Hidden AngelBy BlindEagleChapter 1blindeagle@codeysworld.comCopyright © 2008 by BlindEagle. All rights reserved. |
Bob looked down at his nephew. It was just like looking into the face of an angel. Josh was a ten year old, blond hair, blue eyed kid with a smile that was captivating to his and to everyone’s eye.
“Hi kiddo, what’s up?”
Josh looked up from his Leggos, from the small city he was building.
“Hey Uncle Bob, what ya doin here?”
“I was on my way to my cabin to do some fishing. I thought that you might want to go.”
Josh jumped up and grinned. “Oh, cool! Can we take the boat out too? Let me ask mom if it’s ok.”
“Don’t worry about it little man, I already asked your mom and she said to go and have a great time.”
Josh, being a kid with an uncontrollable impulsiveness, ran into the house to grab his fishing pole. Bob bought it for his 10th birthday just a few weeks earlier. Hugging and thanking his mom on the way out the door, Josh jumped into the front seat of Bob’s Suburban, and was off for the cabin.
The ride to the cabin was just under two hours, so when they arrived Josh was almost running around in little circles waiting to get in the cabin to use the bathroom.
“Hey, kiddo, I have a pair of shorts and a tee shirt on the bed in the spare bedroom for you; you can go put them on after you’re done using the bathroom.”
“Wow, thanks Uncle Bob. I’ll go put them on. Then I’ll be ready to drive us out to the middle of the lake.”
“Let’s just get the fishing lines and lures all prepared first, then we can talk about who is going to drive who where.”
The day on the lake was very warm. They moved from spot to spot, looking for their first bite of the day, but to no avail.
“Uncle Bob? You said that you’d let me drive if I was good. Well, have I been good?”
Knowing where Josh was going with this, Bob grinned. “Ok, ok, come on over here, and I’ll help you guide the boat to another spot on the lake.”
Josh was waiting for this moment, waiting ever since his Uncle Bob had brought him up to the lake the prior summer.
“Thank you, thank you, Uncle Bob.” If it had been possible, Josh’s smile would have out-shined the sun.
Bob raised the anchor and started the motor as Josh watched in anticipation of what was about to happen. Positioning the 20 foot fishing boat, Bob turned to Josh, “Are you ready little man?”
Josh was beside himself, because what he had been waiting for was about to happen. “Yes, Uncle Bob,” then dragging out his words, “I’m verrry ready.”
Assisted by his uncle, Josh was now the newly appointed captain of his vessel. After Bob took Josh through a quick safety course, he was ready to launch out into the deep.
Josh felt like he was on top of the world. He was driving and had already made up in his mind that he was going to find the best fishing spot on the lake.
Josh scanned the lake, and his eyes locked onto the most awesome thing he had ever seen. It happened so fast that he could hardly believe his eyes. An eagle swooped down from the sky, and sweeping across the water snatched up a big fish with its claws, then ascended back up into the sky.
“Wow, Uncle Bob, did you see that?”
His uncle was just as surprised as Josh. As long as he had the cabin on the lake, he had never seen an eagle take its prey.
So he wouldn’t reveal to young Josh that it was his first time as well, he said, “What you just witnessed there, Josh, is what takes place here only a few times a month. It becomes more breathtaking every time you see it.”
“I love it out here, Uncle Bob. Can we do this every weekend?”
“Josh, you are welcome here anytime.”
This was something that Josh was very excited to hear. He returned his focus to seek out the best fishing spot on the lake. As he scanned the lake again, a thought came to him, and he steered the boat in the direction where he had just seen the eagle catch the fish. When they reached what he thought was the exact spot, Josh yelled out, “I found the spot, right here. Can you drop the anchor?”
“Are you sure you want to stop and anchor out here? It’s almost in the middle of the lake, and there’s no shade.”
“I am sure, Uncle Bob, and you watch, ‘cause we’re going to catch more fish than this boat can carry.”
Looking at Josh with an amused smile on his face, his uncle saluted. “Ok, Captain Joshua, as you wish.”
Josh and his uncle quickly baited their lines and cast them out. Then they sat quietly, waiting for some action.
Josh was confident that they were going to hit it big, and no sooner than he could finish the thought, his float was pulled under, like it was being taken down to the bottom of the lake.
“Hey kiddo, you have a big one there, let me help you with that.”
Josh was both excited and shocked of the amount of pull that was on the line.
“I told you, Uncle Bob, I told you! Let me bring this one in, please Uncle Bob? Please?”
Bob saw the excitement in his nephews face. “I’m sure that you can handle it, but I’m right here to give you a hand if you need it, ok?”
Hearing that, Josh braced himself, and slowly reeled in the excess line, bringing his catch closer to the awaiting net.
After what seem like the biggest fish fight ever, Bob swept the net under the fish and lifted it out of the water. Josh couldn’t believe his eyes. Flopping around in the net was a catfish that had to be every bit of 15 pounds.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” he yelled, “Look at that, Uncle Bob!”
“Yeah I see it, but I don’t believe it! This is one of the biggest catfish I’ve ever seen.”
“I told you, Uncle Bob,” shouted Josh, “I found the best spot on the lake.”
Bob grinned at Josh’s enthusiasm. “Looks like you did pick a great spot to fish, buddy.”
Just as Bob was unhooking Josh’s fish, his own line took a hit taking the floater under.
“Uncle Bob, Uncle Bob!” yelled Josh, “You have a fish on your line!” He quickly moved to grab hold of his uncle’s pole, which was threatening to be pulled out of the boat and into the lake. “I think yours is as big as mine.”
Bob put Josh’s fish into the cooler, and turned to grab hold of his fishing pole. “I don’t know how you did it kiddo, but it looks like you led us into a school of fish.”
There were no words to express how proud Josh felt about himself, and about what a fine job he had done in finding such a great fishing spot. By the end of the day, Josh and his uncle had caught 22 fish in a total of two and a half hours on the lake. As they headed back to the dock, Josh kept the memory of the eagle fresh in his mind.
As Bob tied up the boat, he looked over at Josh. “How did you figure out to pick that spot?”
Josh looked at his uncle with a wide grin. “Do you remember the spot where the eagle scooped up that huge fish?”
Bob thought back to that event, “Yes, I do, but… oh, ho! I see, you decided that since that eagle caught a big fish at that spot, then we would do the same too.”
With a proud expression, Josh replied, “Yep, you got it unk!”
Back at the cabin, Josh played Chinese checkers while Bob prepared some of the fish that they caught, putting aside several for Josh to take home and packing the rest of the fish into the freezer.
“Hey kiddo, would you like to come back up to the lake next weekend? I’ll ask your mom if it would be ok to do that. Maybe you can find another great spot for us to catch some more fish.”
Josh smiled. “Sure Uncle Bob, I would love to come back here next week. Can we bring Jon with us?”
“I asked Jon if he wanted to come up to the lake with us today, but he was more interested in playing with his friends. Besides, I think you’re enough for me to handle right now.”
Bob cooked several of the fish they caught, along with some hush puppies. Josh ate while talking about the eagle and his catch. Nothing had excited him more then when he found that great fishing spot. He already started making plans in his head for the next time he’d come to the lake.
After cleaning up the cabin, Bob had Josh change out of his fishing clothes and take a shower.
“Aww, Uncle Bob do I have to take one?”
Looking down at Josh, he laughed, “I picked you up smelling clean, and that’s how I’m returning you. Your mother would have my skin if I brought you back smelling like fish!”
Josh knew that he wasn’t going to win this one, so reluctantly he took a quick shower. When he was finished, he discovered that he forgot to get a towel and the clothes the he had worn on the trip from home. He peeked his head out of the bathroom door.
“Uncle Bob, uh… Uncle Bob? I umm… forgot my clothes in the room; um… can you give them to me please? They’re in the bedroom. I, uh… don’t want to come out with nothing on.”
Bob yelled from the kitchen, “Get ‘em yourself! Besides, there’s only men in here so you don’t have anything that I haven’t seen already. Who do you think bathed you when you were still in diapers and pull ups? Me!”
Covering up his privates , Josh ran as fast as he could out of the bathroom to the spare room.
Bob laughed at how Josh was so shy about being naked. He decided to show him that being seen naked wasn’t going to hurt him, and brought Josh a towel. Josh quickly dried off and got dressed.