THE PASSAGE

Let's Catch Some Crawfish

Chapter 7

I hear footsteps on the back porch and quickly exit Pop's room. I feel a little guilty now because I was in there snooping around and shouldn't have been. However, this could be my chance to find out exactly what's going on here.

As I walk out onto the back porch, I find Pop sitting in one of the rockers closest to the door, looking out into the swamp with a pair of binoculars.

"Hi, ma Cher. You like your room okay."

"Um, yes, it's fine. But I have something to confess. I went into your room."

"Oh, is there something you need?"

"No, I'm sorry, but I was snooping around."

Pop laughs. "That's okay, ma Cher. I told you make yourself at home. If you want to look around, that's okay."

"Pop, I saw that picture of you at your twenty-year reunion. It seems as though you haven't aged a day since."

"Yeah, that true. But I know Toby probably tell you how old I really am already."

"Yes, but when I saw how young you looked, I guess I . . . I didn't believe it. How is it possible that you don't age? Please don't tell me that you're a vampire."

Pop laughs. "The most honest answer I can give you is that I don know why I don age. You probably have more tings you want to axe me, so I tell you what, maybe if you stay for a couple of days, I come around to tell you. Then again, maybe not. We see. What you tink about dat?"

"You mean, stay here for a couple of days," I say, motioning towards the camp.

"Yeah, I be happy to have you as ma guest. I know Toby would too."

"Wow." I glance around, imagining staying here a couple of days in this secluded paradise. Oh my.

"Yes, Pop, that sounds wonderful. I already love it here. I could stay here forever if that were possible."

"You might decide to do just dat. Dat would make Toby happy and me too. I see the way Toby look at you. I know dat look. That da first time I ever see him look at a girl like dat. I see da way you look at him too. Maybe you decide not to go back to New York."

"Um, how do you know that I am from New York? Did Toby tell you?"

Pop chuckles. "No, ma Cher, he didn't ."

"So, how do you know."

"Well, let's just say for now that when you get old as me you know lots of tings. Now, how bout you grab us a beer out da old cooler."

I glance towards the cooler, then back at Pop. "A beer." I smile. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea." I walk over to the old Coca-Cola cooler and open the lid, finding it stocked near full with Corona and Bud Light. I grab us two Coronas and pop the tops with the bottle opener below the lid.

"Corona's my favorite beer. I assumed it might be your favorite also," I say.

"Dat my favorite, too. Tank you, ma Cher. Now have a seat here in da rocker, and we drink our beer before we go pick up dem crawfish, me and you."

I sit down in the rocker and take a sip of Corona as I stare out over the swamp laying so peaceful before me. Even though it is late afternoon already, the temperature here has not cooled yet. It feels perfect for being outdoors. I could enjoy sitting out here all evening.

I look over at Pop and watch him as he pulls out a pack of Marlboro Reds from his pocket.

"Ma Cher, how bout a smoke."