They wrote a note to their grandparents which said they would be fishing at Sunset Hill pond. and they would be back with plenty of fish. “We hope to supply supper”, they said in the note.

They were so excited about fishing, that they walked, and ran again, and walked when they got out of breath. They took a blanket for sitting on for lunch, and they felt relieved that they could just go and not do the chores this morning. The cows would not have to be milked until much later, and they hoped to fish for two hours and get back home.

“This is just wonderful ! I love to fish! I want to catch three or four big ones. ” Lucy said to Thomas.

“Ah, sis. I am glad you know how to put the bait on the hook. We will have fish in no time. I haven’t been fishing in a while. I am glad you woke up, and that we got out of the house before anyone woke up. I feel a little guilty, but we need some time to fish and be away from the farm. School will start soon and then we won’t have time to go fishing!”

“Thomas, we are almost there. Do you think we can run the rest of the way? ” Lucy said.

They both ran some more and soon they were at the pond, with their lines in the water. They had red and white floats on their lines to indicate when the fish were biting. They washed their hands once they had their lines in the water, and began to nibble on cookies, some milk, and part of their sandwiches. In their haste they had forgotten to eat at the house. They just wanted to be away from their grandparents for a while. It was time to talk, enjoy fishing, and reminisce of the times when their mom and dad were alive. They were killed in an automobile accident and they had come to live with their grandparents when they were little. They still remembered them, and talked some about their parents.

Thomas knew more what to say. He was older than Lucy by two years, and being twelve, he seemed to know much more than she did.

Some say you shouldn’t talk while you fish. Thomas and Lucy were not quiet. They talked about their grandparents, about their parents and about school . Thomas would be in middle school and Lucy was entering middle school for the first time. School would certainly make life more busy this Fall.

“I have a bite,”  said Thomas.

“I do too, ” said Lucy Sue.

They grabbed their poles and reeled the fish in on the bank.

“These are big enough to cook!” Lucy Sue said.

They took the fish quickly off the hooks and put them in the contain for fish they caught.

“Wow! It is so much fun to go fishing!”LucySue said.

“I never thought you would like to fish, Lucy. Girls usually don’t fish.” Thomas said.

“Why Thomas, I like to climb trees, fish, and do everything that you do. Life is an adventure and I think that you should live each day to its maximum. I mean, enjoy it like it is the last you have!” Lucy said seriously.

“Lucy Sue, why did you say it that way?” Thomas said.

“I remember Mom and Dad,and how they laughed and giggled with us. Life was happy and we were little, but every day was special. They went with us to the park, gave us rides on the train, and took us to some nice places. I think Dad said that we needed to live life to the maximum.” Lucy Sue stated.

Thomas looked at his floater. “Lucy Sue, I have another bite. I’m reeling again!”

Lucy Sue cried, “Me too, Thomas. This is the best time. I love it when the fish are biting like this!”

Pretty soon, within an hour, the two children had caught a bucket full of fish. They were big enough to fry, and it looked like there would be plenty for everyone.

“Let’s figure a way to carry more fish back with us. The bucket is full, but it would be nice to have a feast with these. I can smell the hush puppies, and taste Grandma’s lemon sauce now. ” Lucy said with excitement.

“Lucy Sue, hush a minute. I think I hear something. ” Thomas said.

“Thomas, we left Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Thomas a note about where we are. There are no bears out here.”

“Shh! I heard a branch snap.” Thomas whispered.

Sure enough in the thicket beyond where the children were, there was a raccoon. He was huge, and hungry.

“There it is, Thomas! I see a raccoon over there.” Lucy Sue said. “We don’t have to worry about anything!” They soon saw the raccoon leave.

Thomas continued to be very quiet, and he fished on and caught one more big fish. It was nice to be fishing again. Altogether the two caught 23 fish, and they heard no more animals or mysterious noises. They washed their hands and sat down to eat a mid-morning lunch. They got up from this and headed back home, sure that the folks were awake by now, and that grandma Lucy would be pleased that they were bringing home supper!

Lugging the fish bucket home was a chore. It was heavy with fish, and the children had added a little water to keep the fish happy.

They didn’t have much food left, so carrying their poles, the fish bucket, and the blanket was all they had to have in their hands. They were happy and unaware of what time it was. Neither of the children had a watch on, but somehow they knew it was lunchtime for their grandparents.

When they came in the yard, they saw a crowd of people in the yard. There were people everywhere. They stopped to look around, and then continued to go up the front porch and into the house. There was grandma at the table with grandpa. They were sipping on coffee and not talking much. In fact no one was talking much. They were just hanging around.

Thomas said, “Grandma, why are all these people here? We brought you fish. We went fishing early this morning, and they really were biting. “

“Why Thomas!” Grandma shouted. “There you are! “

“Lucy Sue? How did you get so sun burned, and did you go fishing also?” Grandpa asked.

“We caught so much fish that we think it will be enough to feed company. We were catching fish left and right!” Thomas said.

“Well, we became worried when we saw no note, and you were gone from your rooms.” Grandma said.” Our neighbors saw us in a panic, and they have been here with us until now. “

” Ah, we did leave a note, ” Thomas said. We left it ………….he reached in his pocket. There was the note.

Thomas and Lucy Sue did not mean to have worried their grandparents. They loved them dearly, and they hugged and kissed them, and hugged them again.

“You can be loving, but look how you worried us. Why didn’t you tell us where you were going? Why write a note? Talking would have been just fine. ” Grandpa said. “You worried the whole neighborhood, but now let’s get to cleaning the fish. I think we can have a good fish fry with hush puppies and slaw, and apple pies for dessert. “

Grandma was beaming again. She missed her grandchildren when they went away, and she was plentifully worried. There was good reason to be worried. There were bears in the area, and bears and kids don’t always get along, especially if they are fishing.

Lucy Sue helped Grandma make the hush puppies, and Thomas helped clean the fish. There was time for a nap before frying the fish. The meal that night was joyous and happy. Some of the neighbors stayed to eat with them, because Grandma put fish in the freezer, and still cooked enough for everyone who came. They were just right. The neighbors brought in some food, and it was a joyous time for everyone.

Grandpa got out his harmonica and played after supper, and some people sang and others watched the bonfire in the yard. Yes, it was a nice night for a fire, and there was plenty of wood to burn. This was a celebration. The children were back with them, and nothing had stolen them. They were well and had just gone fishing.