The Best Day Ever

The Best Day Ever

“As a matter of fact, I like to go fishing. What about you, Joey? It’s your birthday. You can do whatever your heart desires. What do you want to do?” Mom had said.

Joey thought about this for a few days. ‘Whatever my heart desires?’ He was eight years old. Hard to decide on anything when you’re eight.

There was the water park over in Miles City, that was fun. But the last time he went there, the water slide was broken.

They could go to the horseback riding in Jardine. But the last time they went the horses were not working, something about the heat.

Whitewater rafting was fun, but the last time, he lost his best hat and got a bad sunburn.

So the choices were dwindling down to just a few in Joey’s mind. What did his eight year old heart really desire? He thought about this wish for a few days. Finally on the day before his ninth birthday, he announced his desire.

At breakfast he told mom, “I know what I want to do on my birthday.”

“Alrighty. What’s your wish, birthday boy?” She wiped baby’s chin.

“I want to go fishing. All day. Just me and dad.” Joey started eating his cereal again.

Baby Alice slapped the high chair, happy just to be a baby. “All day fishing?” Mom questioned as she took Alice out of her chair, placed her on the floor.

“Yep, that’s it.” Joey upended his cereal bowl, drank the milk. “Fishing with dad, all day.”

“What about me and Alice?”

“What about you and the baby?”

“What are we supposed to do while you and dad fish all day?” Mom smiled at Joey. Baby Alice smiled at Joey.

“Oh, I don’t know, girl stuff? What do girls like to do?”

“We'll go fishing. Can we go with you and dad?”

Joey stopped drinking the milk. “All of us? Fishing?” Joey just saw his whole uninterrupted day with dad ruined. He frowned.

“Sure. We’ll take a picnic. Come on, smile! It’ll be fun. I’ll put Alice in a carrier, take your cake, we’ll have a party.”

So the next day everyone went fishing. Dad and mom, Joey and Baby Alice. They drove a long ways to the big river. Joey thought they’d never get there but finally they did. Dad got out the poles and the grasshoppers they caught the night before to use as bait. Mom put the baby in the back carrier and they set out to the river’s edge. It wasn’t long until they were catching some nice fish. Then it was time to eat, said mom.

So the picnic was under a big cottonwood tree. Dad grilled the fish on the bbq grill nearby, mom spread out the rest of the food, then they ate a great picnic. Even the cake tasted extra special good. Baby Alice fell asleep on a blanket on the ground as they started a fire in the campfire circle.

“This is the best birthday ever!” exclaimed Joey.

“Then I guess we can take all your presents back to the store, mom.” Dad winked at mom.

“What? I get presents too? This is the best day ever!!”

W/C 530