One Step Back (Chapter 7)

Separate Lives - Sunday, 2 June 1991

Gone Fishing

Jake was sitting on the steps of their deck, drinking a cup of coffee, when Bill pulled up, towing his boat and running a little late. He had woken early from a disturbed sleep; harsh words the night before had left him feeling troubled. Reluctant to wake Emily, he had crept out of bed; then showered and dressed in old clothes. While he was in the kitchen packing a cooler, Emily had drowsily emerged. She had glared at him and without returning his 'Good Morning' had stalked off to the bathroom slamming the door behind her. "Frosty!" he had muttered, retreating to the sun-drenched deck where Bill's arrival was a welcome relief.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up his cooler and climbed into the truck glancing up at the morning sun.

"Mornin' Bill," he said.

"Mornin'," Bill replied, grumpily; a wad of tobacco tucked in his cheek. "It's gonna be a hot one today." He spat tobacco juice out the window and put the truck in drive. "Sorry I'm late, but you can thank Rango for that."

Jake leaned back in the seat and sighed. "Oh... What's he done now?"

Bill looked over at Jake and rubbed his neck. "I went out this mornin' to hitch the boat up to the truck. I pulled the tarp back from it and there were Rango and his girlfriend, half-naked, asleep in it."

Jake looked over at Bill in surprise. "Really?"

Bill glanced at Jake and grimaced. "Yea really. I had to wait for them to get decent and get out of the boat. Then I had to clear all the empty beer cans out it!"

Jake shook his head. "But, why the hell did they sleep in your boat?"

"He said there was too much commotion goin' on at Rob and Tammy's," Bill said and paused. "He wasn't lyin' about that. When we got home last night, the cops were still crawlin' all around their trailer."

Jake smiled. "Man, you're livin' in the wrong part of the neighbourhood. What'd Darlene say, or did she know?"

Bill smiled. "She was out on the deck and started to laugh when she realized they were in the boat. She said it was a good idea."

Jake started to laugh. "Well, Darlene sure takes things in her stride. I like that about her."

Bill looked across at Jake. "Well, she chewed me out last night for askin' you to go fishin'. She reckoned Emily was upset over that. Was she?"

Jake groaned to himself, his laughter quickly dying. "You could say that. I just didn't figure it. Hell, she'll be at church anyways."

Bill patted Jake on the shoulder. "Put it out of your head for now," he said smiling. "We're gonna have a relaxin time. Just you see. I know a nice spot for a hot day like today to catch us a catfish. I brought some extra tackle for ya and I dug up some night crawlers last night. We're all set."

Jake smiled back at his friend. "Thanks, Bill."

"The place I'm thinking of is on the other side of the lake," Bill said. "There's an inlet surrounded by trees. It's a pretty deep hole. This hour of the morning it'll be shaded from the sun. I reckon that's where we'll go."

After arriving at the lake, they drove to the boat ramp. Bill's boat was a fourteen-foot aluminum Jon boat, powered by a 20hp outboard engine. They loaded it up with all their gear and untied it from the trailer. Bill reversed the boat into the water while Jake held onto its rope. When the boat had floated off the trailer Jake pulled it into shore. Bill parked the truck and they both hopped into the boat; pushing off as they jumped in. Bill started up the outboard engine and steered the boat across the lake.

Jake sat at the front of the boat revelling in the fresh cool breeze wafting off the lake, letting his hand trail in the water as he absorbed the view. The lake was a deep blue, surrounded by green forested hills that softly rose up to a clear blue sky, broken here and there by wispy clouds. Early risers dotted the lake, the white surf of their activity only adding to the peace.

They motored for another twenty minutes until Bill steered them into a quiet, shaded cove that still preserved the early morning cool air. On the right, a steep gradient of grey rock climbed out of the lake. In front and to the left, the forest ran to the water's edge. Close to the shore were partly submerged trees standing erect in the same spot they had died all those years ago when the lake had first been formed. The ravages of time had reduced them to bleached, branchless hulks bearing witness to their death and slow decay; surrounded forebodingly by reeds and the submerged wreckage of their branches.

Sheridan's Lake was a manmade lake created for flood control by damming Pike River further downstream. The area around the lake had been turned into a state park; a favourite recreational area for the local population. They took advantage of the lake for fishing and water sports. The other end of the lake boasted a man-made beach; this time of year it was filled with revellers seeking a welcome relief from the heat.

Hiking trails criss-crossed the wooded hills on this side of the lake. Jake recalled how he and Emily had trekked all over those trails that first summer they moved to the area. One occasion, when the heat was stifling they noticed the lakeshore ran close to the trail. They had forged a path downslope through the woods to a similar, though less forbidding, cove. As it was secluded, they stripped and swam in the refreshing water, but realized they had forgotten about boaters though, when a group leisurely sailed into view. They waited until they had passed out of sight before emerging from the lake to dry off as best they could and dress. They laughed at their boldness but were mortified that they could have been seen. Later he had heard these areas were a good nesting ground for water moccasins. They never did that again.

Jake shuddered. "Looks like a good place for snakes."

Bill looked around at the shoreline. "Sure does," he said. "About a year ago a guy was water-skiing. He came down off his skis in a spot like this and landed in a nest of water moccasins. They bit him so many times he was dead by the time they got him out of the lake." He paused and spat. "I've got no plans to swim. They can have the water; we can have the boat." Jake had heard some tall tales but he knew this to be true having read about it in the paper last summer.

Bill anchored the boat and indicated to the right, "See that rock face? There's a deep hole in the water in front of it. That water is nice and cool, perfect for catfish in the dog days of summer." He then pointed to the reeds. "See how the reeds stop there? The water starts gettin' deeper there. Smaller fish like to feed and hide in the reeds and branches. Good huntin' ground for a catfish. A good place to eat and live if you was one. You drop your line a couple of feet after them reeds end and I guarantee you'll hook yourself one," Bill said beaming with excitement. "Here, let me show you how to tie up a slip sinker rig. There ain't nothin' better for hookin' a catfish. "

Animatedly, Bill helped Jake set up his tackle. Jake then cast his line and placed the rod in the rod holder, while Bill set up his own rig and cast off the other side of the boat.

He turned back around to Jake "Make sure to give your line a couple feet of slack. The bait drifts on the bottom. You want him to play with it a bit before he realizes he's caught. The line will go tight and when the rod is bent over then take the rod in hand and slowly reel him. That's when it gets fun."

They sat in comfortable silence, watching their lines and listening to the drone of insects. Jake's thoughts wandered back to that first summer again; the intimacy he and Emily had shared, the novelty of their lives together, the delight of introducing her to his friends, the joy of watching her belly swell with the new life they had started. His nostalgia was shattered and his heart ached, recalling Emily's angry words; 'I'm sharin' this messed up life with you.' 'Is that what she thinks of our life together?' he thought.

"How's work?" Bill asked, turning around to him.

Jake looked back at Bill. "It's going ok." he sighed, trying to shake the sadness he had dipped into. "The people are decent and I like the pay."

"It's good to have a job but you don't sound too happy about it," he said while casting a glance back at his line.

"I don't know... Guess it's kind of boring... I don't know why..... It's the kind of job I wanted... Maybe I'm stale 'cause of all the studying."

"You seemed to like the job you had in the Air Force."

"Yea, I always said it was a great job," he said, a faint smile crossing his face. "The military side of it was hard to take sometimes... I guess I thought the pay would be better as a civilian. I got that wrong, though, and looking back, the military side wasn't too bad."

"Why don't you re-up?" Bill asked, swatting at a fly.

"I can't. With the cutbacks, they won't take anyone back once they get out. My CO warned me about it, but I wouldn't listen." Jake said, then shook his head. "I thought he was blowing smoke so I'd re-up."

"Well, you can't do much about that now," Bill said, glancing again at his line. "What did you like about your old job?"

Jake took a moment to think before he replied. "I guess I really liked figurin' out a problem..." He said, glancing down at his own line as it began drifting. "There's somethin' broke and you've got to find out why and fix it. It's like solvin' a puzzle. I always got a kick out of it when I'd figure it out."

"Don't you do that now?" Bill said, turning his gaze back to him.

"Not really, it's different." Jake worked in design as a technician. They were developing a new radio system and Jake's job was to tune and test the prototypes and identify any problems. "I used to do the whole job, you know, zeroing in on the problem, figurin' what's causing it and then fixing it. Now I just find the problem and tell someone else. I'm just a cog in the wheel."

Bill looked at him kindly. "So I take it you don't get a kick out it."

Jake leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, picked up a piece of fishing line and absentmindedly started looping it around his finger. "At first I did because everything was new. But it's just the same piece of equipment, the same tests every day. I used to work on all kinds of equipment. Sometimes I'd be working on the planes, other times I'd be back in the shop fixing things there. It could be boring if there wasn't much happening, but at least the work was interestin'. I guess that's it." He straightened up abruptly, the boat rocking slightly. "It's boring and I've only been there four months! What'll it be like in a year? As well as that, after all that studyin' I'm startin' to see that I'm not that interested in the subject. Stupid ain't it. All that time, work and money and I don't even like it," Jake said, throwing down the line he was fidgeting with.

Bill reached across and slapped him on the shoulder, and chuckled. "Well, it sounds like that job just ain't for you. You spend a third of your life working. You ought'a enjoy it. You could end up waking each Monday and counting down the days to Friday. I know a lot of guys that do that. They're just wishin' their lives away. If I was you, I'd find somethin' different." Bill said as he turned back carefully watching his line.

"That's a good way to look at it. I never thought of it that way." Jake paused thinking about all the layoffs lately in the news, watching the slack go out of his fishing line. "There's not a lot of work now that the economy has tanked. I was lucky to get the job I have. I owe it to Norm. I know he stood for me and they respect him in there. I'm stuck until something better comes round. Besides, what would Norm think if I up and quit? It might seem a little disrespectful." Jake said, watching his rod bounce a couple of times.

Still watching his own line, Bill laughed. "Don't worry about Norm. He'd be the first to tell you to quit. Norm thinks a lot of you. You know that, right?" Bill said, as he turned around to face him and then stared at Jake's rod. Jake followed his stare watching the end of the rod bounce up and down slightly. He looked back at Jake and smiled. "Look, you don't have to be stuck. You know you can come work with me and I know you like the work. Hell Jake, you're a natural carpenter. You're better than any of the guys that work for me. I think this is the kind of work you was made for. I just can't pay you the same. You could do it until something better comes up. Maybe you can think up some business idea for your line of work. You know I'll help in any way I can. Hell, I bet Norm would too. Think about it."

Jake glanced down at the lake feeling a glow of gratitude rise up. Before he could express it, though, he saw his fishing line tighten and the rod bend in an arch.

"You got somethin', Jake! Take the rod in hand and pull him in steadily... quickly let him go and reel in the line... then steadily pull again but don't jerk the line."

Jake followed his instructions, quickly getting the hang of it. "There you go Jake, you got it. Keep doin' that until you can lift him into the boat." Jake nodded, all his focus on reeling in a fish that was insisting on staying in the lake. He was surprised at its strength.

"I got one too, Jake. You're on your own." Bill shouted, the boat rocking as Bills attention focussed elsewhere.

Eventually, Jake could see a very large fish coming to the surface, thrashing back and forth as it fought; its bright underbelly flashing through the water. The boat rocked as he heard Bill grunt, a splash of water was followed by a thump on the floor of the boat behind him. Jake heaved on the rod and pulled his fish into the boat. It landed on the bottom of the boat next to one Bill had just caught.

They removed the hooks, and Jake leaned back releasing the tension out of his tired arms and back. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood admiring the two large fish, each about two foot long, his heart swelling with pride. Bill slapped him on the back beaming.

"What'd I tell ya? Your first time out and you reel in a two-foot channel cat. You're a natural!"

They put the fish on ice in the cooler and resumed fishing. The sun climbed higher in the sky until their cove was no longer in the shade. The sun's heat was intense; Jake could feel his face getting burnt. They decided to finish up and drive leisurely around the lake scouting out good fishing holes; all the while Bill described the different species of fish, explaining how to find the best fishing spots. Eventually, he turned the boat back towards the ramp.

"How was your first fishing trip?" he asked Jake. "I bet you feel relaxed, don't ya?"

Jake did feel relaxed; pleasantly surprised that he had actually enjoyed himself. He had also let off some steam and was bringing home a prize. Fishing was beginning to look appealing.

"That was a great day out! I bet Emily will be impressed with my catch."

"You bet she will! I'll let you in on a secret... This is why it works for me and Darlene. Most Sundays I go fishin' or huntin'. I relax and unwind. Then when I'm around them, I'm more relaxed and easy going. It's what I've always done and it works. As a bonus we also get somethin' good to eat," Bill said with a big smile. "If you take up fishin' you'll be relaxed and you and Emily will get along just fine."

"I don't know if Emily would look at it that way," Jake replied remembering her disparaging words about fishing. "Besides, she's really stuck on me goin' to church on Sundays."

"Just because she goes to church doesn't mean you have to. She gets somethin' out of church and that's fine but you deserve to get somethin' out of somethin'. Your somethin' just happens to be fishin'. Look, I like Emily. She'll see reason. You feel good now, right? If you go home feelin' this way, all free and relaxed and you fix a couple of things, talk to her, give her a cuddle, tell her how nice she looks, whatever she wants, well, she'll probably say, 'Jake you keep on fishin'. Hell, she'll probably want to start fishin' too,' he said grinning.

Jake laughed at Bill's logic and yet it made a lot of sense. 'She meets God in church, maybe I can meet him out here,' he thought to himself.

"I hope my sunny disposition wins her over then," he said, wincing as he felt the tightness on his sunburnt face.

They arrived back at the boat ramp. Bill reversed the trailer into the water, while Jake pulled the boat onto it with the rope. Together they secured the boat and transferred all their gear to the truck. Thirty minutes later he walked up the stairs of his deck. Before he could walk in the front door of his home, he heard the delighted cry of Meagan; "Daddy!"

Walking in through the front door, he was attacked by a whirlwind of arms, legs and curly brown hair. He looked down into Meagan's smiling face, her arms and legs wrapped around his leg. "How's my girl?" he asked.

Emily was sprawled on the couch glaring at him. He strode across the room to her with Maegan attached to his leg. "Hi Emily," he said with a bit of trepidation. She returned a cool "Hi" and closed her eyes. He put down the cooler in front of her and proudly opened it, revealing his channel cat."

"Look what I caught today!" He said beaming with pride.