Age anxiety and fish trouble - Chapter 9

Sunday

I wake up rested around 8 o'clock and everything is fine. Well. It tightens and feels strange on the lower part of both legs. I look closely at them but see nothing strange.

I get up and shower and think about what clothes to wear today. It will be very hot according to the weather report and in the end I choose a tank top and put it on.

Breakfast will again be toasted sandwiches and marmalade. I don't drink tea today because I don't feel like it, but I do have some good orange juice.

The sausages go into the bag and I put on both sunglasses and a sun hat.

Tony arrives almost at 10 o'clock sharp. He seems somehow angry and answers short when I say hello. The journey to Hästö takes place in silence.

We pick up the boat on land where it was left last week and we drag it out into the water and launch it. We put in the rods and the bag with the lures. Tony starts the engine and we drive towards Verkö.

He stops shortly after the bridge.

- Here it will be good; he says shortly.
- Too bad you were grumpy today

Tony stands quietly for a moment and takes out his rod and puts on his favorite move. He throws out the line and stands there in the boat with a grim look.

- I've had such a bad week; he finally says.
- My week has also been like that. My legs are a little sore right now.

I take my rod and put on a drag that is dark gray. I also throw out the line and reel in a little lightly.

- It already started on Monday when my grandfather died. I miss him so much. He was old, but it's still tragic.

I am quiet and listen.

- Then on Tuesday the car broke down. A rather expensive repair, but it's fixed now. On Wednesday I was almost run over by some idiot. On Thursday, the power went out in the apartment and it took several hours before they found the fault. Fortunately, the food survived in the freezer.

Tony is silent for a moment and looks out over the sea. I feel sorry for him. My problems haven't been as big as his.

- On Friday I got fired and yesterday there was a fire in the house where I live. It didn't affect me but it seriously smells bad in the stairs now.

- I have had a fever and strange sensations in my body and then these. I point to the lines on the neck.

Tony turns and looks at the lines on my neck. He feels them carefully.

- Does it hurt when I feel here?
- No, it doesn't feel like anything at all.
- They look really odd. Have you asked a doctor about it yet?
- No, but I will do it tomorrow.

As we stand there talking, I feel i have a catch. Tony smiles at me as I reel in the line and soon I see a half-sized herring struggling in the water.

I pull up the herring and it lands in the boat. It obviously tries to swim but gets nowhere. I pick it up and remove the pull. I look intently at the fish and then I take it in my mouth and start eating it just like that.

- But what are you doing? You have to clean it first.

I continue to nibble on the fish and it slides further into my mouth. Blood flows from the fish and it really gnashes my teeth. Blood mixed with scales flows into the boat.

Tony shakes his head and just glares at me

- What good table manners you have there. Just eating it like that. But wait a minute now. You don't even like fish.

I mumble something inaudibly between bites. Once the fish is swallowed, I have a lot of sticky fish blood mixed with its scales around the mouth, on the shirt and on the pants. I feel Tony's gaze and grin at him.

- Yes, that one was a good. Take one you too.
- You are really strange today. Have you taken anything? like drugs?.
- Why would I do that? I've never taken any drugs and you know it.
- You never liked fish and now you devour one without hesitation. Also except to even clean and fry it first. Something has happened to you and I want to know what.

I can't really explain but then I remember what dad said about the place we fished.

- My father has said that the place we fished last week has more people such as mermaids and other things. Maybe it was a mermaid baby that bit me and now I've changed somehow.
- Merpeople? I really don't believe in such things.
- But the fortune teller at the market said that I would turn into a merman and maybe something like that happens. In that case what I have on my neck must be gills.
- You never said that a fortune teller told you something like that when you asked what a merman was.
- I didn't think it would happen to begin with. I mean, who would believe such a thing. Your misfortunes may be due to the Merfolk placing a curse on you for taking their fish and I nearly killed one of their cubs or cubs.

Tony stands silent for a long moment and seems to think about what I said.

- Damn them in that case. I just wanted to fish. There wasn't exactly a shortage of fish so they shouldn't care.
- In a sense, I can agree, but there is not much to do. Except then possibly dump back the fish you caught last week in the same spot.
- But it doesn't work. I have already cleaned them and put them in the freezer. They certainly want live fish.

I stand and think for a while. Tony is right. There is not much that can be done about it. Tony turns around and sees that he too has been pacified. He pulls up a herring almost as big as I did and after killing it puts it in the fish bucket.

The day goes by and we both get some more fish. When we got back to Hästö and pulled up the boat, Tony says; I'm guessing you want to take home your share of the catch? It works great if you want it to. Do you know how to clean the fish afterwards?

- I have seen on Youtube sometime; I say.
- Good, but then so. Then we go home.

Tony drives me into town and he seems more relaxed than he was when he picked me up.

- Shall we meet next week too?
- Yes, of course it will be good.
- Sunday as usual?
- Yep.

Once up, I clean the fish. It takes some time but it's also fun somehow. I fry a few herrings for supper and the rest are put in the fridge and freezer

After the meal I listen to an old vinyl record that I haven't listened to in a very long time. It's Chris De Burgh's album "The getaway". I had forgotten how good this record is and sing quite loudly in some of the songs.

The evening comes and I decide to go to bed. The legs still feel strange and now the skin has started to sting. It bothers me quite a bit, but I can't do anything about it.

I can only hope that next week will be as normal as possible. This week has been a trial for me. I try to think positive thoughts before I go to sleep.