Aran waded out in the water a short while after assembling his gear. He sought to catch a few of the salmon that he discovered the previous year in the same area, at the same time. It was a quiet beach, the waters were calm on this day. In the before year when the air was becoming cold and the trees lost their leaves, Aran had happened on the many salmon, as they jumped out of the water not far from shore. Though Aran saw no fish on this day, he had high hopes of success, as he saw evidence of the presence of fish.
His hands were cold as he cast out his line and reeled in the lure. Aran let his eyes wonder, though his mind still thought of a victorious cast. He saw much but noticed little, as his mind did not connect on what he saw, but on the fish only. The large fishing boats he saw, but when they began to reel in their nets, he did not notice them. It was loud, this process of bringing in nets. Aran looked to the great boats, and guessed there to be two, or three of them. The boats were at least a half mile away. The day was clear, but still, it was hard to see clearly the details of the boats, and they sat in a way so as to hide each other.
As the cranks of the fishing boats continued to bring up the nets, Aran continued to cast, but still caught nothing, save some passing seaweed. So much evidence existed to tell of the presence of the aforesaid fish. The salmon must have indeed returned. Being as Aran could not see clearly the details of the fishing boats, he could not see if the nets they brought up held any fish. The sea lion held around before Aran in the same area. Many birds, ducks, gulls, and others sat on the water and dove from time to time into the water. These birds, like the boats, and the sea lion, did not move from where they sat. Aran saw all of this, all of these fish seeking animals, and the boats, but the fish, he did not see.
The previous year, in same time, Aran would see many fish jumping, he would cast out to them, and they were eager to bite. In a short time, Aran would have many fish. The season for these fish lasted nearly a full two months. In these months, Aran would fish each day until, as the months went away, the fish no longer jumped, and no longer would bite Aran's line. By the time the fish had left, the ground was covered in snow.
After some hours, Aran decided that he would catch no fish, perhaps it was too early, or perhaps it was by accident that the fish had come by the place where Aran was in the before year. It was now near dark, though it was not very late. The fish seemed very lively at night, he would surely catch many when the sun went behind the hills, but this only when there were fish. Perhaps the fishing boats had taken all the fish. Perhaps the sea lion, or the birds had already had their fill. Aran was certainly no match for the great fishing boats; he could not compete also with the sea lion, which was larger than most, or the birds, which were swift to strike on any fish.
If the fish were in, Aran could not persuade them, and the others had won. If the fish were not in yet, then those who sought them sought that which was not there. And Aran, the one who is bread, left with no fish. The salmon made a good meal, they were a good size, small, but filling for one man. Aran would need many to provide for many men.
Aran's name which means bread as Geailge. He who feeds; the sustainer.
Michael Holland
Class of 2014
Humanities
