FISHING IN THE CREEK

FISHING IN THE CREEK

Hundreds of red earthworms were just inches below the fallen twigs and purple colored berries that littered the ground under the giant cedar trees.  By turning up a few shovels full of dirt containing these wriggling creatures and placing them, one by one, in an old coffee can half-filled with dirt; you were ready for some serious fishing.

Henry turned twelve eight months ago and fishing is his preferred activity.  For him, living on a family farm is wonderful, and adding to his enjoyment is the fact that a slow flowing creek filled with bass, bream, catfish, along with other different species, meanders across the flat valley land pasture. 

His favorite spot to fish is where the creek bed makes a sharp right turn, an area known by local folks as the 'bend'.  The bend was shaped when the flowing water ran against a rock bluff that forms a bank.  The stream connecting with jutting rocks served as a barrier to slow the current as it made the turn.  The sudden slowing of the flow caused a backwash where the current ran against the rock embankment and then rolled back.  Over the centuries this hydraulic action had caused some deep 'darkwater' holes in the creek bed. 

For Henry this was the perfect place for fishing, and swimming.  The numerous huge Willow trees that line the creek bank offer shade on a hot summer day.  Sitting on this shaded creek bank using a cured cane pole for fishing is one of the most satisfying adventures ever for this young boy. 

Approximately one mile down the road from Henry's home is where the Stewarts live.  In fact, there are twenty-six electric power poles between their homes. The Stewart home is always a lively place.  The parents and six rowdy sons, no daughters, make up this family.  Henry thought it was somewhat similar to what he had heard about a circus, there is something always going on.

The third son from the youngest, Milford, is Henry's best friend.  Milford and Henry are the same age.  There is only two days difference in their birthdates, and anytime they aren't working on the farm or doing their chores, they are always together. 

The summer months are the best.  Vacation from school and the long summer days give extra time for fishing and playing.  But, even in the cold days of winter they can always find something to do. 

On Friday of last week Henry and Milford had planned an early morning fishing trip.  Henry arrived at Milfords home just as they were to eat breakfast.  The usual invitation was offered for him to have breakfast with them, but since Henry had already eaten he sat down in the living room, the room that country people always called the 'front' room.  He would wait there for Milford to finish breakfast.

Like Henry's family, Milfords family has always been poor.  The 'front' room with its open fireplace is sparsely furnished with a few straight back chairs and a double bed in the corner near the door leading into the kitchen.  The kitchen and dining area also has very few furnishings.  There is a shelf attached to a wall in the corner that holds a water bucket and dipper.  Beside the water bucket, near the end of the shelf, is a wash pan.  To the left of the shelf and at shoulder height a hand towel hangs on a nail that had been driven in the door facing. 

The door opens to the outside, and this is where the Stewarts dispose the waste water.  After each family member washes their hands in the wash pan, they toss the used water out the door and into the back yard.  The used dishwater is handled in the same manner, simply tossed out the open door.

With so much water being thrown through the door the back steps are always completely saturated.  They are dilapidated and rickety.  They don't have a back porch, so the doorsteps are attached to the wall just below the door.  To Henry they always look very dangerous.

Pots, pans, and various pieces of cookware and dishes either hang on nails driven into the tongue and grooved boards that ceil the walls, or they were stacked on shelves attached along the walls.  The silverware is kept in an old shoe box that sets on one of the shelves.

An old wooden cupboard type safe is in one corner of the kitchen and on each side of the safe are several shelves that line the room.  The shelves hold fresh produce along with hundreds of canned items.

Other furnishings include a wood cook stove, homemade dining table, five straight back chairs, and a wooden bench along the wall behind the table.

Milfords dad always sat on one end of the bench, and Junior, the youngest of the boys, occupied the space beside him.  A small wooden booster bench elevated Junior to a height that allowed him to be level with the table.

There was a problem with Junior though; he didn’t want to wear clothes.  He wanted to be naked, especially during the summer season.

This particular morning Milfords mother had an ironing board set up in the front room. The board was a 1 inch X 10 inch pine plank approximately four feet long, covered with cloth and laid across the top of two straight back chairs.  While she was ironing the clothes the rest of the family ate breakfast.

Suddenly, Henry heard Wendell, the oldest son, yelling from the kitchen, "Mama! Come in here and get Junior and put some clothes on him.  He keeps standing up and reaching across the table, he has already raked his pecker through the gravy three times."

Once breakfast was completed Milford hurriedly began gathering all the items they would need for fishing.  As the two boys were leaving the house through the front door they heard Corrine, Milford's mama, call out to them, "you boys be careful and watch out for snakes."

While they were walking along a cow trail that led across the pasture, with their bait and supplies for fishing, they could see someone in the distance that appeared to be waiting for them. 

"Who is that," Milford asked?

Squinting his eyes in the bright sunshine, Henry replied, "that's Roger Edwards, but what is that he's holding his hand?  The way he's holding it, it looks like a snake."

Roger was a year younger than Henry and Milford, and was somewhat of a mama's boy.  His mother and father had divorced before he was two years old.  Being an only child his mother had overprotected him, so Henry had never been able to experience the life of a growing young country boy.  He was afraid of anything that moved, and this was a source of irritation for Henry and Milford.  And, although they tolerated him, he still got on their nerves.

"That's a snake, it's a rattler," Henry shouted!

The boys immediately began running toward Roger and as they got closer they could hear the buzz of the rattles.  The rattler was about three feet long and Roger was holding it at arms length with a tight grip just behind its head with his left hand, and the snake's body was whipping and slashing around.

Henry shouted at Roger again, "What are you doing with that rattlesnake, are you crazy?"

Roger was pale with fright when he answered, "I caught him."

All three boys were so excited now that instead of speaking in natural voices, they were all shouting.

Milford yelled, "Why don't you put him down?"

"I'm afraid to," Roger shouted back, “I'm afraid he'll bite me."

Henry saw all the blood was gone out of Rogers face.  He was so pale that Henry was afraid he would faint.  If Roger should lose consciousness he would fall to the ground and release the snakes head.  In doing so the snake would surely bite him.

Henry knew they were in quite a dilemma, and they needed to do something positive very quickly.

Then Roger began to cry.  "I'm pissing on myself," he blurted out, as a large wet spot appeared in his crotch and began spreading down the legs of his jeans.

"Just throw him down," Milford impatiently demanded.

Crying louder now Roger told them, "I can't, he'll bite me."

"What are we going to do, Henry," Milford asked?

"We're going to have to take the snake from him," Henry answered.

"How are we going to do that?" Milford shot back.

"We have to stay calm," Henry said, “I have an idea."

Moving rapidly Henry took his knife from his pocket opened it and cut an approximate 10-foot length of his fishing line.  He told Milford to hold one end of the string while he tied the other end around the snakes head. 

There was now a puddle of urine at Roger's feet.

At the exact moment when Henry completed the knot, Roger fainted.  His eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled.  As he fell forward Milford jerked the snake out of his hand.  Excitedly, he jerked the fishing line so hard that the rattler flew toward his feet.  Milford jumped back and started running, but the fishing line had become entangled in the lace of his right tennis shoe.  He was now running across the pasture and the snake was right behind him, flying up in the air with each step that he made.  Henry was running right after him while keeping his distance behind the snake.  Suddenly the fishing line untangles and separates from Milford shoe.

When Milford realized he was no longer attached to the snake he ran in a large circle and turned back toward Henry.  He didn't want to be anywhere close to the rattler.  When they met, Milford was almost as pale as Roger had been earlier.

"Are new okay," Henry asked?

"I hate Roger Edwards," Milford shouted.

"He's still lying out there on the ground," Henry informed him.

Milford angrily shouted, "I hope he dies.  The only reason he was put on earth was to cause me trouble."

As the two boys drew closer to Roger they could see he was now sitting up.

"How in the world did you catch that damn snake," Milford yelled?

"I used a forked stick and held his head down.  I saw a man do that in a movie once.  When I caught him I was afraid to turn him lose," Roger told them.

"You're stupid!  You're very stupid! Roger Edwards," Milford said, still yelling.

"Are we still going fishing," Henry asked?

"Yeah, I want to, I want to go fishing with you.  My fishing pole is over there near the gate.  Can one of you get it for me,” Roger asked them?

"What are you going to do about those pants that you've pissed in," Milford wanted to know?

Roger slowly remarked, "When we get to the creek I'll wade out into the water and get my jeans wet all over.”

As the three fellows walked toward the fishing hole neither of them said a word.  Roger knew the other two fellows were terribly upset with him.

Once they were within thirty yards of the creek, fishing poles on their shoulders, Henry saw a huge turtle heading toward the creek bank.  Knowing that fried turtle is a delicacy, Henry suddenly threw his fishing pole down and rapidly ran to catch the turtle.  The other two fellows quickly threw their poles down and ran as rapidly as Henry.  Ten yards before arriving at the creek the turtle slipped down the embankment and into the water. 

Since Henry was the only one that had seen the turtle, and, when he realized they were too late to catch it, he stopped running immediately.  The other two boys stopped just as sudden.

Roger was out of breath, his eyes revealing fear when he nervously asked, "What's after us?"