Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)

Oh, would you look at that?

Yeah, pretty bird, isn't she?

Yeah.

And she's got a baby.

A loonlet?

Nobody calls them that, Jules.

Well, I call them that.

My... My God, did you hear that?

A loonlet!

Hear it? I see it.

-Jules, I see it. -Quiet down.

You don't wanna scare her.

Where... Where is she?

Well, she's right... right down near the shoreline.

No, right...

Right there.

All by herself.

Come on, baby, get in.

Why don't you tuck it in?

You're late.

Why don't you put it back on?

- Let the wind kind of ride it. - Okay.

For good reason. Guess why.

Come on, Lu, guess.

No.

We did it, Lu.

You're engaged?

Well, I guess we skipped a step.

-We're husband and wife. -She's my wife!

Wife for life.

-Legally? -What are you, a lawyer now?

But, yeah, I got the papers up here somewhere.

Oh, I almost forgot.

A little after-school snack.

Mom of the year.

Yeah, I'm not hungry.

Try the cake, baby. Adam made it.

-It's disgusting. -Lu!

It's fine. She don't mean anything.

You don't mean it.

It's carrot cake.

Ma hates carrot cake.

Do you hate carrot cake?

No, of course not.

Maybe I'll get some of that fabric dye,

turn it blue or red or something.

Get my money's worth.

- Missed the turn. - I think blue, maybe.

Match my eyes. And your eyes.

There was a right turn back there.

-Ma, tell him. -We're not going home, baby.

What do you mean, we're not going home?

Well, you are going to Nan and Pop's.

We...

Are you gonna tell me, hon?

He's taking me on a surprise honeymoon.

Ain't I lucky?

I'm not going to Nan and Pop's.

-It'll be fun, Lu. -Why can't I just stay home?

- And do what? - What do you care?

Nan and Pop are excited to see you.

They don't even know who I am.

Yes, they do.

And besides, it's gonna be just like summer camp.

And you always wanted to go to summer camp.

It will not be like summer camp.

How would you know? You've never been.

- Will you stay out of it? - Louise!

Kids.

- Did you like my veil? - I did.

Maybe you should keep that too.

I know.

I love you.

I'll see you soon, Lu.

Two weeks.

Only two weeks.

Maybe more.

Is there something you're not telling me?

My goodness. This is unexpected.

Hey, this is Jen. You missed me.

Leave a message.

She looks like Jenny, doesn't she?

Of course she does.

There we go.

Thank you, dear.

Thank you.

I'm not hungry.

You're too skinny to skip breakfast.

It's too early to eat it.

Suit yourself.

How old are you now, Louise?

-I'm 14. -You don't look 14.

What do I look?

Oh...

Ten? Eleven, maybe.

Have you gone blind? She looks like a real young woman.

Sixteen at least.

I'm 14.

How was the wedding?

I don't know.

Nothing?

The carrot cake wasn't very good.

Carrot cake?

Jenny hates carrot cake.

Yeah, I know.

Well, that's what she gets

for planning the wedding in five minutes.

Damn second-rate carrot cake.

- Bacon, please. - Sorry, baby.

There you go.

Lu?

Am I going blind,

or is she trying to steal my Sunfish?

What are you doing?

Huh?

H... Hand me that. Give me that.

Do you think you're tying a shoelace?

Those knots will kill you.

Lu?

Lu.

Louise, come here. Come on.

Come.

Do you wanna sail?

Learn how to tie a proper knot.

And eat the food Nan feeds you.

Got it?

What's he looking at?

Hmm? Oh.

Birds.

Any loons?

No, just mallards.

Mallards.

Ooh!

We saw a loonlet. Can you believe it?

It's been a few years since we've had chicks on the lake.

Usually the hawks eat the eggs before they're hatched

or the muskies eat them after.

-Gross. -Mmm.

Hey, did you tell Lu I spotted it first?

Pop spotted her first.

Nan thought it was a mallard!

No, not really!

Just... Just for a second. It...

She wasn't on mama's back!

What do you mean?

Mmm, piggybacks.

Keeps the little ones safe from the muskies.

That's how they usually get around.

But mama isn't real keen on piggybacks, I guess.

Hey, this is Jen. You missed me.

Leave a message.

Hey, this is Jen. You missed me.

Leave a message.

Hey, this is Jen. You...

Hey, this is Jen. You missed me.

Leave a message.

All righty.

Get in.

Whoops!

Do you know what this is?

A paddle.

It's a dagger board.

It keeps the boat steady. Goes right in that slot there.

Why don't you stick it in?

There you go.

Attagirl.

There you go.

Now, don't ever get in the boat without that.

Right?

Okay, get in there. Put...

Put your legs down in the footwell, right in there.

Attagirl.

Okay, now, when you capsize, and you will...

you grab the daggerboard

and with all your weight, you pull, you pull,

you pull until that boat turns right back upright, okay?

Now, keep one hand on the sheet.

That's the sheet.

Other on the tiller.

That's the tiller.

Push it right to go left,

push it left to go right, okay?

If you wanna go fast, you keep the sail tight.

If you wanna slow down, you loosen it up a little bit.

And watch out for the boom.

It's gonna swing around when the wind changes.

And when it does, you gotta duck down, get out of the way

and scoot to the other side of the boat

and be real fast about it

or you'll get a big old goose egg on your noggin.

You got it?

And always, always wear this.

Now you look like a sailor.

The lake is yours, dear.

You want me to toast that?

Mmm-mmm.

- Jam? - It's fine.

- Peanut butter? - Mmm-mmm.

Hmm. You found yourself a little friend.

Come on.