第8章在行路中遇见自己(7)
about1904,myfatherrentedaalakeiookusallthereforthemonthofAugust。WeallgwormfromsomekittensandhadtorubPoonourarmsaandm,andmyfatherrolledoverihallhis;butoutsideofthatthevawasasudfromthenonnohoughttherelatheworldlikethatlakeiurersummer—alwaysonAugust1stforoh。Ihavesi-waterman,butsometimesiherearedayswhelesshetidesandthefearfulcoldoftheseawaterandtheiacrosstheafternoonandintotheeveningmakemewishfortheplacidityofalakeinthewoods。AfewweeksagothisfeelinggIboughtmyselfacoupleofbasshooksandaspiurhelakewhereweusedtogo,foraweek’sfishingaoldhaunts。
Itookalongmyson,whohadneverhadaeruphisnoseandwhohadseenlilypadsonlyfromtrainwindows。OnthejourhelakeIbegawouldbelike。Iwoimewouldhavemarredthisuhisholyspot—thedstreams,thehillsthatthesuhedthepathsbehindthecamps。IwassurethetarredroadwouldhavefounditoutandIwootherwaysitwouldbedesolated。Itisstrangehowmuemberaboutplaceslikethatonceyouallowyourmiothegrooveswhichleadbaberohing,andthatsuddenlyremindsyou。IguessIrememberedclearestofalltheearlyms,whenthelakewasotionless,rememberedhowthebedroomsmelledofthelumberitwasmadeofawoodswhosesteredthroughthes。Thepartitionsinthecampwerethinanddidehetopoftherooms,andasIwasalwaysthefirstupIwoulddresssoftlysoasnottowaketheothers,aothesweetoutdoorsandstartouttheoe,keepiheshoreinthelongshadowsofthepines。Irememberbeingveryevertorubmypaddleagainstthegunwaleforfearthestillhecathedral。
Thelakehadyouwouldcallawildlake。Thererinkledaroundtheshores,anditwasinfarmingtryalthoughtheshoreofthelakewerequiteheavilywooded。Someofthecottageswereownedbynearbyfarmers,andyouwouldliveattheshoreayourmealsatthefarmhouse。That’swhatourfamilydid。Butalthoughitasafairlylargeandundisturbedlakeandtherewereplaitwhich,toachildatleast,seemedieandprimeval。
Iwasrightaboutthetar:itledtowithinhalfamileoftheshore。ButwhenIgotbackthere,withmyboy,aoaearafarmhouseandintothekindofsummertimeIhadknown,Icouldtellthatitwasgoiymuchthesameasithadbeenbefore—Ik,lyihefirstm,smellingthebedroom,aheboysandgooffalongtheshoreinaboat。IbegantosustaintheillusionthathewasI,andtherefore,bysimpletransposition,thatIwasmyfather。Thisseed,keptgupallthetimewewerethere。Itwasirelyigrewmuger。Iseemedtobelivingadualexistence。Iwouldbeinthemiddleofsomesimpleact,Iwouldbepigupabaitbdownatablefork,orIwouldbesayihing,awouldbenotIbutmyfatherwhowassayingthewthegesture。Itgavemeasation。
&fishim,Ifeltthesamedampmthewormsidsawthedragonflyalightoipofmyrodasithoveredafewihesurfaceofthewater,itwasthearrivalofthisflythatebeyondanydoubtthateverythingwasasitalwayshadbeen,thattheyearswereamirageandtherehadbeehesmallwaveswerethesame,gtherowboatuheaswefishedatandtheboatwasthesameboat,thesamecreenandtheribsbrokeninthesamepladerthefloor,boardsthesamefresh-waterleavihedeadhellgrammite,thewispsofmoss,therustydiscardedfishhook,thedriedbloodfromyesterday’scatch。Westaredsilentlyatthetipsofourrods,atthedragodweipofmihewater,tentatively,pensivelydislodgingthefly,whichdartedtoised,dartedtwofeetbadcametaiheruptherod。Therehadbeeweenthedugonflyaheroastofmemory。Ilookedattheboy,whowassilentlywatghisfly,anditwasmyhandsthatheldhisrod,myeyeswatg。Ifeltdizzyanddidn’tknowwhichrodIwasattheendof。