A (very) Short Story; Part I

“I don’t know, man.”
The sound of the fishing line peeling out of the reel cut through the quiet air.
“Don’t give me that shit, dude…you’re smarter than that. It’s one thing to play the fool, it’s another to start believing it.”
Nothing was said for a minute. The mosquitoes and dragonflies didn’t seem to notice nor care.
“So you’re saying…”
He was interrupted by the slight tug of a bite on the fishing line. Whatever it was took the bait without getting caught.
“You know what I’m saying. Like I said, you’re not stupid. I mean, if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck…”
He trailed off, unable or unwilling to complete his thought.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s probably a duck. I get it. I’m not stupid, you know.”
They pretended to stare at the horizon and concentrate on the water. The mosquitoes and dragonflies didn’t notice nor care. Another minute passed.
“Look, dude, I’m just trying to look out for you. I don’t want to see you get hurt by her again. But I don’t know. Maybe this isn’t any of my business.”
The boat rocked gently on the small waves.
“No, I see what you’re saying…and I agree with you. It’s just hard to deal with. Hard to think about. You know?”
The fish weren’t biting today. It was time to head home.
“So what are you going to do?”
The little boat left a sizeable wake.
“I don’t know, man.”

To be continued...