Cameron of the Skies

5: Unexpected Summer Deluge-5

SO, IT WAS TO BE A DAY OF FISHING.

They bought a fishing rod, reel, sinker, line and bait and sat on the grass by the lake and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Andy yawned.

Stretched.

Walked.

Groaned.

Moaned.

Flopped on the ground, then finally, unable to stand the waiting any longer, she said, ‘Geez, this is so boring.’

He was offended.

‘Boring? Did you say boring? Angling is one of the world’s most popular sports.’

‘You call this sport?’

‘Well, this is recreational fishing, but fishing can be a sport.’

They could have carried on arguing the merits and demerits of fishing, except her line wiggled.

‘You’ve caught something! Quick!’

She jumped up and excitedly took hold of the rod.

Banjo stood behind her, poised to help her reel the fish in.

‘Reel it in, easy. Easy.’

Adrenalin rushed to her head. Her heart rate went up a notch as she reeled in the fish. It was fighting to get away; she could feel the fight. Banjo stood behind her coaching, until she got the whopper of a trout out of the water, landing it in a pan.

She was exhilarated. She hugged him, excited with her first catch.

‘Do you want it for lunch?’

The trout was flopping about, gasping for breath.

‘No,’ she said.

Banjo dunked his hands in the lake. Holding it with dry hands would effectively remove the slimy protective coating from its skin. He scooped the vertebrate out of the pan and held it in the water. He grasped the hook with a pair of small pliers that was part of his Swiss Army pocket knife. Holding the trout in the water, he twisted his wrist to simultaneously unhook and release it.

It had been such a fantastic day until the skies darkened almost in a blink of an eye. The weather report said there was a five per cent chance of rain; it seemed all that precipitation was concentrated in their little spot. They gathered their fishing gear.

‘We’re gonna get a drenching,’ Banjo warned.

It wasn’t long before it bucketed down. Running wouldn’t achieve anything since they were immediately drenched to the bone. They ambled to a pergola to wait out the unexpected summer deluge.

She looked up to the heavens with optimism.

‘It’ll stop soon.’

She turned around to find Banjo had removed his shirt, wringing water out of it.

‘You should do the same, or you’ll get sick.’

She did as he suggested but putting the same wet clothes on didn’t ease her discomfort. She was feeling cold. Goosebumps appeared on her arms.

Banjo pulled her deeper into the shelter, away from the wind gusts.

They sat huddled on the floor, she on his inside. His arms and legs were wrapped around her. She could feel the ragged breathing coming out of him. It was so intense it made her head swoon.

Banjo thought were it not for the fact he couldn’t see a future with an American Black Hawk pilot he would have devoured her right there and then.

But he just kept her close, his head rested in the crook of her neck, desperately clinging to sanity!