“Wow, it’s so light!” Myuke said, picking up a fishing rod while Anima was distracted by his wife’s lovely reaction.
“Wooow, liiight!”
“That rod’s made of bamboo, a durable plant that grows on the other side of the ocean,” Luina explained. “It’s really flexible, which makes it hard to break.”
“Commercial cities get stuff from all over the place, huh? Anyway, I’m getting this one.”
“Me!”
Marie picked up a small rod, specifically designed for kids.
“Be careful of the hook,” Anima warned.
“’Kaaay!”
“Let’s go; I wanna fish!”
“Give me just a moment.”
Anima was busy looking at the bait. He was used to seeing worms during the countless hours he and Luina spent working in the fields, but impaling live ones on a hook was a different story altogether. Instead, he decided to look for dough bait. After renting three adult rods and one children’s rod, two buckets, one net, then buying two packs of dough bait, they left for the fishing area.
As they made their way down the shoreline covered in short green grass, they found a handful of other people fishing there as well. There were a few benches, chairs, and tables around the area, and a big furnace to the side with clean, white smoke gently rising from the top. A group of men had just made a toast to their good catch at the table closest to the furnace.
Enjoying the bounties of the sea by frying the fish they’d caught themselves while right beside the water would be a memorable, fun experience for their whole family. Anima couldn’t wait to see his daughters’ excited smiles as they pulled their dinner from the crackling fire and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
He attached the bait to his hook, then did so for Marie as well so she wouldn’t get hurt.
“Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Are you set, Myuke?”
“Yep, all good! Look!”
“Well done.”
“Eheehee. Just watch; I’ll catch a bigger fish than you!”
Declaring confidence in her success, Myuke stood next to Luina and swung her rod. With a small plop, the hook sank into the lake. Anima and Luina also swung their rods and sank their hooks into the water, and while Marie imitated them, the only thing her hook sank into was Anima’s robe.
“I catched Daddy!”
Anima flashed a warm smile as Marie hugged him tightly.
“Oh, look at that. I’ve been caught.”
“Wow, I think you won! We can’t possibly top that.”
“Hmm, but we can’t eat Daddy.”
Myuke and Luina chuckled as they joked about Marie’s catch.
“I wanna fissie!”
“Me too. We’re sure to catch something if we focus, okay?”
Anima pulled the hook out of his robe, and Marie swung her rod again. With a plop, her hook sank into the water like the others’.
“Where the fissies?”
“They might come here if you call for them.”
“Come out, Midder Fissie! I’m here!” The water rippled as Marie’s cheerful voice reverberated across the lake. “There! You seed it?! It was there!”
Luina watched with a gentle smile as Marie jumped up and down in excitement.
“Mister Fishie came to say hello,” she said.
“It was huge! Here, I’ll catch it for— Whoa!” Myuke was suddenly pulled forward, and her rod bent at a sharp angle. As she pulled back on it, the shape of a fish became visible under the surface. “I caught one! Daddy, quick! The net!”
Urged on by his daughter, Anima took the net and scooped up the fish that was struggling just below the water’s surface.
“Woo-hoo! I caught one!” Myuke cheered.
“Wooow, Myukey!”
“Very impressive.”
“Well done! You caught the first one!”
Myuke was elated by everyone’s praise. She proudly looked at the fish she’d caught, which had been moved into a bucket for safekeeping.
“Hyahn!”
Suddenly, Marie’s fishing rod slipped from her hands and rapidly made its way toward the lake. Anima quickly picked it up and gave it back to Marie.
“Look, Marie! You caught something!”
“I did? Yaaay! Daddy, net!” Marie pulled back on her fishing rod while slowly walking backward. Soon enough, the fish became visible in the water, giving Anima a chance to scoop it up with the net. “Midder Fissie!”
Marie held the wriggling fish she’d caught in her hands, the most radiant, adorable smile on her face. After securing their latest catch in the bucket, they all went back to fishing until the lake and the surrounding green lawn took on an orange hue.
“I’m hungy!” Marie complained.
“Me too. Maybe we should call it a day soon.”
“We caught so many.”
“Right?! I definitely didn’t expect to catch three!”
Their grand total came to eight. Myuke had caught three, Luina and Marie had each caught two, and Anima had finished with only a single catch. If he had to come up with an excuse for his performance, it was that he was busy helping everyone out by catching their rods if they lost their grip on them and dragging the net around to scoop up the fish, but there was no need for that. He was just happy that he was able to help his family.
“Okey dokey, we should be all set for lunch once we return the fishing gear. I take it everyone is fine with grilled fish?” Anima and the girls all nodded in unison. “Anima, could you stay here and guard the fish? We wouldn’t want some pesky birds to snatch them.”
“Worry not. I’ll protect these buckets with my life.”
Anima picked up the buckets and set them down right in front of himself. By the time the fish inside had settled down, the others had returned with the cooking equipment, so he picked up the buckets and headed for the furnace.
“Please give me a moment.” Luina set a cutting board on the picnic table right behind the furnace and began gutting the fish with precise, confident movements. “Myuke, Marie, please rub the fish with salt. You don’t have to be shy about it; cover them with as much as you can. Anima, can I ask you to skewer them once they’re properly salted? I’ll get the fire going in the meantime.”
Following Luina’s orders, the girls began rubbing a thin crust of salt onto the fish.
“We’re done!”
“Daddy, stewer!”
“Here I go!”
It was Anima’s turn to work. He carefully skewered each fish so as not to fracture their spines, and just as he finished skewering them all, smoke started to rise from the furnace. He glanced in Luina’s direction to find her skirt spread back and lifted slightly. She seemed to have grown a tail due to using her fire lizard stone.
“Mommy, all done!”
“Oh my, they look great!” she said with a smile as she picked up one of the skewers.
“Let me handle that,” Anima offered. “I wouldn’t want you to get burned.”
“Thank you. Please.”
Anima moved the skewers to a wire net.
“Your fish is huge, Marie!”
“Myukey’s too! When’s din-din?”
“Be patient; it’ll take a few minutes to cook.”
While listening to the crackling of the fire, the restlessly fidgeting girls stared at the fish cooking in the furnace. Anima was keeping track of the time, and he flipped the skewers just at the right moment. When he did, the fat that dripped off the fish fanned the flames, which completely engulfed their dinner.
It didn’t take long for the enticing aroma of the fresh, salt-rubbed fish to entrance the girls—both of them audibly gulped at the exact same time. A few more moments passed, and Anima flipped the skewers again. The pronounced char marks on the visibly crispy skin told him that they were ready.
“They should be perfect now.”
“Thank you for the meal!” The moment Luina announced that dinner was ready, the girls said the magic words in unison, and Luina and Anima followed suit.
“Be careful of bones.”
“Owie, hod! Nummy!”
“We did an awesome job salting it, if I do say so myself!”
Watching the girls enjoy the salt-rubbed grilled fish, Anima couldn’t contain himself anymore. He opened his mouth wide and took a big bite. The crispy skin crackled under his teeth, and all the delicious juices from the magnificent catch exploded in his mouth. The thin layer of seasoning escaped as the soft meat dissolved, adding just the right amount of saltiness to the incredible dish.
“Nummy! More pease!”
“Me too, please!”
After practically licking the bones clean of meat, they reached for more and began chowing down again. Shortly after them, Anima and Luina did the same. The family remained at the lakeshore until all the delicious grilled fish had been reduced to scraps.