It was not turning out to be the great fishing trip we had imagined. It certainly was not the one Father had promised. All day the rain beat against the roof of our cabin.
Father sat at the window, looking out over the lake. My older brother Jeremy, who had recently turned sixteen years old, lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I paced the room, occasionally glancing toward Father to see if there was any sign that the rain would letup.
"I wish we'd never come out to this boring place," Jeremy said.
I stopped pacing and looked at Father. He gave no sign that he had heard, and I hoped he hadn't. This trip meant a lot to him. He used to come out here with own father.
I started pacing again.
"I mean, if we'd stayed home, at least I could watch TV, go out with my friends or play my guitar, "Jeremy continued.
Silence continued for some time. I kept pacing, imagining the trip I had dreamed of before the bad weather had set in. I saw us in the boat, anchor dropped in a calm bay casting our lines toward shore, the way Father had described it when he was trying to convince Jeremy to come along.
Father stood up and turned to face us. He smiled at me. "Come on, get up, Jeremy, "he said. "Let's go fishing, boys." He picked up his fishing rod and the tool box, opened the door, and walked out into the rain.
Jeremy and I watched Father walk down the pathway toward the dock (码头），the wind whipping (打) at his hair, the rain wetting his clothes. Jeremy shook his head. "He's crazy if he thinks I'm going with him, he said. "Maybe I would have when I was a little kid, but not now, "he said.
I waited for a while, unsure of what to do, looking out the open door at Father, who was walking onto the dock, facing against the storm. Jeremy couldn't believe I picked up my rod and walked out into the storm after Father. I couldn't quite hear what Jeremy said because of the wind in my ears, but I heard his footsteps behind me as he began to follow me out to the boat.
