CLASS

Please enjoy another great piece of writing in our series of Heywire competition stories. For those who missed the introduction to this series, these stories have been prepared by students as an English assessment and are being shared with you as they were submitted for assessment. (So, yes, there are some grammatical errors and spelling mistakes). 

As many are deeply personal, students have chosen to have them published anonymously. We encourage you to enjoy them as they are meant to be: the amazing personal stories of our teenage students. 

Dr Margaret Henderson

It was a late summer afternoon when I joined my Jaja for a fishing trip on his dam. The sun hung low, casting a warm golden glow over the water. Grandad's dam, surrounded by lush green grass and old jarrah trees, was our favourite spot for catching redfin. 

We hauled the old beaten canoe down to the water's edge. Jaja, with his weathered hands, secured our fishing gear: rods, a tackle box, and a bucket. His eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Ready, Mate?" he asked.

"Ready, Jaja," I replied.

With a gentle push, we paddled to the middle of the dam. The air was filled with the sounds of crickets and the cows mooing in the distance. We cast our lines, the lures plopping into the water. I love the tranquillity; the way time slows down with just Jaja and me.

As we waited, Jaja shared stories from his youth—wild fishing trips, adventures with friends, and lessons learned. His voice was soothing, filled with wisdom.

Suddenly, my rod jerked. "I've got one, Jaja!" I exclaimed, my heart pounding.

"Easy now, take your time.”

With Jaja's guidance, I carefully reeled in the line. After a tense few minutes, a beautiful redfin broke the surface, its scales glinting in the sunlight. Jaja helped me lift it into the canoe.

"That's a fine fish, Mate," he said, patting my back.

We continued fishing as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting pink and orange hues across the sky. We caught several more redfin, each one a shared victory. The dam, now cloaked in twilight, was alive with the sounds of night.

As we paddled back to shore, the cool evening air settled in. The stars twinkled overhead, reflecting on the calm water. Fishing with Jaja on his dam was more than a pastime; it was a bond, a shared experience I would cherish forever. We pulled the canoe onto the bank, our hearts full and spirits high.

"Think we'll do this again soon?" Jaja asked, his eyes shining with hope.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied, knowing these moments with him were the real catch of the day.