The Lonesome Dead by Ambrose Ibsen

Author:Ambrose Ibsen [Ibsen, Ambrose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ambrose Ibsen

Fourteen

Fishing went better that day than it'd gone previously. I stayed out on the dock for nearly two hours, my nerves assuaged by the familiar scenery of the family cabin. My catch consisted of a large Carp and a number of Smallmouth Bass. Returning to the cabin triumphantly with a number of fish in my bucket, I cleaned them and had Cecily fry them up in butter.

That night, the three of us ate quite well. The fried fish was paired with kettle cooked potato chips and soda, and we stayed up late into the evening, sitting around the kitchen table while a fresh fire bumbled within the hearth.

From the bedroom closet I'd pulled out one of the boardgames we'd played as children. The three of us set it up half-heartedly for a time, marveling at the old game pieces and arguing over the rules. When the game had run its course, I brought out yet another photo album, this one containing far older pictures than any of the others had. We took turns passing it around, and my grandmother focused on the photos with a great deal of interest.

There were pictures of her in there, along with my grandpa Caleb, from the days just after their marriage. Most were black and white, but they'd been well-preserved in the album and many featured dates on the back. Grandma Kathryn leafed through the album slowly, her cheeks turning red as she lovingly admired the photos of my grandfather as a young man. “We were so young, then,” she managed, a bolus of tears rising in her throat. “My goodness...”

Grandma pointed to a picture of herself. She was wearing a rather conservative one-piece swimsuit and was sitting on the side of the dock, her feet in the water. “I was a child then. Just look; I can't believe I was ever so young as that.” She wiped a tear from her eye and pointed to another. “This one, here. I remember the day well. Your grandfather and I had come out here all alone for our honeymoon. I recall the way he'd stopped here in advance to prepare the cabin. He'd brought a good deal of fancy food along in a cooler, but hadn't packed enough ice. He wanted to surprise me, but by the time the two of us drove up here, the food had all spoiled and he was forced to throw it out.” She laughed, wicking away yet another tear. “He was the sweetest man I ever knew, your grandfather.” Turning her teary gaze to me and Cecily, she took our hands and smiled. “Thank you, both of you, for bringing me here. I'm overjoyed to see this place one more time. I won't be around forever, but enjoying such happy memories is a great privilege. Thank you, both.”

I felt vindicated. All along I'd only wanted to give my grandmother an experience like this one. Before too long the disease that ailed her would destroy these memories she held so

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