Dreamland

Flying Fish

I'm back East, visiting my Mom and Dad. Dad asks if I want to go on a fishing trip, camping along the river. I've never been much of a fisherman, but my Dad really enjoys it. I agree to go because I want to spend the time with him, I don't know how much longer he'll be around.

"I'll go get the gear ready", he says, struggling a little to get up from his chair.

"No, let me get it," I say, as I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. ""Just sit down and relax, I'll get the car loaded.

I noticed when I put my hand on his shoulder how thin he's gotten. Fuckin' cancer! It really sucks the way it eats people up... I load the camping & fishing gear into my Dad's old Blazer, working through my anger at the disease.

I put on a cheerful face when I go back into the house to get my Dad. "OK, the Chevy's all loaded, you ready to go?" I ask.

"Yeah, let me just get my meds," he says...

I tell my Dad he should start fishing while I'm setting up our campsite. "You might as well see if you can catch us some supper, I can handle this."

"Hey, I need some help here!" he calls out a few minutes later.

I see he has hooked a beautiful rainbow trout, gotta be at least 18". As he pulls it out of the water, the fish takes off, flying parallel to the shore about six feet up in the air.

"Hurry up, get it! Don't let our supper get away!" he shouts.

I pick up a frying pan and chase the fish. Flying through the air it looks so beautiful, colorful, vibrantly alive. I raise the cast iron pan and smash it's head.

I Pick up the dead fish and pull the hook from it's mouth.

My Dad reels the line back in and re-baits the hook. "Take that one back to the camp and clean it," I'll see if I can get us another one," he says.