Part 20 (2/2)
Jake plunged his hand into the water and searched for the submerged branch and line. Finally, he grasped it and began to pull it out of the water. The lack of resistance surprised him. Without warning, the line tugged him with unexpected force. Jake momentarily lost his balance and almost fell out of the boat. Clayton laughed at the predicament as he watched his son.
”Quit laughing and throw me the net, old man.”
”Oh, I'm so sorry, but I can't help it here!” He tried in vain to restrain his laughter.
Jake pulled the line up again, this time with the net in the other hand. When he saw the slimy head through the muddy water, he scooped the net towards it. As the ma.s.sive catfish struggled to escape, he flared his tines, only entangling himself further. Jake had committed himself and leaned halfway out of the boat. He had seen the size of the beast and refused to let it escape. Clayton quit laughing as he saw the giant tail swirl the top of the water.
”Get over here and give me a hand!”
”Okay, okay! Just don't lose him!”
”Grab the back half; be careful!”
”Okay! On three!”
They heaved the thras.h.i.+ng beast into the boat on three and stepped back to avoid getting pierced by one of the fish's pointy tines. They stared in awe of the giant fish.
”Wow! He must weigh what, sixty, seventy pounds?”
”Maybe more; he's a big one.”
”What do we do with him? There's no way he'll fit in your ice chest.”
”Let's let him go.”
”What?”
”Maybe I'm getting soft, but I have a sort of respect for the big ones. They're survivors; they've made it through a lot. I don't feel like it's my place anymore to take that from them. Besides, the big ones don't taste as good anyway.”
”Kate'll never believe me if I tell her we let a seventy pound catfish go.”
”That's why they're fish stories, son. Besides,” Clayton winked as he continued, ”in the story, he can be a hundred pounds. Now, help me get this thing back in the water.”
Moses' barking awoke Kate from her nap on the secluded sandbar. The recent floods had nearly submerged it, but a small finger remained. Her skin was warm and pink from the sun's rays. Great, sunburnt in October; just my luck. She grabbed a bottle of water from her pack and stood to stretch.
Kate called out to Claire, ”Do you need anything while I'm up?”
”Oh no dear, I'm fine. Ooh, you're going to be burned.”
”I know; just my luck.”
Sasha padded after Kate as she strolled across the beach to Moses. She scratched him behind his ears while he continued to bark.
”How's your shoulder feel today?”
”It's better. It hurts a little when I cast, but other than that it's as good as new.”
”That's good. What's Moses barking at?”
”He thinks I've got a fish. He hates fish well, he hates fish that aren't deep fried at least.”
Kate laughed, ”I think by the time we leave this place, we'll all hate fish.”
”You know what?” Geram smiled and said, ”I do believe you're right.”
Kate sat on the bank beside him as he continued to work the spinner bait through the water.
”What happened that night; how'd you get shot?”
”I lost focus for just a second, and the next thing I knew I was. .h.i.t. I guess it just wasn't my lucky night. If it hadn't been for Jake...” his voice trailed off.
”I think you were very lucky that night.”
”Maybe you're right.”
”Have you ever been shot before?”
”Never.”
She sat in silence for a while as he occasionally cast the rod and began the cycle of reeling it anew.
”It gives you some perspective, doesn't it?”
”It does. I've had several dreams about that moment where I stared at his barrel. I wasn't ready to die on so many levels, I wasn't ready to die.”
”I had a dream the other night about my mother. It's the only dream I've had about her since she pa.s.sed.”
Geram placed the rod on the bank as he sat down in the sand and faced her.
”What was it about?”
”We were in this beautiful restaurant at this beautiful table. There were candles and the reflections of the flames danced on the silverware and china. We were the only people in the place. Mom looked angelic, like I'd never seen her before; her face was so radiant. She never said anything; she just smiled at me with the most amazing smile. Behind her was this sculpture. I don't remember what it was, but I remember being in complete awe of it. The detail was indescribable, the curves and lines were perfect; I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
I asked her who made it, but she didn't answer. She just kept smiling at me like an angel. It made me feel so warm and safe to see her smile like that.
I never saw who it was, but when I asked her again, a hand reached across my shoulder and pointed at Mom. I was like, 'Mom! You made this?' But she never said a word; she just kept smiling back at me like she'd never been happier.”
Geram thought for a while, before asking, ”What do you think it meant, Kate?”
”I'm not sure. I know of all people, Mom was not an artist,” Kate smiled at the memory of her mother.
They sat in silence as they waited for Jake and Clayton to return, the distant sound of their motor was barely audible.
”Maybe,” she said, ”maybe it was supposed to mean that there's something more.”
”Maybe it was.”
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