ENGLISH SHORT STORY | A FUNNY DAY

It was the evening of a sultry day in the middle of April. We went fishing at a pond that was only half a kilometer away from our home. We all had a fishing rod in our hands. Joe also carried a bucket with a bag of earthworms inside, which I was almost forced to hold at first. He did it on purpose as he knew how much I hate that hideous creature. Fortunately, Jan stopped stupid Joe from teasing me. This made me joyous since there were only a few times that she wouldn’t fan the teasing flames.

They were about 10 steps in front of me though I had tried my best to speed up. Joe was the first one sitting down on the aged wooden pier. He had started baiting an earthworm on his fish hook when I went to sit between him and Jan. The wood plate was still quite so from the bright sun during the day that I had to sit with my knees up, fortunately there were many cool and gentle breezes and it refreshed us so well.

The atmosphere became so silent after the lines were cast into the green mossy river. I always wondered why we had to focus that much, it looked like even a heavy breath would scare the fish off. By the way, I was determined to catch a fish by all means even though I had to sit and keep quiet like this for two hours. It was a vengeance!

“Whoa whoa whoa, such a big one!” Joe yelled happily, breaking the silence after he had got a strike. It turned out to be only a medium sized catfish but he boasted like he had just gotten a whale. The fish was put into the bucket that was now filled with water. Just by watching it, I could not deny I felt the fire of jealousy in my heart.

“Oh strike!” this time it was Jan’s delighted scream. She heatedly pulled her fishing line. Her fish was a bit smaller than Joes’. And I felt even more depressed with my failure.

“Poor girl, you’re always a loser” I saw a glint of mockery in her eyes I swore!

“Have any fish even hit your earthworm yet?” his voice was so irritating this time I hate it so much.

Just after a while my heart was filled with hope when I felt tension from my fishing rod.

“Not too late!” I shouted with a big grin and eagerly swept the fishing rod backwards to see the dedicated fish that was supposed to recover my pride “I’m gonna show you I’m not a loser!” I shouted.

“Ahahahaha” they both laughed loudly as soon as they saw what I got.

“Little girl, you should check carefully whether it’s a real fish!” said Joe.

“Hey Joe, perhaps this is a new species… what should we call it…? Jan added.

“Well, a big fishy boot?”

They sniggered and then wildly laughed again till their faces were red and I guessed mine was like theirs, not from laughing but frustration. Disappointedly and embarrassedly I stood up and walked furiously back home with the boot in my hand. I had no idea why I brought it with me, maybe I was so angry that I forgot to throw it away. I heard Jan calling me and the sound of the bucket hit the rods while they were following me. Tears ran down my face unstoppably. I wasn’t sensitive. It was just because I was angry at them so much I cried!

“Jenna” Jan called me gently and held my right wrist. Joe suddenly appeared at the other side, his hand forced my head to the right towards the sky.

“Look! UFO!”

“It’s a bad joke, you bastard!” I screamed and punched his belly.

“Ouch!” he made a fake hurting sound and smiled like he were not guilty of making me cry

“Jenna, oh!” Again he glared excitedly towards the boot in my hand.

“Something is in here…….a fish!?”

“Oh my god! you really got a fish, awesome!”, said Jan.

I was so thrilled and tiptoed to see the fish that was now in Joe’s hand. It slid into the bucket after Joe leaned the boot down.

“Are you in a good mood now? C’mon, let’s make up” Jan said, then Joe lifted up the bucket to show me the problem was solved. I didn’t say anything back due to the shame about crying.

I walked home in a brighter mood after that. When we arrived, I found that there were only two fish. Out of curiosity I asked them why one was missing. Joe told me he had already set his pitiful fish free. ‘That’s incredible!’ I thought to myself. He had never had this kind of morality. I bet it was because he would feel so embarrassed to compare his little fish with the big one of mine!