The Fisherman's wife and the Flounder
Author's Note:
Write about the
sea. I decided to go fishing instead.
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Do we wish upon
the stars but in our hearts, we hoped we can just touch the clouds? Sometimes
we do that knowing that the unreachable is only a desire, but we should be
happy with us what we can get.
So our story began.
For years, the old
couple lived by the sea and lived off it. They have in their possession the
boat and the house, which has a fireplace that keeps them warm. It does provide
shelter to them on stormy days and since they built this house; it withstood
several bad storms.
But the days of
fishing are getting different, and fewer go out to fish nowadays. This is because
the current fisherman has the technical assistance of technology that can
detect the fishes and the boats that can swallow up by the loads these school
of fishes. So the old way of casting a net and pulling in the net by man was over.
And so did the number of fishermen.
But not this old man;
he does it the old way. He sails out and he cast his net, and he waits. And his
boat will float to the movements of the tide and he would have his umbrella
when it's too hot. And he will come back by dusk with his catch. You can tell
by the way he walks to the house. He is either smoking his pipe or not. If he
does, it's a good catch; if not, he does not smoke as yet.
For days, the
fisherman’s wife watches outside her window for her husband. And how she reacts
depends on the walk too. If he is smoking, she will prepare for him his glass
of brandy. If he is not, she will lay out two glasses to share with him his
story of the old days.
Today was no
exception, he was walking with his pipe in his mouth. But he is not smoking it.
So she was confused.
‘Henry, you did
not smoke today. What happened?’ The distraught wife asked as her fisherman
husband walks in the door.
‘Them tobacco was
wet from the splashing of the fish. I had no refills with me. Here is your fish
now.’ so he handed over the only one fish he caught today.
‘One fish is
better than no fish I guess’, she was hoping for more to store in the fridge. So
I guess, it's those chicken’s last days again. I wondered who will volunteer;
nay, they never did. I had to catch them and slit their throat to ease their
pain. Bloody noise brats; not like the fish. They won't come quiet and die more
silently. So she took the only fish he caught and took it to the kitchen. She
laid it in the sink and thought of the 101 ways to cook it. And the fish spoke
to her.
‘Psst, ma’am. Can
you spare me fins for today? I will grant you wishes of whatever you want.’
She took a look at
the fish and said; ‘did you just speak to me?’
‘Yup, that’s me. I
am Fortis, the Flounder. I am more than a fish; I am magical fish. You see I am
the last of the Flounder. Your fishing industry has reduced my fellow fishes to
less than 10% in the ocean. So statically speaking given that we are reduced to
almost 10%, I am probably the only one with the magical power. Though we are
good at camouflaging, your damned technology still swept us off the ocean
floor. So I do you a favor if you do me mine.’
‘Magical fish?
That will be the day, I become young and beautiful again.’ And so she did; she was
herself when she married the fisherman. She could not believe herself, and she
ran out to see the fisherman.
‘Look, Henry. It's
me. I am young again. Do you remember me?’
Now Henry was
about to smoke his pipe after having sipped his brandy. He gave a bad cough and
spoiled his tobacco again. But he looked up at the lady who is his wife now
aged backward by twenty-five years. He remembered her then as the lady in the
sundress who brightens up even the downcast days. ‘Drowning Neptune, what did you
do? You looked like the day we got married.’
And so she told him
of the fish that gave her wish and he is the last of his kind. And he was happy
and joyous. Then he stopped to sit down on his chair and had that looked she
knew very well.
‘I know, Henry. We
can turn the clock back, but we can’t turn our life back. And you won’t want to
be young and going fishing again like the old days. You like these days now,
You get your fishing done, fish or no fish, but you get the weekend with the
grandkids. They always bring their smile to us when they are here. And I am not
waiting for another twenty-five years to see that again. So be it.’
So the fisherman’s
wife walked back to the kitchen and told the fish;’ deal’s off. You are on my
recipe list tonight when the grandkids come home from their playing. So au revoir,
and say hello to the rest.’ And so was her looks.
Outside the house,
there were two hen’s looking at each other; one said to the other ‘told you the
ventriloquist taught me well. We live another day. So pay me back my peck of
rice now. ’
'Yeah, but I broke
his spectacles. So who's paying me? The ducks?'
( we wished many
things in life that we forget to see the wishes that came true in front of us
now. )
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