Halfway to Herb Conrad’s fishing cabin, we stopped at an old brick building that served as a combination roadside grocery store and bait shop. The dilapidated sign out front said Mom and Pop’s General Store, but the paint was so faded it was almost unreadable. Mr. Conrad gave me ten dollars and told me to go in and buy some snacks.
“Spend the whole ten. And make sure you get me a Dr Pepper,” he said, shaking his finger. “I don’t drink nothin’ but Dr Pepper. Don’t try to fool me with none of that generic slop, either.”
The sodas were in a big case that looked like a freezer. I lifted the lid and got out four bottles. I grabbed some packaged peanut butter crackers, beef jerky, peanuts, and some candy bars that were on sale three for a dollar. It all totaled to $9.02, so I threw in several pieces of nickel bubble gum to make up the difference.
Then we were back on the road again. I couldn’t believe I was sitting in Herb Conrad’s truck, eating his peanut butter crackers, and going to his cabin for an overnight fishing trip. Just as amazing was the secret Mom told me while we packed.
When Mr. Conrad said the fish wouldn’t start biting until dusk, Mom dragged me to my room. “Come on, Kevin! Do you want to go fishing or not?”
“Well, yeah,” I answered. “I’m just surprised, I guess. What do I need to bring?”
Mr. Conrad scratched his chin. “Old clothes, a change of underwear, a toothbrush. I’ve got the gear. Oh, and wear old shoes, not your good ones.”
I ran to my room. Mom followed. I dug through my pile of grubby work clothes and found some old camouflage pants and T-shirts. Mom got the duffle bag from the closet and the shoes I mow the lawn in.
“Do you know why Mr. Conrad is here?” Mom asked as we stuffed the clothes in the bag.
“To take me fishing. I can’t wait.”
Mom stopped and took my hands in hers. Her eyes were big with excitement. “Kevin, Mr. Conrad is here because your father called him. We’ve both been worried about you, being depressed and all that. He knew this was something you’d wanted to do for a long time.
“I didn’t know I was that obvious.”
Mom laughed, and pointed to the copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing in Arkansas in the bag.
“Don’t you see what this means, Kevin? Mr. Conrad is a member of the Church. Your father called him on his own, without prompting from me.”
“So you think he’s having a change of heart about God and the Church?”
Mom crossed her fingers and held them up under her chin. “Oh honey, I hope so. I’m praying for that now. You pray too, OK?” Then she put her hand on my cheek. “I love you, Kevin.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
“Well,” she said, “we’d better hurry.”
I put Volume X, two mechanical pencils, and my binoculars into the bag and zipped it shut. Mom and I walked together to the bedroom door. But before I could open it, I had to tell her something too.
“I’m sorry for the mean things I said to you about Kelsey, Mom.”
She smiled.
“And I’m proud of you,” I added.
“Thank you, Kevin.” Her eyes glistened. “I’m proud of you, too.”