Chapter 53: The Boat
On their fourth day, Xander and Yera decided to go fishing by recommendation of the lodge manager. Yera’s ankle was not swollen and she had all the rest she needed the previous day, so she reassured Xander that it was fine for them to resume their outdoor activities, as long as they were light ones.
The mountains have a few lakes that contained fish, and they decided to go to the most accessible lake that would only require a short hike on a well-marked and maintained trail.
Small rowing boats or what they call the dinghies were available, and Xander said they would use one... He was talking to the person in charge while Yera was enjoying another spectacular scenery and solitude surrounding her. The mountain lake offered a mild temperature that was great for fishing.
It was Yera’s first time to try fishing, and she was really looking forward to it. "Let’s go?" Xander said, wearing his usual charming smile on his face as he offered his hand to help her go aboard the dinghy they would be using. Yera nodded and accepted Xander’s hand as she gently stepped onto the vessel.
"Don’t worry, we won’t go to the deep part of the lake, we’ll only fish in shallow water," Xander reassured Yera as he assisted her in sitting properly on the dinghy. Yera told him she did not know how to swim when he asked her if she would want to visit a nearby waterfall of which natural pool they could swim in yesterday.
As selfish as it might sound, but he was actually grateful that Yera had not experienced a lot of outdoor recreational activities, such as riding a bike, learning how to swim, and a lot more. Because of this, he would have more opportunity to spend time with her and bring their emotional bond to a higher level. Just the words’ higher level’ brought great euphoria to Xander, and it made him grin.
"Do you need help?" Yera asked when she saw Xander grab a set of oars, getting ready to row their boat. "Do you want to try?" Xander returned the question, to which Yera nodded in response. Xander gave her the set of oars and let her row the boat while he watched her enjoy what she was doing. "Let’s stop here," Xander instructed, so Yera stopped rowing.
He readied their fishing rods and crankbaits. Yera creased her forehead and asked, "Aren’t we going to use live worms?"
Xander laughed and said, "That’s gross... Nowadays, using artificial lures like this is better. I often use them, and it’s effective. Here, try it." He handed Yera the fishing rod. They were sitting very close to each other face to face as he added, "Bigger fish will be more likely to come toward it because of the shape. Let’s see if you have what they call the beginner’s luck. Maybe you’ll catch a big one."