copyright Fatima Fakier Deria
Anna and Me and the Sa-shee-mee
Anna and me and 30 crates of future sa-shee-mee are stuck on I-90C, America’s only interstate canal. A kayak’s jackknifed up ahead, blocking both directions, and our fishies are stewing in the sun, slowly turning into gumbo.
“We’re on water,” Anna says. “Ya gotta think outside the boat.”
She grabs a fine-mesh net and I start dumping in the crates while she gets snorkeled up. There’s a splash and then she’s getting pulled along like a professional fish-walker.
“I couldn’t hold ‘em,” she gasps when I find her twenty miles later.
Danged if that wasn’t the fishies’ plan all along.
The Green-Walled Tower 
June 20th, 2018 at 8:47 pm
HA! Love it!
June 20th, 2018 at 9:02 pm
I love this, David. It is so you. And yes, I’m in the hospital. I was finding it hard to maintain my connection with reality. It’s been a strange week. On Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 9:31 PM The Green-Walled Tower wrote:
> David Stewart posted: ” Anna and Me and the Sa-shee-mee Anna and me and 30 > crates of future sa-shee-mee are stuck on I-90C, America’s only interstate > canal. A kayak’s jackknifed up ahead, blocking both directions, and our > fishies are stewing in the sun, slowly turning into gumb” >
June 20th, 2018 at 10:45 pm
Thanks, mudder. Take care of yourself. Don’t worry us so.
June 21st, 2018 at 4:42 am
Sure hope you feel better. A big fan of your son’s. 🙂
June 20th, 2018 at 9:10 pm
I think I’m a bit better now that I’ve been getting the saline solution for awhile now. Still waiting for the doctor to get here so Dad can go home. He’s been waiting to talk with him/her to find out what he/she thinks. About me.
June 21st, 2018 at 3:21 am
Wonderful David, great imagination, clever fish!
June 26th, 2018 at 10:57 pm
Thanks, Iain!
June 21st, 2018 at 4:41 am
I can’t believe you used the term, dang. Just was reading an old transcript about former President Bush during September 11who when the secret service didn’t want him to return to Washington said, they’re gonna wanna know where their dang president is. I took pause at the dang. Your stories not only incite but inspire. You have the most vivid imagination of anyone I know. Makes you wonder about past lives. I’ll bet you were an Inca or an explorer in one of yours. How else would you come up with all of your tales. It’s just a Big Dang Theory is all. 🙂
June 26th, 2018 at 10:57 pm
Thank you, my friend. I appreciate this. Dang is one of those words far enough down the profanity spectrum not to cause offense but rare enough to take note, as you said. Hopefully not yet as old timey as Dagnab it! or something similar. 🙂
June 21st, 2018 at 8:01 am
Dear David,
How wonderful to see you back amongst the Fictioneers. 😀
I loved the sashimi turning into gumbo in the heat. Fun story in your inimitable style that I’ve missed.
Shalom,
Rochelle
June 26th, 2018 at 10:54 pm
Thanks, Rochelle. To be honest, I look at the prompt every week but often can’t think of a story I like and even when I do, I sometimes don’t get around to writing it. I’m going to make an effort to post more regularly, if only because flash fiction keeps the writing brain sharp. It’s the fine whetstone of prose.
June 21st, 2018 at 9:27 am
This was a fun read, David. Sa-shee-mee indeed…
June 26th, 2018 at 10:51 pm
Thanks, Dale.
June 21st, 2018 at 1:23 pm
I hate it when those damn kayaks jacknife. I usually just throw my fish on the deck and squirt a little lemon juice on them. They’re not as good that way as fried, but much lower in calories.
June 26th, 2018 at 10:51 pm
Kayaks are tricky that way. If anything jammed up traffic on an interstate canal, it’d be them, unless it was a barge with a drunk captain at the wheel.
June 21st, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Gave me a good chuckle… loved it!
June 26th, 2018 at 10:50 pm
🙂 Glad to hear.
June 21st, 2018 at 11:40 pm
Very imaginative.
June 26th, 2018 at 10:50 pm
Thanks!
June 22nd, 2018 at 10:09 am
Ha! Clever fish. What a fun story.
June 26th, 2018 at 10:49 pm
🙂 Thanks!
June 22nd, 2018 at 10:21 am
Great voice and visuals. A wonderful story.
June 26th, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Thank you, Sarah. Glad you liked it.
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:54 pm
Love the way you thought outside the boat for this story!
June 26th, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Thanks, Penny. 🙂
June 23rd, 2018 at 3:16 am
This is absolutely wonderful. So many brilliant phrases – fish turning to gumbo, a professional fish-walker and the witty “think outside the boat”. Your story has floated to the top of my list this week!
June 26th, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it. 🙂
June 23rd, 2018 at 7:45 pm
That was a neat little story – loved it, David.
Cheers!
Eric
June 26th, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Thanks, Eric. It’s good to be on here again.
June 26th, 2018 at 3:49 am
Sometime thinking outside the boat doesn’t work. Risky business. But when it does, it is amazing. Damn conspiratorial fish!
June 26th, 2018 at 10:46 pm
Yep! 🙂
June 28th, 2018 at 8:35 am
Dang those clever fishies! Were their compatriots responsible for that kayak disruption ahead? I assume so; they are all in league. Fun story, David!