MERMAID (chapter 1.1)

                                                1. Vacation

“Look dad this is boring,” I complained. “I know we’re on vacation but seriously. Fishing?”

Fishing is probably the most uninteresting activity and father and daughter could do together. I mean, we only get to spend a few weeks each year near the beach, and we have to go fishing for half of it.

“Sweetie, just enjoy it. The still aqua lake, the untouched vegetation, the beautiful cloudless sky, the huge schools of fish and spending some quality time with your old man.”

I sighed.

“Yes I know, it’s all very interesting but you can fish at the beach! There are even more of them in the ocean than there are here and the only reason we come to Basalt Reef is so we can be near the water!”

Suddenly my dad’s face was stern, “Cy, you realise that going to the beach isn’t the only reason we come here. My father took me here and his father took him and hi-”

“And his father took him,” I interrupted angrily. “Yeah I get it. It’s tradition. But why do we have to go here almost everyday? I mean there is a lake at home but no beach!”

“Because,” my dad spoke through gritted teeth, “I say so. And if you haven’t already noticed, we are near the water here.”

I gave up. I just don’t understand my dad. I never did and never will. Ever since mum went up to heaven, or the next life, or where ever, dad hasn’t let me near the beach. Well unless he’s there following my every move like an obsessed body guard. Even though I have complained to him hundreds of times, my dad hasn’t budged. Not even a centimetre.

I sighed again and lay on my back, putting on my white Mossimo sunnies and watched the huge flock of birds flying in a 'V' shape above the lake.

Quality time with your old man. Yeah right.

Dad never expresses his feelings. Like all guys, he suppresses them until they come out in unusual, and often annoying, ways.

For example fishing. He never went fishing before mum left us. Then all of a sudden he takes us here over the summer holidays and says its family tradition. Not to mention all these new stories about how he caught the biggest fish out of all the boys in his scout class.

Sure.