A Boat Trip

"Aargh!" I groaned, squishing yet another mosquito that was sucking my blood. I should have just stayed home, leisurely sipping on cold lemonade. Instead, I was stranded here at Echo Lake in what my father had deemed "the fishing adventure of a lifetime". The sun was at its zenith and I was already sweating buckets. Clambering into the boat half-heartedly, I could not help but stare at my father. If only the weather was in cahoots with me! I could have dragged him back home. Unfortunately, the lake was as still as a sheet of glass baking in the sun.

I pouted petulantly as I cast the line in, waiting for a fish to take the bait. "This is so boring!" I lamented to myself as time seemed to crawl to a standstill. Out of the blue, I felt a strong tug on my fishing line. Quickly springing into action, I struggled to haul it up. "I’ve… caught… something, Dad!" I yelled out excitedly in between wrestling with the fish.

"Beginner’s luck!" Father quipped as he ran over to help me. My line was a snake as I eagerly tried to reel the line in. My muscles strained in protest as we fought a losing battle against the fish.

Scrunching my eyes up in concentration, I tugged the rod with all my might. This was the last straw for the fish. With its black eyes glinting maliciously, it yanked me out of the boat. My eyes widened in shock as I flailed my arms in a feeble attempt to stay afloat in the lake. Father was shocked initially but he immediately abandoned the rod and tossed a life buoy in my direction. I lunged for it, missing by inches. Desperately treading water, I tried again. This time, however, I finally managed to catch the edge of the life buoy. I grabbed hold and did not let go.

Heaving heavily, Father managed to haul me up onto the boat. Momentarily shaken, I sat there, dripping wet while gasping for breath. I shivered uncontrollably, saturated from head to toe from being in the chilly water. It was not lost on me that our fishing trip was aborted with nothing to show for our efforts. On the drive home, neither of us said anything. Exhausted, I could barely move my limbs as I dozed off.

Once we were home and well-rested, I decided to try and salvage our disastrous day. I ventured, "Dad, why don’t we do something fun and mosquito-free tonight, like go to Swensen's for some fish and chips?"

Father let out a chuckle, ruffling my hair affectionately. "Deal," he replied with a smile. Though I had survived the chaotic turn of events, I knew one thing for sure: this wild boat trip had earned itself a permanent spot on my "never again" list. Given a choice, I would rather admire lakes from a safe, dry bench, far away from any fishing rods.