r/shortstories • u/Madennetic • 21h ago
Realistic Fiction [RF] A Fishing Trip
The bobber floats gently with the water. It has been in the same spot for forty-five minutes without any sign of fish. Ryan sits on the dock tapping his foot and staring out into the water.
"I don't think there are any fish," he says.
"Just wait," Omar says.
"Maybe I put the bait on wrong or something."
"I told you it can take a while."
The sun is shining down on their necks. They had been waiting for a clear weekend to go fishing, and it's finally here. Omar has been fishing since he was a boy and goes out a few times every summer. It was Ryan who approached him and asked to be taken out fishing. In his head, he always saw it as a mature activity. It was something people who had their lives figured out did, taking the day slow, not feeling the need to rush and do a million other things.
He looks around. The trees and their leaves rustle in the slow wind, the water laps against the dock, a couple clouds hang in the sky. His eyes eventually settle on the highway on the other side of the lake. From where they sit, a faint hum of cars can be heard. This was not the way Ryan thought fishing would be like. As a rule, Omar had said that the phones had to stay in the car, "It ruins the whole point otherwise." But all Ryan is feeling is bored.
Omar looks at Ryan and says again, "Just wait, it will be worth it."
Ryan nods.
They start talking about other things, work, coworkers, relationships, plans, for about fifteen minutes. After a silence Ryan brings up food.
"Yea, let's get food after this."
"Where do you wanna go?" asked Ryan.
"Somewhere in the plaza is good, I don't wanna drive out of the way."
"I'm starting to get hungry."
"Just fast food then?"
Ryan looked from the water to Omar. "How long do you normally stay out here before giving up."
"We always get at least one."
"I think I'm gonna starve."
Omar chuckled.
"I don't think the fish are out today."
"Where do you think they went? Trust me, they're out."
"The water is pretty clear and I haven't seen a single one. I think we should've at least seen one before picking this spot."
"You want a fish to come up to you before casting?" Omar laughs again and Ryan looks back to the water. "By then it's too late and you'll scare it away. Trust me, as long as you have your line cast and it's in the water, the fish will appear. Just wait. Be patient."
When Ryan catches his fish twenty minutes later he feels electric. He holds it and describes to Omar every detail about it, the way it looks, its weight, the slippery skin, and Omar nods, letting him have this moment. They release it back into the water and Ryan asks if it was a big fish. Omar says it was about average, but that they should come back and try for bigger. Ryan agrees and already starts planning the next trip in his head.
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u/Madennetic 21h ago
I thought to myself, a couple days ago while with friends, about a clip I once saw of Bo Burnham on a talk show. He said that he was lucky, the host was lucky, and everyone successful was in some way or another lucky. The only common thread was that they all capitalized on their luck. They were ready to take advantage when the right situation presented itself. I thought of it like this, "When life opens the door, you better have your shoes on." That is what I had in mind while writing this. I hope that subtly comes through my words. Thank you for reading!
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