Timmy Meets An Old Man On The Way

While walking down the familiar sidewalks on his way to his favorite fishing spot Timmy didn’t notice the various cars passing by. He barely even noticed the kids playing in the playground. Evidently they didn’t know a good fishing day when they saw one! He was deep in his thoughts now about the big browns and beautiful rainbows he was going to catch today; his dad would be so proud! In fact he was so deep in his thoughts the old man that he passed had to yell at him, twice.

“Boy…BOY!” Timmy heard faintly then more loudly. Realizing someone was trying to talk to him, Timmy turned quickly around to notice an old man sitting on the cement porch steps of an old home.

“Yes sir,” Timmy replied. Timmy had always been taught to be respectful to his elders. He even watched his daddy do the same to the older men in the church they attended.

“Where you goin today, son?” The old man asked, smiling.

“Fishin, sir.”

“Where at?”

“At me and my dad’s favorite spot, sir.” Timmy didn’t know if he would tell him where that was at. Respecting elders was one thing, but giving up one’s favorite fishing spot was another!

“Going to bring home dinner, eh boy? Where’s that spot at, son? Is it the one down the bend behind the hospital?” The old man asked with a wink and a smile.

Figuring he could trust the old man, Timmy answered, “Yes sir, and yes that’s the spot, sir.” Maybe he had been there before?

“That’s a good one, that there spot is, son. Why I remember fishing there one time and the strangest thing happened to me,” the old man said as he looked up slightly, as if he could see his memories in the gray sky above him.

“Wha..what happened,” Timmy asked. He was a curious boy, as most are at his age.

“Well, see son, I was fishin, and then I heard this noise…like a stick broke or something, so I decided I best check it out. You don’t want coons comin down and stealin your fish, ya know.”

Timmy nodded his head and put his hand on his creel, just to make sure he brought it. No raccoon could get his thieving paws in there.

“Anyways,” the man continued, “as I walked through the woods, careful to remember my way back to the river, I didn’t find any critters, sos I decided to head back and keep a fishin. Just then,” he paused to look deep into Timmy’s eyes, “I wasn’t in the same woods any more!”

Timmy tried to hide his smile; be respectful, remember, he reminded himself.

The old man chuckled, and with a gleam in his eye that Timmy could only describe as excitement, and then said, “Well, you best be on your way, son. Go bring home some dinner for your parents. And, be careful now, ya hear?”

“Yes sir, I will, sir,” Timmy said, smiling. He began to finish the last leg of his journey to his fishing spot. That strange story from that old man fading in his mind.