Jimmy was proud of the fish he carried into the house. He had not caught anything large, but for his first time he had not done badly. He had two bass between two and three pounds each and two bluegill about the size of Charles’s hand, and Charles assured him they were the perfect size for eating. Charles had caught half a dozen bluegill and another small bass. For him, it wasn’t much of a catch, but then they had been fishing from the bank with worms, and he had been focused on teaching Jimmy. Charles realized he had had more fun fishing from the bank and teaching than he usually did fishing for larger fish from a boat. Seeing Jimmy’s excitement whenever he got a nibble was contagious.
After showing off Jimmy’s catch to Sue, Charles took Jimmy into the backyard to teach him how to clean fish. Though not the most enjoyable task, Jimmy insisted he be allowed to do it all. Charles carefully supervised and voiced his approval when Jimmy was done. Charles’s heart ached from not having Elizabeth there with them, but the pride on Jimmy’s face was payment in full for the day.
Charles commandeered the kitchen when the fish were cleaned. Sue had a potato salad ready and some baked beans in a crock-pot. Charles mixed a coating for the fish with egg and corn meal and fried the fish in two skillets. Jimmy stayed close by, watching intently as the fish cooked. Sue slipped an arm around Charles’s waist and gave him a little squeeze.
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “I haven’t seen Jimmy so interested in life in a long, long time.”
“Hey, no problem! He’s a good kid, and I had as much fun as he did. I haven’t fished with a worm and a bobber in a long time, and I enjoyed myself. He’s kind of filling in for Elizabeth, and I sort of think his mother is special, too.”
Sue blushed as she gave him another little squeeze. “I’d better be getting the table set.” She hurried into the dining room, wiping her eye when she didn’t think Charles would see her. The more she was around him, the more she wanted to be with him. She thought Charles was pretty special, too.
When the fish were done, Charles carefully separated the first fish Jimmy had caught, one of the small bass, and placed it on Jimmy’s plate.
“A man should always eat his own first catch. You will catch a lot of fish in your life, but there is only one first fish. Eat it in good health and enjoy.”
Jimmy grinned broadly. “Thanks, Mr. Charles. Thanks for taking me! I really had fun.”
“Mr. Charles?” Sue asked.
“I got tired of being called Mr. Sitton, but he said you wouldn’t let him call an adult by his name, so we settled on Mr. Charles. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I guess it’s okay. I want to be sure he is respectful.”
“Oh, don’t worry! He is very respectful, but I know how to handle a young lad if he isn’t. I’ll never have to worry about Jimmy. You’ve done well with him.” He reached over and tousled Jimmy’s hair and said, “Right, Jim?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, sir?” Sue looked at her son quizzically.
Charles grinned. “He asked about the Marine Corps and how he could become a Marine. I told him some things and stressed the importance of proper respect. I was just a grunt, not an officer, so I didn’t rate ‘sir’ in the Corps, but he thought it would be appropriate for me. I can’t argue with his thinking.”
Sue leaned over and gave Jimmy a hug. “I think I like it. It seems my son is growing up all of a sudden.”