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Honourable mention in the 6th Annual Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest.
The last known photograph of Uncle Joe never made it to the pages of Mom’s photo album. Some folk said he looked into the open mouth of that giant Chinook, saw its tongue moving and he went a bit crazy. They said that after all those years fishing the straits he finally got soft in the head just as the photo was being taken and let the fish fall from his fingers back into the ocean, watching it sink and disappear, before following it, almost like in slow motion, over the gunwale of that rowboat, slipping through the waves without even batting an eye. He floated a few inches below the surface for a moment, they said, and then dropped like a stone to the bottom of the channel, food for the fish he had spent forty-seven years fishing, catching, killing and eating.
People were too stunned to stop him, they said. Just watched open-mouthed as one moment the shutter clicked and the next he was sinking. Body never found. A fatherless and husbandless family left to start out again all by themselves, since most folk aside from tourists kept their distance from Uncle Joe, and Mom never had anything to do with his wife or her two brats. Hard to manage in Campbell River but she kept it up right to the end, herding us all away from the grieving widow at the memorial service in the church social hall, and then after, while she sipped warm tea and ate a sandwich, she didn’t so much as glance at Aunt Doris.
They packed up real quick and went down to Ladysmith, I recall, and I’ve not seen them since. But I’ve not forgotten Uncle Joe or the empty white coffin at his memorial service, where someone put a large photo of him on top, from happier days, when he was single and didn’t have to wear glasses.
Comments (19)
Comment Feedsomehow this fits the
Anonymous more than 13 years ago
I love how compact this story
Lottie more than 13 years ago
Loved it. It beautifully
Nancy more than 13 years ago
Captures the essence of place
Laurie more than 13 years ago
Great!
Margaret more than 13 years ago
Love this story
dave more than 13 years ago
Great!
Margaret more than 13 years ago
A roller-coaster of family
GCT more than 13 years ago
Well written, talented writer
Jim D more than 13 years ago
Great story. Very talented
Don more than 13 years ago
I enjoyed this story, it was
Terry C. more than 13 years ago
The story has an athentic
csb more than 13 years ago
Loved it!
LJK more than 13 years ago
I enjoyed the "circle of
LJK more than 13 years ago
Saw a large live fish once at
Janice more than 13 years ago
Great!
LA more than 13 years ago
!
Anonymous more than 13 years ago
Glad you enjoyed the city.
A
Moe & Joan more than 13 years ago
Hate salmon. Love Campbell
Smokey more than 13 years ago