Chapter 46

Little tendrils of fog were rising off the surface of the lake as the morning sun climbed into the sky. Birds flitted from tree to tree pausing long enough to sing a song announcing a boundary of their territory. Ripples, centered near the cattails, were created when fish jumped out of the water after the bugs that skimmed the surface.

Four cabins were lined up fifty feet from the shore of the lake. The log cabins blended into their surroundings with an open area to the lake and trees on the other side. Standing on the porch of one of the lakeside cabins, Jerry sipped his coffee while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. He’d been awake for fifteen minutes, but it was already a good day. Looking at the fog rising off the lake reminded him of a time when he had gone fishing with his father as a kid.

Smiling, he thought about all of the trouble Jenny had gone through to rent the cabins for his birthday. Henry, Sharon, and Abe were in the cabin next to theirs. None of them were what he would call camping people, but the cabins were a nice trade-off, providing the comforts of hotel rooms, while being in the middle of nature.

He was looking forward to a day of fishing along the shore. He figured that Henry and Abe would be awake soon and they could head down to the lake’s edge while the fish were still active. He thought to himself that if they caught enough fish, they might be able to hold a fish fry that night. That would be fun. He took another sip of coffee and wondered who was staying in the other two cabins.

The sound of the door of the cabin next to his opening caught his attention. Curious as to the identity of their neighbors, Jerry turned to watch. Shock crossed his face when he saw the man step out.

He shouted, “Dad?”

“Hello, Son. It’s a good morning for fishing, isn’t it?”

“What are you doing here?” asked Jerry amazed at the co- incidence that his father would just happen to rent the cabin next to his.

“If your mother and I remember correctly, it’s your birthday today. Thought we’d hold a little barbecue out here. Might make it a fish fry if we catch enough,” replied the man with a grin.

A giggle from behind told Jerry that Jenny had arranged for his father to join them on this trip. Turning to face her, a huge grin split his face as he took in the sight she presented to his eyes. She was wearing a thick flannel nightgown that was so far from sexy that it was sexy.

Shaking his head at the idea that she would put so much effort into making him happy, he said, “You little vixen. You set this up, didn’t you?”

“It’s your birthday. I figured that we’d have a little party here, for you,” replied Jenny with a smile.

Jerry picked her up in a bear hug and kissed her to convey his appreciation for everything she had done for him. Jenny squealed in delight.

Setting her down, he looked at her and said, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, my big teddy bear,” answered Jenny.

The difference between being called a big teddy bear and a gorilla nearly brought a tear to his eyes. It went beyond the difference between the names to the manner in which they were delivered. Jenny could call him a gorilla and make it sound sexy. There were times when he couldn’t believe how happy he was with his life. Never in his life would he have imagined that a woman would go to all of this trouble just to celebrate his birthday. It touched him deeply.

Jerry’s dad stepped over to the cabin. Patting his son on the back, Carl said, “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’m glad you came,” said Jerry.

The past few months had seen a tremendous improvement in the relationship between the two men. Three generations of Smith’s went fishing together once a month on a borrowed boat. They didn’t always catch any fish, but they did return home happier men.

Bill particularly enjoyed the fact that he had a grandfather. Quite a few Saturdays were now spent with the three men in the garage restoring Bill’s car. It was basically done except for the paint job. The greatest surprise had been Jenny’s involvement in the restoration. She had purchased a heavy-duty sewing machine and had taken charge of replacing the seat covers. Jerry was so proud of her that he couldn’t put it into words.

The sound of boat motors slowly grew in volume. Jenny smiled and stepped back towards the door. She knocked on the door. After a minute, Bill wearing a robe and Melissa wearing a flannel nightgown stepped out onto the porch. Bill was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Smiling, Jerry said, “Good morning, kids.”

“Happy Birthday, Dad,” chimed the pair together.

“Thanks,” said Jerry with a grin. Gesturing to the surroundings, he added, “It sure is a glorious day, isn’t it?”

Ignoring the rhetorical question, Carl said, “My that sure is a big boat.”

Jerry turned to look at the lake to see what his father was talking about. He was in time to catch sight of the largest houseboat that Jerry had ever seen entering the inlet. While the fact that it was entering the inlet was odd, the size of the boat chased all other thoughts from his mind.

He commented, “I’ll bet Jenny’s father, Henry, and I could all stand on one side of that monster without tipping it over!”

Standing behind Jerry so that he couldn’t see the expression on her face, Jenny said, “I’ll bet you’re right.”

The boat headed straight for the dock in front of the cabin. Jerry stepped forward trying to make out who was piloting the boat. For a moment, he wondered if he was having a problem with his eyes. The man at the wheel was proportioned to the size of the boat. Either the boat wasn’t as big as he thought or the man at the wheel was huge. It took a moment, but he realized who was piloting the houseboat.

He exclaimed to Jenny, “That’s your Dad!”

“Happy Birthday, Honey,” said Jenny pleased at the success of her surprise. She’d known that Jerry was getting tired of borrowing a boat to go fishing. She also knew that the big men in her life didn’t feel very comfortable in a regular sized boat. Boats tended to be a little unstable when three large men shifted around in them. When her father had found the houseboat, she couldn’t resist buying it for Jerry.

“That’s mine?” asked Jerry open mouthed. He turned to look at Jenny unable to believe what he had heard.

“Yes it is, Dear,” said Jenny fully expecting to get picked up and kissed. Her expectations were immediately met as Jerry picked her up, spun her around, and kissed her. His excitement and pleasure was obvious to everyone there. Her reaction to his pleasure was just as obvious.

The kids watched their father with smiles plastered on their faces. They were pleased to see their father so happy. Bill had helped repair the engines, making trips to the lake with his grandfather while his father was at work. Melissa had restored the interior of the cabin with some help from Henry. Bill went to the dock, and tied the boat up.

When Jerry finally put Jenny down, she said, “Bill fixed up the boat’s engines, and Melissa restored the cabin. Your father stocked it with fishing gear.”

Jerry picked up both kids, one in each arm, and hugged them. Barely able to talk from the emotions he was feeling, he said, “Thanks, kids. This is ... amazing. I can’t believe it. I don’t know what to say. I mean...”

Laughing as he returned to the cabin at how his father was babbling his happiness, Bill said, “We get the idea, Dad.”

Tears rolled down Melissa’s cheeks. She couldn’t remember being this happy in her entire life. She hugged her father back with all her strength. She looked up at her father and saw that there were tears in his eyes. An emotional dam burst loose within her, and she started crying uncontrollably.

Jerry held Melissa tight. Jenny hugged Bill and watched with wet eyes as father and daughter came to peace. Jerry’s father put an arm around Jenny and whispered, “He’s so happy.”

Happy was an understatement as far as Jenny was concerned. His reaction was exactly what she had hoped for when she purchased the boat. Someone had once told her that the perfect gift was an item that a person wanted, but would never buy. She knew that he wanted a boat, but would never buy one for himself.

After a few minutes, Melissa regained her control over her emotions. She whispered, “Let’s go see the boat.”

Jerry set her down, straightened up, and wiped his eyes. It took him a minute to get his emotions under control. Sniffing, he turned to everyone else and said, “You heard her. Let’s go check out the boat.”

Leading the way to where the boat was docked, Jerry looked over the monster. It was twelve feet wide and thirty-five feet long. The cabin, set in the middle of the boat was eight feet wide and twenty feet long. The controls for piloting the houseboat were visible above the cabin, which rose six feet from the deck.

He whistled and asked, “How did you ever get it here?”

“The guy who used to own it, built it here on the lake. It’s too big for any of the roads, so it’s stuck here,” answered Tom as he climbed down the ladder on the front of the cabin. Turning around to look at his son-in-law, he added, “It’s a real beauty inside.”

The front of the boat hung out four feet in front of the pontoons and came up to the shore. There weren’t any railings around the edge, so boarding was a simple matter of stepping from the dock to the boat. Jerry stepped onto the boat expecting it to react to his added weight, but the boat was solid and almost didn’t rock or dip at all. The broad flat area in the front of the boat was perfect for sun bathing and fishing.

Jerry walked over to the front door of the cabin and opened it up. Stepping inside, he looked around at the cabin in amazement. Somehow, in that little space there was enough room for a galley, a bathroom, a storage pantry, a kitchen table, and a bed. Curtains covered the side windows. The galley was filled with new appliances. The counters, cabinets, and linoleum on the floor all looked to be new as well. He opened a couple of the cabinets and saw that the pots, pans, plates, and cups within them were all new. It looked very luxurious.

Turning to Melissa, he asked, “You picked all this out?”

“Yes, Jenny gave me carte blanche to decorate,” answered Melissa. She’d even spent her own money on fixing up the interior of the cabin. She pointed to the table and said, “The top comes off the pedestal. When you remove the pedestal, the tabletop fits on the ledge below to form another bed. That up there folds down to form a third bed.”

“Nice,” said Jerry looking at the table.

“You’re supposed to be able to sleep six in here, but with you and Henry I’d lower that down to four. If granddad joins in, I’d lower it down to three but I’d hate to be the one that sleeps on the lower bunk.”

Her comment caused a burst of laughter from everyone gathered there. The low rumbling laugh of Henry was the first indication to Jerry that his friend had made his way onto the boat. Jerry called out, “Hey, Henry. Check this out.”

“I’ve already seen it, Jerry,” replied the big man still chuckling over Melissa’s observation.

“He did a lot of the wood work inside the cabin,” said Melissa. She smiled over at Henry and said, “He was a miracle worker. You wouldn’t believe what condition this was in when we got it.”