explained.
”So, those kerosene lamps we see at night in the river belong to fishermen?” Igho asked.
”Yes, of course,” Ufuoma replied. ”What else do you think they are for?”
”But you have not gone to fish at night since we came!” Onome said accusingly.
”Well,” Ufuoma dragged his words, ”if I do, two of you will insist on coming with me. But I can't take you.”
”Why?”
”You will fall asleep and fall into the water!”
”Oh,” Onome said.
”I won't fall asleep,” Igho boasted.
”Igho, it will be too dark and you will be afraid,” Onome told him.
”Even so,” Igho still persisted, ”Uncle Ufuoma will be there.”
Ufuoma laughed.
As they paddled home, with Igho and Onome excited at the catch they had made, a terrible thing happened. As the floodwater had begun to rise, it had covered some tree stumps that had been visible before now. They were slightly submerged underwater, and it was difficult to see and avoid them. Ufuoma's canoe climbed one of such tree stumps and it caused the canoe to tumble. Igho and Onome panicked, screamed and tumbled into the water. Ufuoma's efforts to balance and tilt the canoe away from the direction it was tumbling failed and they all landed in the water.
Ufuoma raised the alarm at once and several other fishermen in the river with whom they had exchanged pleasantries heard it and paddled fast in their direction to rescue them. Ufuoma swam to Igho and Onome and held them up as he threaded water to steady them from drowning. Soon help came and they were all pulled up into a neighbour's canoe. Igho and Onome were s.h.i.+vering with fright; Onome burst out crying.
Other fishermen also dove into the water and brought out Ufuoma's canoe that had gone under. Igho and Onome were helped into the canoe and Ufuoma paddled them home. The fis.h.i.+ng expedition that had gone on smoothly and successfully turned out sour at the end. All the fishes they had caught were lost. Most of them were still alive and had gladly swum back into the water, grateful they had not ended up in any fishermen's cooking pot!
<script>