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Billy and his dad have gone fishing. They are spending a day together like they used to. Billy's dad is encouraging him to give all his energy to the task. The love between father is ever binding.
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“Cast it out, Billy. Whip your arm and fling that line, Like, you own it. Aim for that stick floating bye. You see it, don’t you?” His son cast his line. The end of it plunked into the river’s shallow edge.
“Damn, boy, you can do a whole lot better than that. You can’t have forgotten How to arc your arm high—deep from the shoulder, Hell, you’re the best fly fisherman in the state of Washington. ”
Billy’s eyes connected with his dad’s, they conveyed defeat.
“Why are you looking at me like that? You know it’s true . Well, besides me, I taught you from this very knee.” He patted it for emphasis. “Come on; now, try it again, damn, there’s tons of fish out there yearning—begging to be caught.”
He placed his wide breathed, Calloused hands over his son’s twenty four year old, smooth ones, as they, both gripped the rod.
“You see? Like this, boy. Come on now, you haven’t been away from it that long. It’s like riding a bike, for god sake.”
Billy managed a half smile. His dad grinned in return, Love, seeped from every pore of his weather-warn russet hued face.
“Do like I showed you.” He said in a soft tone.
Still holding his humor, He captured his son’s gaze; Clear blue eyes, Thick with black lashes (From his mom’s side), met his. Billy grinned.
“Go ahead now, swing with all your strength. Let it take a toll on you.”
Billy summoned the determination His eyes began to tear, yet he set his brow and Held his mouth firm. His vision began to blur. He wiped the escaping tears from his cheeks with the sleeve of his crooked arm, and then looked to his dad, Pleading and yearning; doubting, hoping, to please.
“Come on, Billy, feel it in your heart. Set your mind to it, like I taught you.”
Billy closed his eyes, His expression appearing, as though in prayer. When he looked at his father anew, there was evidence of “wanting it. A new spark in his eyes, His dad was sure he saw it there.
Billy wrapped his hands tighter around the cold, medal rod, once his dad had wound the reel tight. No more words were uttered, then. The silence was almost a fear; a hope? He watched his son crank his shoulder hard, Putting a wide swing, to his arms, and the rod. The line whipped into the air then, made a wide arc, appearing to hang in a frozen stillness then, sitting there, on the breeze. It relaxed in delicate prose, until; it descended into the moving river. The fish leapt above the churning froth, Splashing foamy sprits of sparkling white drops high into the air. He pulled hard against the now taunt line, the burdened threads stretched to the limit. His body spent, yet holding on, by his forceful will alone. Billy’s dad leapt to the reel then, wound up the line in furious frenzy.
“Pull back! That’s it, son, Bring him in, he’s yours.” The man whooped and hollered, “wah-hoo -wee” Then danced a gig in place. “That’s it. That’s how it’s done, boy! That’s how I taught you, son”
Suddenly, the fish hit the ground with a slap, flapping and flipping-- its oxygen starved body arched into the air, thrusting itself towards the river’s hem, the work weary hands grabbed it up and held on tight. It twisted, gills pulsing in his fists. The hook tore from his gaping mouth. Rainbow colored scales, glimmered in the noon sun. Billy’s dad opened the basket’s lid and placed the fish inside almost reverently. He quickly closed it up tight, then howled a hearty laugh,
“It was a good day, son.”
He breathed in the fresh clean air. Billy sat motionless. His wheelchair’s wheels dug deep into the sandy soil. His legs where forever quiet. The war had seen to that. His head injury, long healed, Left him, unable to speak. His dad covered the boy’s still broad shoulder with his hand, then, shook it.
“You did yourself proud—and me.”
His dad was a hard man; hard living, hard working, hard speaking---and always hard loving. Billy looked at his contented face, Then, nodded his, own approval. It was a very, good day.
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