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This isn’t rocket science.
She made her way down to the water’s edge.
She watched as her three teammates stepped onto the surf and cast out. They made it look so easy.
She moved the rod back and with all her strength, she cast out. She saw the sinker and bait head way out over the breakers, and for a split second, she was elated. She had made a great cast.
But then something felt terribly wrong. She looked up at the rod tip and saw her line dangling there forlornly. With a sinking feeling, she realized what she had, or actually hadn’t done. She hadn’t flipped the bail.
She was mortified, especially when she heard a voice call out, “You need to flip the bail, Jenni. Fishing 101.”
It was Caleb. Of course, it was. She heard his buddies laughing. She wanted to crawl into the sand like a crab, but she squared her shoulders and walked back to the truck.
She and Caitlin had prepared several rigs and now she had to remember how to replace what she’d lost. Caitlin walked up behind her and shook her head.
“I’m not surprised you did that,” Caitlin said. “We all do it at one time or another. “
“I’m just so stupid,” Jenni responded bitterly. “I knew I’d mess up. Compy always said…”
“Enough,” snapped Caitlin. “Just listen to how I tell you to make the knots and let’s get you back out there fishing.”
Jenni’s fingers were cold, but she managed, only because Caitlin was not only the most patient instructor, but she knew exactly what to say so that Jenni understood.
As she walked back over to her spot, she glanced over at Caleb. One of his teammates had already caught a fish, and there was the requisite back-slapping and carrying-on.
Good, he’s occupied.I will take my time and I will remember what Caitlin told me and I will not worry about Caleb watching me or not watching me because it doesn’t matter.
This time, she was very careful to flip the bail, and her cast, while not spectacular, got into the water.
“That’s better,” she heard Caleb call out. “I do that at least once a tournament myself.”
Jenni wanted to respond but then decided not to. She just nodded. She wanted to be in her own fishing bubble. That’s where she’d stay.
Chapter Seven
From time to time, she’d hear shouts from the different teams as fish were caught and measured, and when Barb caught the first fish, a nice puppy drum, Jenni cheered loudly and gave her a big hug.
They had about thirty minutes to go when Jenni cast out and suddenly felt an incessant, hard tug in her line. “Hey, hey, hey!” she hollered to Caitlin, “I think I have caught something. Now what?”
Caitlin placed her rod in its holder and ran over. “You have something on for sure. Start reeling it in. Keep your tip up and keep reeling.”
Jenni couldn’t believe the excitement she felt.
She thought she could hear Caleb cheering her on, but she couldn’t be certain. She had to focus. She wouldn’t mess this up. She kept reeling and reeling and didn’t seem to be making much progress, but eventually, she could see something thrashing in the water.
“Bring it all the way in,” Caitlin commanded. “You have to bring it in and get it off the hook yourself.”
When she finally brought it up on the beach, Jenni was appalled. She’d never seen anything quite like what was on her hook. And when she grabbed it, it swelled up like a balloon. “What is this?” she screamed at Caitlin.
Caitlin, Mary Ellen, and Barb were, she realized, doubled over with laughter.
“It’s a blow toad,” said Caitlin. “Or a puffer fish. It’s trash, so just try to remove the hook as gently as you can and throw it back in.”
Jenni struggled with the hook, but finally, it came free, and she walked the little monster to the edge of the surf where he swam away.
At least I didn’t kill it.
As she walked back to her rod, she noticed Caleb walking over.
