Going Fishing
Ridgefield, NJ
2022, Junior, Creative Writing
Every Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., my family goes out fishing. My mother is always in a rush, frantically ushering us to the door. I fight with my ankle-length rubber boots and defeatedly let them slump to the floor with a soft thud. My dad then crouches down to tug them onto my feet, which are already sealed and protected with waterproof socks. Once he is done with my shoes, he zips up my coat to my chin. I always tug the zipper down a bit when he isn’t looking. My father’s boots squeak as he stands up, and his buckets and nets clang against each other in his hands.
“Alright, let’s move,” my father determinedly announces, with a slight nod of affirmation.
On our way down to Main Street that day, the water level climbed higher and higher. The water started tickling the edge of my boots and slowly engulfed the soles of my feet. Eventually, we were greeted warmly by the clusters of dead fish floating on the surface of the waters. As per usual, people were scrambling around, trying to find themselves the fattest, juiciest fish of them all.
Of course, we can’t forget the infamous veterans. These are the folks who never leave Main Street. We kids call them the Teabags because they’re always in the water, and always a bit soggy. The Teabags love to sit around and retell wild stories to their ancient pals.
“Last week, I found a fish that was the size of a golf club. I kid you not,” he gestured with his two hands outstretched. “It was thissss big. I’m telling you, this is the prime spot for the fish. They end up flocking to you. No need to chase them around with the old bait and rod anymore. This whole ‘climate change’ shenanigan is doing our job for us!” The old men surrounding him howled together in unison.
I waddled my way towards the elders and eagerly questioned, “Is it true that there are a lot of fish in this area?”
The Teabags collectively creaked forward in their metal chairs and gave each other long glances. One of them said with a mysterious tone, “Well, it’s true that there are big fish here, but there are really massive fish floating around over there.” His eyes sparkled as his hand arched towards the dark, trash-littered waters.
I looked ahead, then back to the old man, and then back to where he was pointing. “Are you sure that place will get me a big fish? I don’t see any fish from where I’m standing.”
Then another veteran perked up, “You see, only those with courage would be able to trudge their way through the treacherous waters.”
My heart started racing. This was my chance! I thanked the old men and splashed through the smoky waters. Occasionally, a small fish would float near me, belly side up and decorated with bits of plastic and debris. I was tempted to bring one home in my bucket, but I decided to restrain myself. The real deal was coming my way.
Closer and closer to the ominous waters, I stopped to catch my breath. The undercurrents were going the opposite direction and felt as if they were trying to push me away. One particular current swooped underneath me, causing me to crash onto the concrete below and my entire coat to get drenched.
My mother tells me to be positive, but on days like this, it’s hard to think about nice things all the time. Every day we walk to the supermarket, it is empty. There have been no fresh fruits or vegetables for ages, and the shelves they once filled are now covered with a thin layer of dust. My dad says that it’s because all the bees went extinct a long time ago. We’re also always moving. “Up and up and up” is what my dad always says. He says the world is like a popsicle, and we have to go higher before we melt with it. Sometimes my parents give me their portion of food so I don’t have to stay hungry at school. They always just smile and say they aren’t hungry. They’re the biggest liars I know. That’s why I need to find the big fish. To repay them.
The sunlight reflected on the gloomy waters. Maybe it was time to go back. As I was turning for home, I felt something bump the back of my leg. I ignored it and assumed it was just a tire or a can that was floating around. With the currents constantly pushing me forward, the mysterious object kept crashing behind me. I turned and saw a massive fish with its cloudy, lifeless eyes staring right into me, almost as if it was asking for me to take it. Its silky gray scales shined from the light above. I dunked my bucket under the waters and tried to slide the fish in. Once its head made contact with the bottom of the bucket, I quickly scooped it up, just like my dad had taught me. I ran excitedly through the waters to find my parents. When I saw them, they looked upset. Maybe my discovery will make them feel better, I thought.
“I caught it! I caught it! I really caught it!” I shouted, while showing my dad the fish in my bucket.
My dad shoved the bucket aside and shouted, “WHERE WERE YOU? I told you not to go to the deep edge. You know how worried I was for you?”
I was shocked at my dad’s anger. “But I caught it for you!” I walked over to the massive fish and bucket that he’d knocked out of my hands.
My dad’s eyes were slightly moist, and with one arm carrying me and the other carrying my bucket, we walked with the sun setting behind us while facing the shadows ahead.
See you later, Main Street.
Reflection
Reflection
Through my exploration of the Ocean Awareness Contest theme, I was able to detach myself from the darkness that comes with climate change and look at it in a more humorous light. Granted, climate change isn’t something that we should laugh about, but it should be something that we can be confident about overcoming. Most of my inspiration came from the question, "What if?" "What if things did go this far?" was one of the many questions I asked myself before starting this project. I wanted to tell my story from the point of view of a child, giving an innocent glimpse into the devastating world the people in my society have to live in their day-to-day lives. I wanted to emphasize the effect climate change will have on future generations, and that if the global community does not act, the world will gray and rot. Overall, as I explored the Ocean Awareness Contest theme, I was able to educate myself on how climate change is starting to affect people around the world, particularly marginalized groups. Refugees from rising sea levels and environmental racism are two areas of prejudice that people are facing as climate change becomes more of an alarming issue. Through my piece, I hope people feel the nudge to step forward and transform what seems like an irreversible problem to something much more manageable.