After Work

The wave slaps my shins as it rushes past. Receding water leaves the rock I am on slippery. My arm cocks back. The rod tip flashes forward and the released lure hurtles through the air flying a country mile before landing with a splash. I let it sit there slowly sinking. My hand starts cranking the handle on the reel. Not too fast. The line flicks the water as it tightens with a snap that causes the lure to again splash. Perhaps I have managed to get it to behave like a wounded fish.

The wave slaps my shins as it rushes past. Receding water leaves the rock I am on slippery. The rod bends to the sound of “z”. My body jumps and my arm cocks back again. The drag is set too low. My fingers fumble for the dial and increase the drag. I am off balance but still standing. “z”. My hand cranks the handle of the reel quickly. I pull up on the rod.

The wave slaps my shins as it rushes past. Receding water leaves the rock I am on slippery. My foot slides out and I sit hard. My hand is still cranking as I try to stay on the rock. The tension suddenly releases and again I am off balance. I slide into the water and stand on the sandy bottom winding in the now slack line.

The wave slaps my chest as it rushes past. There are hoots of laughter from the shore. I turn to look and my friend’s family is amused by my fall. Children stare at me in disbelief. I climb back on the rock staring hard at the water.

I look down as a wave slaps my shins as it rushes past. Receding water leaves the rock slippery. Both my pride and my heel are wounded. My arm cocks back. The rod tip flashes forward and the released lure hurtles through the air flying a country mile before landing with a splash. There is another splash as a rock mirrors the flight of the lure. From shore a voice yells “There’s a fish!” chorused with laughter. The day is done and I am entertaining people for free now.

My hand starts cranking the handle on the reel. Not too fast. The line flicks the water as it tightens with a snap that causes the lure to again splash. Perhaps I have managed to get it to behave like a wounded fish. The wave slaps my shins as it rushes past. Receding water leaves my rock slippery.