Fishing with Grandpa Joe
Note: Yet another Simpsons fan-fiction centered upon the Szyslak family. Joe reveals some painful secrets to his son while they are out fishing during their family holiday. Moe still holds many questions for his father, and no matter how much it hurts, he wants answers. Will he ever be able to fully reconcile with his father, or will the two remain at odds and carry their grudge for each other to the grave ?
"You'd get a kick out of my family tree…it's full of nuts !"—Old, lame joke
Chapter 1—Into the Great, Wild, Wilderness
It was summer once more, and the Szyslaks had decided to pack up their belongings and take a trip to Florida to see Grandpa Joe. Bosco went along with them, as he had in times past. He would also be happy to see Joe as well, since he was fond of him, particularly the fact that he fed him gristle when Moe wasn't looking. Joe had a tendency to spoil animals. He had done similarly with Sunshine, who had sadly passed away suddenly because she had gotten run over at a young age. Lynn mourned about Sunshine at times, because Sunshine was her dog and closest companion except for Moe, of course. But, thankfully Bosco had helped her ease out of the pain and open her heart up to loving another friend of the four-legged variety.
It was a long drive from Maine to Florida and the Szyslaks had to stop at a hotel before they could make their destination, but by the time they had arrived, Bosco nearly knocked Joe over in his exuberance.
"Bosco, stop that !", Joe laughed as the chocolate lab licked his face. Joe seemed to be doing so much better since they last saw one another, and he looked as youthful as ever. If one didn't know any better, they would've thought he and Moe were brothers.
As soon as Lynn and the others were settled into Joe's house, they had followed Joe out into the woods where there was a sizeable lake nearby. The air was so fresh it even smelled different here. The birds twittered in the trees as the family carefully got into the boats and followed Joe to the middle of the lake.
"This is where the fish are most likely to be…", he said, in a reverent tone. Moe remembered as a young boy, it was just like this. Father and son out in a boat, spending time together, waiting for the fish to bite. Moe never forgot the excitement of hooking his first big mouth bass. Joe had to support Moe's weight just to hold the gargantuan fish. Still he wondered if his father had as much strength as he had back in the day. Joe was about to surprise them all.
Chapter 2—Maury Makes a Catch
Maury, Lynn and Francine were together on a second boat called Constantia, while Joe was with his son on his main fishing boat appropriately designated as Kingfisher. Maury had been waiting for a bite and then felt a tug at his wire.
"I think I've caught something…", Maury said, eagerly. At first, Maury had no trouble reeling the fish in, but it was giving him quite a fight. Soon, Francine joined him to pull the fish into the boat, and even Lynn had to lend a hand. The fish was a monster catfish that had been swimming in the lake for years.
"Don't put her in the boat…Let her go ! That's Ole Elise. She has been swimming this lake for eons…It would be wrong to catch her…", Joe said, feeling sympathetic for the old catfish. Reluctantly, Maury let the catfish go and she flipped her tail up against the water as if to state her gratitude. It would be later in the night when they began catching more fish for supper later on that night.
Maury was boasting about how many pike he had caught for dinner, and Francine had only caught smaller fish, but they were still delicious once Joe had grilled them. He was a master of the grill as well as barbeque sauce. There were kabobs that had been grilled effortlessly, and plenty to eat for all. After an ample meal together, everyone went to sleep, but Joe wanted to speak to Moe for a bit. Moe had an anxious knot form in his stomach. Something didn't sit well about this, at all.
Chapter 3—Father/Son Heart to Heart
As in times past when Moe was older, Joe would take his son to the lake and chat with him for hours on end. Unlike chats they had in the past, Moe could already sense that this one was going to be far more serious.
"This isn't good, is it ?", Moe questioned, kneading his hands nervously.
"No. Actually it isn't. Again, your intuition precedes you.", Joe said, as he gathered his head up into his hands and sighed heavily. The burden of the words that were about to come out of his mouth were almost too much for him to bear.
"You remember how I told you that we adopted you ?", Joe stated, trying to hold back his tears.
"Of course, I do. I never held it against you either, pop.", Moe said, patting his father's wrinkled hand.
"Your mother never actually died. Unlike your father, she's still alive. I'm just not certain where.", Joe stuttered, somewhat. Moe actually wasn't too terribly surprised with this development. In his heart, he had actually hoped that his birth mother was living. But, he wondered why she had given him up in the first place. Joe hugged Moe close and sobbed.
"I didn't want to tell you but when I heard from her…", Joe said, and Moe interrupted him.
"When ? When did you hear from mom ?", Moe questioned, becoming a little upset.
"Actually a few days ago. I had no idea I would hear from her. I sent a letter, thinking nothing would come of it…", Joe said, feeling more guilty by the moment. Moe was infuriated, almost incapable of rational thought. He burst into tears and turned his back on his father, unable to look at him.
"Morris, I'm sorry.", Joe said, just as hurt as he was.
"Just row the damned boat to the shore. I need to be alone for a while.", Moe said, hiding his tears from his father as Joe rowed Kingfisher to shore to dock her. No sooner had Kingfisher reached the pier had Moe stormed off to sleep in a third room that had been reserved for any extra guests as a place for Moe to meditate, clear his thoughts and cool down for a bit as he processed the bulk of information and heartache as he wept himself to sleep.
Chapter 4—Unexpected Reunion
Lynn had been told Moe hadn't been feeling well, so she took the kids out to the local roller rink as Moe spent his time in the spare bedroom. He wasn't doing anything but staying in bed, not wanting to be bothered. The last time Joe had seen Moe that upset was when he had been stood up for the prom and had to go stag with one of his best friends. This situation, however, was far worse than that.
"Morris, please. Hear me out. I found your mother. She's with me right now and she wants to see you.", Joe said, and no answer came from Moe. Oddly, the door to that spare room was open, and Moe's birth mother, Elaine Szyslak, stepped in. She was a rather attractive woman, with long, gray hair, soft blue-gray eyes and a beguiling Eastern accent.
"Morris, I'm sorry. I know this isn't a good time to be telling you this, and you probably hate me. But I don't blame you. When I heard from Joe, though…I knew I had to see you again. When I was pregnant, I was young and scared. Morris, I had been raped.", Elaine said, with tears. Moe, shocked, suddenly turned around to meet the gaze of a woman so unfamiliar, but whose scent he knew even better than that of his kindred soul's. He reached out to embrace her and rested his head upon her heart. He could remember the scent of White Shoulders and the softness of her skin as well as her silky hair upon his cheek, even at the infant stage. Such things do not fade with memory.
"Mom ?", he said, his eyes beginning to water. She kissed his forehead, his cheeks and his lips.
"Morris…I am sorry. It wasn't up to me, really. But I had no means of taking care of you. Your father wasn't suitable for the job. You see, he had drugged me on our first date and took advantage of me. He drove me home after the initial shock, thinking he was acting the 'gentleman's' part. We were blindsided and before I knew it, Quincy was dead.", Elaine said, the pain still fresh in her eyes as if the victimization had just happened to her.
"Mom, I wish there was something I could do to erase the pain.", Moe said, as he stroked his mother's long, silky gray hair.
"Pumpkin, you're doing that just by being here.", Elaine said, her tears completely dried up and her tone joyful again. Moe knew he would have to reconnect with her and introduce her to the family. At least they would have the rest of their lives to reunite and update each other about their lives.
Chapter 5—Getting To Know Elaine
As soon as Lynn, Francine and Maury arrived back home to be greeted by Elaine, and the explanations ensued. Elaine explained everything, even the past that had hurt her so dearly. Quincy was no longer an issue in her life, and she could now look forward to the prospect of a better life now that she had been reunited with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.
It wasn't difficult to love Francine and Maury. They had entered the world together and did practically everything else in tandem. Elaine felt incredibly blessed and hoped for many more days of them being together. Like a true grandmother, she spoiled them for the time that they were there until the time they had to leave. They hoped it wouldn't be the last time they heard from her. Sadly, they soon parted ways after their final fishing trip with her and Grandpa Joe, enjoying the bounty from the lake and a restful evening under the cool evening stars.
Epilogue
As the Syzslak family left Florida, Maury and Francine shuffled through digital wallet photos they had taken during the time prior and were chuckling about them. Truly they would have plenty to talk about during their vacation once they came home. They were almost sad that it had to come to an end, but they knew they would Elaine and Joe again for the holidays, and in all actuality those events weren't too terribly far away, and at least they had their ways of staying connected. No matter the distance, their heartstrings were linked, and all of them had learned the importance of family and how love can heal even the deepest wounds.
The End