The Fishing Trip

This is a story I wrote years ago which was written for a contest so I knew what I had to write about – a house from a photo. Even though this is all fiction I guess my life and my house and garden back in Riga, Latvia were on my mind. As I reread this I am the main character and even though I am many years younger than Harry in this story I too lost my love. We only had about 20 years together but we did have the house and garden. I did not go on a fishing trip when I sold the house but I did return to my homeland the U.S. My faithful companions of course, was my cat Sid.

Harry Morgan was 80 and being on his own except for his dog Rufus he felt every one of those years. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floors as he walked through the empty and quiet rooms of the house which he had shared with his wife Emily for 55 years. He had just recently sold the house lock, stock and barrel. He wanted and needed nothing. The Petersons a family of four – father, mother, 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter were more than pleased to be buying their first house along with all the furnishings.

As Harry stood looking into the living room he could clearly see his beautiful Emily outlined by the double glass doors which led to the garden. She had unexpectedly left him last year and up to the very last moment she was always eager to get out into her garden. It was what he would miss the most, Emily’s garden. There were rose bushes, shrubs and lots of different colorful flowers which had always been nurtured with such tender loving care. Harry turned around and walked across the hallway into the kitchen. He made himself one last cup of coffee in the house which would always stay in his memory and sat down to drink it. It was then that daydreams took him back in time.

Back in college he had worked on weekends at a local amusement park running the Ferris wheel. At that time he had thought there was something magical about Ferris wheels and he always love to see the lovely young women being swept up into the sky only to come down again with bright smiles. Then one day he saw her. The bright sun was shining upon her raven black hair, her lovely green eyes sparkled, and her strawberry red lips were smiling. She handed him her ticket and since she was all alone Harry decided right then and there to ride with her. He asked his best friend to stand in for him and he stepped onto the Ferris wheel with this beauty that had hypnotized him. He soon discovered her name was Emily and that she had just enrolled in the same college. They rode that Ferris wheel the whole afternoon just laughing and talking and hardly noticed the times the wheel stopped and people got on and off. When the moon and the stars came out they shared their very first kiss at the very top and it was true love from the start.

A month later they were married and they moved into Harry’s grandparents’ house where they would live for the rest of their lives. They never had any children and shared their love with lots of pets. It never bothered them life was too precious and they enjoyed every moment of it. Last year Emily had just quietly passed away in her sleep and Harry knew it was time to move on. They had been planning on selling the house and going on a long and extensive fishing trip. Just two crazy old kids madly in love with each other and nature and Rufus the last of a long line of pets.

Suddenly Harry heard a car pull into the driveway and knew that the Peterson family had arrived. He got up from the kitchen table and walked to the front door. He looked back just one last time then he walked out onto the porch and down the steps. The young family was eager to explore their new house and after greetings were exchanged they quickly ran up the porch steps and disappeared into the house. It was early spring and Harry wandered on back to the garden to take a final look. He already saw the buds beginning to come out and in his mind’s eye he already could see how lovely everything would soon be. All the flowers bursting force in brilliant colors and sweet smells. He walked on back to the front and opened up the garage door. There stood his old pick-up truck which he figured the Petersons would probably sell. Then he let down the door and whistled for Rufus. He came running eager to be on the way.

Together they went across a small footbridge and on down to the river. There was a small fishing dock to which Harry had secured his fishing boat just that morning. All of the gear and supplies he needed were already stored on the boat and Rufus jumped in. He settled down in the front of the boat while Harry untied it and got in. He started up the motor and he and Rufus started on their journey down the river. Harry looked up at the sky and said,”Emily, we’re finally going on our fishing trip.” Rufus gave a happy yip.