Story 23/1001

• fisherman
• fashion
• nose

The lake was quiet. Aiden was sitting on the pier with his grandfather. He was repairing a broken fishing line, and Aiden watched his fingers carefully.

“What if you mess it up? The line is so thin.” Aiden asked, squinting to see it.

“You need to feel the line between your fingers. Sight can fool you.” His grandfather replied, in his deep, hoarse voice.

“But, what if you do? What if you still mess up?”

His grandfather stopped and looked at him. Aiden’s big eyes reminded him of his son.

“You are much like your dad.”

“Sure.” Aiden scoffed. “He would never make such a mistake. I am eleven. I should know better. He will never talk to me again.”

“I always wanted to be a fisherman.” He said and Aiden looked at him, confused. “But my father never let me. He said I need to stay with my family, continue the family trade.”

“What did you do?”

“I fought with him. I snuck out and went to this lake almost every day.”

“Was he mad at you?” Aiden noticed his grandfather looking over the lake, like the lake itself is telling him the story. He grabbed his rod, put the bait on the hook – and with one swift move, it was in the water.

“He was furious.”

“But you’re not a fisherman.”

“No.”

“So, you listened to him.” Aiden shrugged.

“I didn’t. Not at first. When I was sixteen, I ran away. I went to a big city with a harbor as big as the shore of this lake. And I went to the first fishing boat I saw.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. His grandfather suddenly seemed like a different person – one who is passionate and adventurous.

“What happened then?” Aiden smiled.

“They accepted me and I set sail with them the next morning. I didn’t return home for three months.”

“That is so cool, grandpa.” His grandfather lifted his hand, telling him to wait.

“When I decided to go home, I had more money in my pocket than my father made in a year. I was sure I’d change his mind.” He stopped.

“Grandpa?”

“When I came home, my father was gone. My mother was left alone with three young children, while my father went out looking for me.”

Aiden looked down, dreading where the story might lead. His grandfather took his hand, with a smile at the corner of his lips.

“He went to every fishing boat he could find, and when none of them proved useful, he took a small boat and set out to find me.” Aiden gulped. “He never returned, and they found the small boat crushed between the rocks.”

“Grandpa, I’m sorry.”

“That is the moment I threw away my rods and lines and tackles and baits. I threw them all away and started my father’s business again.”

“I should tell dad I’m sorry.”

“The story is not over, son.” His grandfather smiled. “I wanted your father to continue the family trade.”

“But, he works in a bank.”

“He always loved numbers, ever since he was a child. Your aunt, she always liked making dresses. First for her dolls, then for people.”

“My mom said it is hard working in fashion. But, it seems like all she does is tell people what to do.”

“That’s what you see. That’s what most people see. That’s what I used to see. With her, and with your dad. All I saw in him was telling me that our family trade, the farm, animals; is a dirty job. It’s a low end job. He wanted to be an accountant, a financial manager. Work in an office with a view.”

“He does have an office with a view.”

“Yes, he does. And he worked hard for it. And your aunt works hard for every show she holds. But, I didn’t see that. He went away to college on his own. For the first year, he had no support from me. I thought he would crawl back after a week.”

“He didn’t?”

“Your grandma made me call him one day. We haven’t spoken in a year.” His grandfather stopped, and Aiden put his hand on his grandfather’s. “The first thing he told me was that his mother, your grandma, told him I wanted to be a fisherman. But he never saw me fishing. That’s when I told him why. My father died to get me to finally understand what is best for me.”

Aiden frowned. His grandfather smiled.

“I picture him frowning too, when he heard that. Because what your dad answered changed the story for me.”

“What did he say?”

“Dad, did you ever think he went to find you just because you’re his son?”

Aiden thought he saw a tear in his grandfather’s eye. It was gone the moment he blinked.

“That’s when I knew. I was wrong. It doesn’t matter what he did, whether I approve of it or not. If he messed up, I would help him pick himself up. But if I never let him to ‘mess up’, I will not have my son.”

“I don’t understand. You’re telling me that dad is wrong? But I punched -“

“What you did is not good. And you will make many mistakes trying to find yourself. Not your dad. Yourself.”

“Grandpa, why are you fishing now?”

“Because fathers make mistakes, too. And your dad will also make many more. But he will always search for you.”

The moment he said that, a strong force pulled on the bait. Aiden and his grandfather smiled and Aiden took the rod.

“Right on the nose!” His grandfather exclaimed, as he helped Aiden hold the fishing rod.