Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk find fish in Glacial Lake I yanked the elastic band from my pony tail The tangled dark mess that is my hair fell over my face Hid ing behind a curtain of locks allowed me to sulk in semiprivacy Uh oh said my mother Someone is moping I’m not moping I said Hair in the face dimples have vanished Those are sure signs Well can you blame me I won’t be able to fish for months It’ll be the most boring summer in the history of me If Grandpa comes to visit us at the cabin I want to go back home with him Okay maybe I was moping Maybe I needed to look at the bright side After all it would still be a fun summer as long as I had Darshan to hang out with We’d go for swims and hikes and bike rides all the things our families used to do together before his father’s accident I looked across the yard to the Mishras house next door Darshan isn’t home I said There’s no car in the driveway The Mishras are one of the few families who live year round on the lake where most of the homes are summer residences or rentals The rest of the population lives in nearby Glacial Vil lage where the university is located Like many of the residents Darshan’s family is connected to the local university Mrs Mishra teaches Asian literature Mr Mishra works in the Information Tech nology department making sure all the computer systems through out the school work properly He’s a good person to know since my parents are practically computer illiterate Plus the Mishras let us log in to their Wi-Fi since we don’t have it at the cabin Dad settled into the chair opposite mine It’s Saturday They’re probably out doing stuff If you have nothing to do till he gets back this is the perfect opportunity to get a head start on the 4
The Walking Fish next school year He pulled an eighth grade biology book from a box on the floor and slid it to me across the table Very funny Dad I tossed it back in the box as if it were a smelly sock I gazed out the kitchen window at the dazzling green moun tains and rocky cliffs rising above the glistening lake It reminded me of how I used to make mountains and lakes with my mashed potatoes and gravy I still would if my mother ever made plain old mashed taters and gravy any more Instead she whips up new red skins with fried garlic and chives or double baked stuffed potatoes au gratin Suddenly I felt hungry and realized we hadn’t stopped for lunch Can I have a snack Check the cooler on the counter said Mom I made something special What now I thought I found something shaped like a toilet paper roll beneath the ice packs and peeled off the aluminum foil Smoked salmon and goat cheese with dill and capers You know peanut butter and jelly would have been fine Mom I said biting into the wrap My mother writes a column for a popular cooking maga zine In fact she’s somewhat of a celebrity Her picture appears in every issue her shoulder length hair youthfully framing her face She looks a lot like me small round-faced a few freckles across her nose only her hair is a few shades lighter due to Clairol Hair Color Now she has a publishing contract for a gourmet cookbook that she hopes to finish by the end of the summer She expects it to make her as famous as Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray Dad and I plus a few willing friends are her official tasters 5
Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk I’d give it a seven I said between bites More salt less dill The smoked salmon made me think again about fishing I’m going down to the lake I announced pushing my self from the table I grabbed my fishing gear on my way to the back door Dad eyed the fishing pole In spite of your apparent op timism about catching fish for supper we’ll be having spaghetti tonight Not spaghetti Fred Mom huffed Linguini Car bonara I’m just going to practice my casting I said The screen door creaked as I pushed it open Why the net then Dad asked Frogs You are not going to create Frog City on the porch again this year Mom yelled The screen door banged shut as I raced from the cabin 6
The Walking Fish 7 chapter 2 I barely recognized our own yard as I darted across the field The heavy spring rains the month before had dramatically changed the familiar rocky shoreline Now two ponds created when the lake overflowed took up a large area about twenty yards from the edge of Glacial Lake I figured that in another two or three weeks the pond water would likely evaporate leaving the grass and stones high and dry and the shoreline back to its usual state I kicked off my shoes and waded along the rocky edge of the lake Clouds had rolled in making the water appear dark and flat For a few minutes I cast my fishing line out as far as I could but I quickly grew tired of it The new ponds behind me between the lake and the cabin looked like they could be fun spots to prac tice my casting technique The larger one was about the size of a tennis court and from one edge I tried a couple of my favorite lures A white rock peeked up from the water at the far end like a miniature iceberg I aimed and flicked my pole Zzzzzzzzz plop The lure made a dainty splash within a yard of my target Darshan would be impressed A ripple appeared in the water near a cluster of boulders only inches from where my hook had landed I retrieved the net and made my way around the pond to inspect the site Again a tiny splash A raindrop I examined the hazy sky now streaked with pink near the horizon No those weren’t rain clouds Standing motionless I strained to see beneath the surface of the water my net poised to scoop up the turtle or frog the first moment it made itself visible
