I was about 9 years old, It was summertime in Michigan, It was my 3 months away from the bustling city in a small town, No let me rephrase, a Cottage in the middle of the woods. My Grandma and Grandpa bought it 20 years earlier, although On my 7th birthday, my grandpa passed away from a sudden heart attack.
It was a second home for me, I knew every one on the small winding 2 mile road that turned into dusty 2 tracks at the end, all 8 of them. I had a freedom there most kids do not in the city, to wander aimlessly and explore, I was a great swimmer, and well, I was 9. I have always been sort of a Loner, It is My introverted side, I would wander to the docks of the people that were not home and just sit and watch the water and read a book.
On this day I went to Leann’s they were not up north at the time, and I needed a break from, Well Life. At 9 you have issues right? I really have no clue what mine were. I looked over the lake for a few Minutes, no one was fishing, It was beautiful as the water rippled against the shoreline into the fallen trees. Off in the distance on the other lake attached an out board motor boat was cruising the lake looking for a good perch spot. I decided to read. It was quiet. Not sure how long I read, 10 maybe 15 Minutes then something told me to look up, there was a fisherman maybe 30 feet away, I could see him with his tan brimmed fishing hat on to cover his face from the sun. He had a Long sleeve shirt on it was dark and a Life Jacket over his shirt. I felt like he was Looking Into me not at me.. I froze. Then he smiled and I was no longer scared, I waved, and he waved back to me. I noticed the License he had on his boat the Numbers they used to use, I looked down at My book saying them over and over again, I felt the need to memorize them. Looking back up he smiled at me again and tipped his hat, for some reason I knew he was going to be gone when I looked up again, and he was.
I had looked down for maybe a minute, but then he left just as he came, with no sound of oars against the boat, the water not churning as the boat slid thru or the sound of a motor close period, It was silence. A chill slid down my spine as the obscenity of all of it came to me, Who was he and how did he come and go so quickly. I remember grabbing my book and running up the old cement steps to the top of the hill and not stopping till I arrived back at the cottage maybe a quarter mile away.
My mom was cleaning and getting ready for dinner as I slid into the chair at the table. She glanced up at me after wiping down the stove
“Is every thing okay?
I Nodded
“Mom?, Didn’t grandpa have a tan old fishing hat?”
she smiled and said yes
“Was his old boat blue?”
She cocked her head a bit with a bit of concern
“Yes”
Then I said, “If I gave you a Number that was on the side of his boat would you remember it?”
She sat at the table with me as I blurted out these Numbers in Sequence as I had memorized them. He face went white.
“How do you know that?” she asked me.
I smiled with a tinge in my heart “Grandpa came to say good bye” I replied
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