Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk For Barbara Green And for Kopel who gave me the courage to write Renaissance man role model and best uncle in the world R B For my children g(cid:162)andchildren nieces and nephews telling my stories for many years to whom I have enjoyed K B 6
The Walking Fish 1 chapter 1 When you get right down to it I only discovered the Walk ing Fish because Grandpa got sloppy with a chainsaw Had he been more careful cutting down the maple tree he would not have lost most of the fingers of his right hand Four of my favorite fingers he said Without them fishing was a bit of a struggle Minnow he said I’ve been flounder-ing with my hooks these days It would sure be hand-y to have you as a fishing part ner Ha ha Grandpa I said Very punny He’s the king of bad puns The truth is he could still cast the line and reel in fish with the best of them but he now needed help wrestling the squirming worms onto the hooks Unfortunately live bait made me squeamish and he knew it It was a sunny fall day and we drifted just the two of us on his little fishing boat on a lake He leaned forward elbows on his knobby knees The faded swordfish tattoo on his forearm wiggled as he drummed his fingers against his other hand His white hair was thin but the few wisps poking from beneath his captain’s hat fluttered in the breeze Though he was trying to relax his posture was awkward and unnatural That’s because Grandpa is not a relaxer He’s a fish erman who feels naked without a pole in his hands I squeezed my eyes shut against the bright sun as I lay on the wooden bench seat legs dangling over the side of the boat My ponytail slurped up the little pool of water from the boat floor like a straw Unlike Grandpa I’m an expert relaxer
Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk The silence that followed gave me the feeling he wasn’t just trying to be funny Maybe he was serious about my being his helper He was waiting for an answer I don’t know Grandpa I’m afraid if I start baiting your hooks that would just open up a whole can of worms I peeked with one eye to gauge his reaction to my joke What I saw was a worm dangling over my face I shrieked and scrambled upright batting the squiggly thing away I came prepared in case you said yes he said and began to assemble his fishing pole You watch he assured me I’ll get you hooked on fishing yet Sure enough in no time at all I really was hooked and Grandpa rewarded me with my very own fishing gear A few months later my parents and I drove up the driveway of our summer cabin at Glacial Lake The shady log-and-stone structure was familiar and inviting It was built in a clearing about two hundred yards from the lake’s edge Gravel crunched beneath the tires as Dad pulled up to the house There was no garage but tall trees along the driveway kept the car from turning into a sauna on hot days We unloaded suitcases and boxes from the trunk and hauled them up the steps The white paint on the front porch had started to peel but inside the rustic cabin nothing had changed An oversized pine table with mismatched chairs stood in a corner of the cozy living room Sheets covered the overstuffed couch and recliner I inhaled deeply The cabin smelled of mothballs dust and burnt firewood I love the scent yet the first thing my mother always did 2
The Walking Fish was to open all the windows to air out the place and shake out the dusty woven rugs scattered about the wide-planked wood floor I went back out to the car to retrieve my fishing pole and tackle box which I had stashed on the floor of the back seat What did you bring that for Dad asked when I deposited the gear near the kitchen door Mom was busy stocking the refrig erator and cabinets full of gourmet cooking supplies You don’t think I’d spend a whole summer at the lake without my fishing stuff do you I said Dad shook his head Don’t you remember There are no fish in Glacial Lake If there were we could certainly convince your grandfather to come with us now and then My heart sank I had planned to supply my family with fresh trout for the grill and to help Mom invent new fish recipes I’m sure I remember Dr H saying that the lake was stocked I said That’s Dr Holland He teaches environmental sci ence courses at Glacial Lake University He and his wife are lake friends of my parents Dad is a junior high school science teacher so he and Dr H hit it off from the first time they met It was my mother who answered No what he said was that the Department of Fish and Wildlife tried to stock it A num ber of times in fact Every attempt failed Something about the minerals in the water right Fred She looked at my father for confirmation He nodded Maybe some survived I said hopefully Dad shook his head Sorry kiddo Not a chance This lake is great for swimming canoeing and sunbathing Just don’t plan on catching our dinner unless the guy at the supermarket tosses you a frozen fillet I slumped into a kitchen chair Well you never know I heard they found an alligator in a New York sewer so maybe I’ll 3
