A Tinn’s tale

Note: I’m back! Holiday was wonderful and inspiring, I’ve seen many delicious cottages. Sadly the internet connection didn’t work, so I’m just posting this today. Sorry for that, but I hope you enjoy the new things.

 

rank had promised Luc that he would go fishing with him, instead of Dorus. Naturally, Luc had been very excited and couldn’t wait until he would come and take them fishing. He could not think of a finer thing than to go fishing with his big almost-brother-in-law.

 

They’d just finished breakfast and were preparing for the day, when the door burst open.

‘There you are!’ Robyn called. ‘And would you now please take this bouncing creature off our hands?’

Luc leapt quickly off his seat. There he was!

‘This is just the best weather for fishing.’ Frank declared. ‘Go fetch your father’s fishing rods, cheesyhead, and we’ll be off.’

 

 

‘Not too hot, not chilly either, clouds but no rain.. I told you, this is perfect,’ Frank said while Luc was bouncing beside him.

‘Will we catch them? I mean, really catch them, and eat them!’

‘Aye. Caught all by ourselves.’

‘Is there many fish in the lake?’

‘It never happened that there was no fish.’

‘Then they must be very many!’

 

 

They walked all the way to the north side of the lake. There was a path distinctly visible, but they had to push the branches aside to go through. Luc had never been there before and he looked around in wonder, how many great trees were there in which to climb! And bushes in which to hide!

 

 

Then they reached the corner, from where a very tiny deerspath led up the hill. Frank stopped and turned to look at the lake. It lay blue and wide in the hollow between the village and the hills. The cane on the shore was less thick than at other places, so one could cast the fishing rod out.

‘It’s a nice place,’  Luc said.

‘This is where my father and I used to fish.’

‘Oh.’

 

 

‘Don’t feel sorry,’ Frank smiled. ‘I’m glad to share this place with someone who doesn’t remind me of my shortcomings.’

‘So I can bounce here all I like?’

‘As long as you don’t jump into the lake with your clothes on.’

 

 

‘So, let’s fish!’ Luc remembered and cried with delight when Frank brought out the rods and the bait.

‘Look,’ he said. ‘You take the worm in your hand like this.. and you bring him over here and you pinch him on the barb. You see? He’s stuck.’ Frank make some inimitable gestures and showed the poor worm on the barb.

‘Uhh..’

 

‘Look.’ Frank grabbed another worm and pushed it carefully on Luc’s barb. Then he pulled it off again. ‘Now you.’

Luc tried to hold the twisting worm still and push it on the hook at the same time, and it took quite some effort and help from Frank to get it right. But finally he got it.

 

‘That’s right!’ Frank grinned. ‘You see, it’s just a knack you have to get a feeling for. It just needs time and practice. You do very well.’

 

 

They both cast out their rods, which was more difficult than it seemed, and waited. And waited.

Luc was a bouncing little boy who liked to run and climb and play and do things, but now he had to stay still. For a very long time. But he was a big boy and almost a teenager, so he could fish like a man and stay still for a while. Really, he could.

 

 

But it took some effort. After a very long while, Luc began to twist his legs. He moved the float forth and back, and let it bounce over the surface.

‘Come on, fishies, there’s a nice treat for you.. grab it, grab it if you can!’

Frank smiled.

 

 

They stood some more time and then they sat down.

‘Does it always take so long?’ Luc asked.

‘Aye, cheesyhead. You gotta have patience for this. Why don’t we look at the sky meanwhile, at the trees, or the houses?’

‘Or the ducks, or the mill!’

 

 

‘Or the cane and the irises.’

‘And the waterlilies. I can see fish!’

‘I told you there were many.’

‘I can just see them swimming! Why won’t they bite?’

‘Maybe they haven’t seen our worms yet. Or they don’t trust it.’

 

Luc stared at the water for a while. Then he remembered something and looked at the path up the hill.

‘Dad told me something.’

 

 

‘Oh, did he?’

‘Aye. He told me his secret.’

‘Oh..’

‘But you can keep a secret, don’t you?’

‘Can you?’

‘Because I have to tell someone. Listen.’

Frank was silent.

 

 

‘He told me about his beehives in the woods,’ Luc said. ‘We always thought he just bought the beeswax from someone else, but he has secret beehives and makes the wax himself.’

‘So that’s why his candles are so fine..’

‘Aye. And what’s more, ‘cause I’m the boy, I’ll be the chandler next when I’m grown, so he told me the secret so I could do it too!’

‘Yeah. But do you know how, then? Do you know where they are?’

‘No! That’s my problem.’

 

‘Great! Then you can search every forest!’

I know.. So I don’t really know what to do right now.’

‘I would at least wait until you’re a teen, if I were you.’

‘Which is almost!’

‘And go at once, when you won’t have a girl who’s missing you.’

‘Aye. That’s what I’ll do.’

 

 

At the end of the morning, when they heard the noon bells and prepared to go back, they had caught three basses. Two from Frank and one from Luc. He was so proud!

Frank gave his second to Luc, ‘for your sister,’ he said. Luc took it gladly, amused by the obvious fact that Frank was smitten.

‘I will bring it to her personally,’ he chuckled. ‘You just keep our secret.’