Her name is Margo
I will get through this.
I know I will. I will not be defeated by mere water.
Into the boat, its small and white with a red stripe on the side. Off we go on to the lake.
Ok it’s not so bad. Rocky but not unpleasant.
Right the movement. I’m not a fan of the movement.
So we’re on a boat. Its safe and we’re surrounded by nothing. Interesting. Its just empty like a huge bathtub flanked by white snow, the sky is dotted with clouds like little freckles on the blue face of heaven like the pictures in my childhood books.
I’ve never been on a boat before. Especially not father’s boat.
Why mummy made him take me fishing I’ll never know.
It’s freezing out here. At least he remembered to bring the thermos and some blankets.
That’s one thing he got right. If there’s one thing I can give him credit for its his prepared ness. Maybe that's why he wanted me to join the scouts. Be a bit more like him. Have that military training and preparedness that he had.
Maybe I’m being too hard on him. He does try. I’m not the perfect son but he’s not the perfect father either.
Ok so he’s putting the hook into the water. Groundbreaking, no more shiny hook, its submerged into the black abyss.
What’s the point of this it takes too long… Stuck here out on the middle of this, this puddle for hours with nothing to see except sky and water.
Nothing.
Just your thoughts.
There’s no chance of us catching anything except a cold. It’s freezing in here.
There’s not a prayer.
Not a hope.
He looks so content. So relaxed like all is finally right in the world. How can he be so calm . After all he’s seen. Horrors and bloodshed. Hurt and pain. Destruction and death.
And yet he still sits here. With me.
With me. He always came home to mummy and me. Strong and dependable, even after all the disasters that he’s seen. Something is shaking the boat. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Now there’s a fish on the boat and dad looks so happy. He’s smiling at me the first smile I’ve seen in years. He shows me the fish and then he carefully unhooks the creature and releases it. We’re both peering over the side of the boat watching the silvery fish slip away back into the water.
He pats me on the back and says how much he missed spending time with me. He talks about all the things that he wishes he’d had the time to do with me. Things like this, or going hiking or taking me to school. He says things that I like to do, like walking with the dogs.
He remembers. He cares.
Woah look at that… Maybe its not so bad on the lake after all.
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