What are childhood friends?
“Uncle, Uncle. Quickly. The fishing rod is getting pulled.”
“Pull back with all of your strength, Noah.”
Several days later, I was invited by Fii to come to the river with Noah. There was a brook flowing through Count Garland’s forest, and we were invited to fish upstream where the brook was narrower.
I was hesitating when invited since Noah was still little, but he himself said that he wanted to try it, so I agreed. This is Noah’s first time fishing. Fii prepared a small fishing rod for Noah’s first fishing experience.
Hearing that he could catch a fish, Noah was staring at the water’s surface since the moment he cast the fishing rod.
His feelings transmitted onto me as I watched him over with expectations filling my heart.
“Watch me, Mother.” he told me about an hour ago. While watching the two from a picnic sheet I spread on the ground, Noah was urging Fii to hurry.
There’s a fish on the fishing rod! As Noah delightfully urged Fii who came over with a smile, he pulled on the rod. In the meanwhile, Fii supported Noah’s body from behind.
“N, n…!”
“Do your best, Noah.”
I was worried about Noah’s first fishing experience as if I was doing it myself. I was unable to take my eyes off of the two. I could see a small fish at the end of the line Noah lifted with Fii’s help.
“Mother, look. I did it.”
“Oh my, how amazing, Noah.”
“You have good muscles, Noah. You must be genius for pulling it up on your first try.”
Fii placed the fish Noah caught in a basket.
“Let’s grill it and eat it later.”
“Yeah. I will give it to you, Mother.”
Noah’s eyes were sparkling. I felt his figure overlapping with Fii during childhood. Fii, who was brimming with curiosity and tackled everything with his utmost effort looked like the adult version of Noah. That made me feel somewhat ill at ease.
“What is it, Yuri? Do I have something on my face?”
“There’s nothing else aside from your eyes, nose, and mouth.”
“That so?”
It seems that I was staring. ‘What’s the matter?’ Noah looked at our faces alternatively, so I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
“What, are you being bashful, Yuri? You are no different from the old days.”
I was slightly annoyed by that remark. Fii is a friendly guy, but he has always been insensitive. I don’t want to be told that by him.
“Mother, you get along so well with Uncle.”
Noah, who knew nothing smiled. Fii crouched down to Noah and said.
“We are childhood friends, after all.”
“What are childhood friends? Mother.”
“They are friends who you get along well since young. You also have one, right? Princess Freya is your childhood friend.”