Ray's Fishing Adventure

Fishing with his twin older brothers was Ray's favorite thing to do. Every weekend, the boys fished in the canal behind their Grandma's house. They were thrilled about living with her even if it was temporary.

Saturday morning Ray scurried to the dock with fishing pole in hand. "Let's go!" hollered Ray. He waited and waited, but his brothers, Arnold and Sam, did not come out. Ray shouted louder and louder until

"Quit that yelling!" Grandma hollered back. "You'll wake the entire neighborhood."

"Where are Arnold and Sam?" Ray asked running toward the back door where Grandma stood hands on hips.

"Ray stay. Ray stay where you are. We are headed to the car," chanted his brothers. Sometimes Ray thought he should be the older brother.

"Where are you going?" Ray asked.

"Dad is taking us out to practice driving before the roads get crowded. You're on your own," they replied.

Good, Ray thought and carefully lowered himself into the canoe at the dock. He struggled not to tip over.

"Put on your lifejacket and wait for Grandma to come out," Ray's dad reminded him before driving off.

Excited. Ray forgot to wait for Grandma. He fastened his lifejacket and unfastened the canoe. Hours passed. Ray's line was empty. "Where are all the fish," he mumbled out loud. Taking a break, Ray reeled in his line. He stretched out floating under the silhouette of the tall palm tree shading him from the hot August rays.

"Ray. It is time to come inside for lunch," Grandma said.

Startled, he asked, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"All morning. You know you can't be out here alone in the canoe," she responded.

Grandma made lunch at 12 sharp everyday. Just as Ray was about to exit the canoe, his brothers announced, "She's serving bologna with mayonnaise on rye bread."

"Ugh. I do not like meat. I do not like mayo, and I do not like bread," Ray complained.

"Ray stay. Ray stay where you are. We will bring you a granola bar," his brothers sang. They brought him a peanut butter and chocolate chip granola bar that he quickly consumed.

Ray shoved the wrapper into a pocket and cast the line with his other hand. Instantly, he felt a tug. Yanking hard, Ray set the hook. Whatever it was began to run and pull the canoe. The force was so great his poorly knotted dock line unraveled and the canoe drifted away.

"I am in trouble now," moaned Ray, but he did not want to lose this catch. Caught in the canoe without adult supervision would mean no fishing the following weekend.

"I'll save your sandwich for later," Grandma called. Ray did not hear her. Grandma's house grew smaller and smaller.

Ray released some line and pulled repeating until he reeled in the largest tarpon he'd ever seen. Its greenish blue body glistened. Its silver scales shimmered. Its thick slanted jaw pouted. Gently removing the hook from the tarpon's puckered lips, he placed it back in the water. Swoosh! It disappeared. Ray watched in awe a little too closely and fell overboard. Panicking, he flapped his arms wildly. Then, he remembered "I know how to swim!" screamed Ray.

Making his way back to the canoe, Ray not so gracefully hauled himself into the boat ripping his lifejacket on an oar holder. "Oh, no. The oars!" Ray exclaimed. The oars were gone.

Exhausted by the ordeal, Ray leaned back and napped.

Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk!

Ray opened his eyes. He knew from boat safety classes that five short blasts of a horn meant danger.

"Are you okay?" asked a woman leaning over the side of a much larger boat.

"Yes," Ray replied confidently not wanting to raise any suspicions.

"I am with the United States Coast Guard. "You are lucky one of the tug boats pushing a huge barge did not run you over," she said. With the help of a tow from the United States Coast Guard vessel, Ray arrived back in the canal behind his Grandma's house in time for dinner.

He said, "Thank you," and tied up to the dock.

"Ray, it is time for dinner," Grandma called. Apparently, no one knew about his unauthorized excursion. Good, he thought. He decided not to discuss the day's adventures with his family for fear of not being able to fish the following weekend.

As he sat down at the dinner table, Ray's face grimaced. On the plate was his left over sandwich from lunch.