45. River Deep, Mountain High

Lee Somin

Somin made a lazy morning coffee, clothed in a light blue bathrobe, and headed outside in need of change. She couldn't sleep any longer today even though she stayed up playing that game with Teho. Mia's room was too silent this early in the morning, but the lonely girl thought it was either because she was exercising somewhere else or sleeping the heavy night away.

The morning mist still covered all the dorm surroundings and Somin felt the upcoming fall chilliness in the air, but she still powered through it with a pillow and another old blanket under her arm.

Comfortably masked by the heavy mist, Somin found the closest bench on which to have her refuge set. She sat down on the pillow and wrapped herself in a blanket. Her knees held tight to her chest as she held her hot coffee and watched the blueish cloud moving on the water's surface. As the sun rose more, the clouds dispersed. Once or twice she freaked out, hearing an approaching runner on the route.

I wish I could be alone here. Without others.

It all took her back to one summer when she joined her father on his morning fishing trip, being an "eager for knowledge" type of child.

...

"Are you sure you want to tag along, honey?" her dad asked while getting his shoes on and preparing to leave around 4 a.m. when an energized daughter caught him in the hall.

"I can't sleep anyway," Somin answered, her long black hair tied into neat fishtails.

Her father tucked a single stray strand behind her ear, "Wouldn't you rather spend time with your brother? He's leaving soon," he reminded her.

Not discouraging her from joining his own trip, but out of genuine care, knowing these hideouts by the river are uneventful.

"Yeah, I think Pomchun has his own plans, like every other weekend," she said.

"I'm sure you'll get bored with me, what could an old man like me give to the young lady?" She smacked him on a jacket.

"Hey, I'm coming, gimme a minute," she dashed towards the kitchen.

Packing every possible snack she could want, she'd thrown a sketchbook, novel, and pencils in there too. After putting on a heavy sweater, she stood in front of her dad again. He sat down on the low shoe cabinet, waiting patiently for his teenage daughter to be ready.

Scared of the life changes awaiting her, she wanted to spend more time alone with each of her parents. Knowing soon, she'd have to stay in the dorm situated in an unknown city, attend a strange new school, and be surrounded by unfamiliar people. Just a month away from this terrifying reality, she tried to find every chance she got to know all her family members better.

"Are you sure Somin? I mean it's just me walking in a river, fly-fishing. Catching and putting them back. Not much action there, not to mention it's cold and wet..," he patiently stated his facts.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go, I wanna be with you," she said, and off they went.

...

Somin always thought those trips must be lonely for her dad.

Why would he ever want to go away from mum for so long?

The time he was gone varied. Sometimes a day, other times a week. Yet he always returned home energized and overly loving towards everyone.

Her mum tried to explain what she meant, petting the quiet daughter on her head;

"Sometimes you must make the love go, for it to stay."

The young girl didn't understand that sentiment.

Being here with him actually helped her see the father from another perspective. They both had never been talkers, but the quietness between them was comfortable and safe. Funnily enough, her dashing brother was like a male copy of their mum. And it was quite hard to stand that combined energy too often. The daughter generally drifted towards her dad's quiet love more, but still, he opted for these getaways once in a while without her.

They listened to rock music on their way to the river in the nearby mountain range and the one-hour ride flew by.

The girl helped to set out a small camp while her dad prepared to go into the water. Leaving her to make tea, and tucking her into the warmest blanket with pillows around her back to make her comfier.

"Here's my artist," he gave the fifteen-year-old a kiss into her hair and handed her all her supplies.

"If you feel too inspired," he opened a plastic briefcase.

"You can help me with these," the big fingers unlocked the milky plastic cover.

Inside the various compartments held different types of bait. Distinct hooks were covered with sparkling colorful stripes, making them seem like wings and round bodies.

"But dad, you always make them with a magnifying glass," Somin recalled him sitting in their living room.

The ordinary corner transformed into some kind of fish laboratory in diligent preparation for the upcoming trip. His eyes focused, with tweezers putting the fake shiny wings on plastic body mold, usually till late into the night.

"That's because I have bad eyesight, being old and all, dove," it made her laugh.

"Can I make different ones? A bit crazier, maybe?" she asked.

"Try to adhere to these, I know for fact fishies go crazy for them. Maybe it's because of the pink glittery wings, damned if I know," he patted her shoulder and checked if she was tucked into the blanket properly.

Her kind-hearted dad put the fly case next to her on a small portable table, where the tea thermos and her cup were. Then he retreated into the cold water.

Somin looked like a tiny worm in her station, heating her small fingers on the hot beverage and watching the lazy chunks of mist dancing around the distant figure of her father.

...

Tea slowly left her cup as her eyes filled yet again, overwhelmed by her younger self's nostalgic memories.

You hadn't had a clue, girl.

The shit life put us through, oh man.

...

😳 Author's corner 😊

🎣 Did you have a chance to bond with your father? 🎣

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🎨Illustrations of each chapter are available on my Wattpad acc, AO3 acc -klubickoArt🎨