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>SMOKE FROM THE OLD MAN'S CIGAR FILLED THE AIR AND SIMON >STARED AT HIS NICOTINE STAINED FINGERS. THEY WERE FAT >AND WEATHERED...A WORKING MAN'S HANDS. GUS WAS OLD BUT >NOT SLOW-MINDED. HE KNEW SIMON WELL AND COULD >EMPATHIZE WITH THE LAD'S TALE. >"HOW BIG WAS HE?" GUS ASKED AGAIN, ALREADY KNOWING THE >ANSWER. >"AT LEAST SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS...MAYBE EIGHT-FIVE." >RESPONDED SIMON. >"THAT'S A RESPECTABLE BASS. DID HE HAVE THOSE >LINES ACROSS HIS BACK?" GUS KNEW WHITE SEABASS LOST >SOME OF THE MARKINGS ON THEIR BACKS AS THE GOT LARGER. > >"I DIDN'T SEE ANY. IT ALL HAPPENED KINDA FAST" SIMON >REPLIED. "WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS SIMON? THE OLD >MAN ASKED. SIMON THOUGHT FOR A MINUTE. HE DIDN'T WANT >TO ANSWER TOO QUICKLY. HE'D LEARNED ALOT FROM GUS. >ALOT ABOUT >SPEARFISHING AND ALOT ABOUT LIFE. HE KNEW GUS WAS >TESTING HIM. >"I NEED A SLIP-TIP," SIMON STATED MATTER OF FACTLY. >"A DETACHABLE SPEARHEAD WOULD HAVE HELPED BUT YOU >DIDN'T HAVE TO LOSE THAT FISH. WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, WE >DIDN'T HAVE SLIP-TIPS. HELL...WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE FACE >MASKS. WE WORE >GOGGLES AND MADE OUR OWN SPEARS." >"WHAT ELSE COULD I HAVE DONE? I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. >IT WAS A PERFECT SHOT, JUST BEHIND THE HEAD. I >FOLLOWED THE FISH AND DIDN'T PULL ON THE LINE. I WENT >DEEPER THAN EVER BEFORE. WHAT ELSE COULD I HAVE DONE >GUS?!" SIMON'S QUESTION WAS HALF CURIOSITY, HALF >DEFENSE. >"YOU LOST THAT FISH FOR ONE REASON...YOU SHOT TOO >SOON. YOU GOT EXCITED WHEN YOU SAW THAT FISH AND FIRED >BEFORE HE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH FOR THE SHAFT TO PASS >COMPLETELY THROUGH THE FISH. PATIENCE. WHAT AM I >ALWAYS TELLING YOU ABOUT PATIENCE? YOU GOT TO WAIT. >WAIT UNTIL THE FISH IS SO CLOSE, YOU CAN ALMOST REACH >OUT AND TOUCH HIM." >SIMON KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. HIS HEAD DOWN, HE NODDED HIS >AGREEMENT TO GUS. >"THAT'S OKAY KID. IT HAPPENS TO ALL US GREAT FREE >DIVERS ONCE." SIMON LIFTED HIS HEAD WITH A HUGE >SMILE. >"GREAT FREE DIVERS? ME? REALLY? YOU THINK I'M GREAT?" >THE OLE MAN PUFFED HIS CIGAR AND PUSHED HIMSELF BACK >IN HIS CHAIR. HE STARED INTENSELY AT THE BOY. HE >LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING VERY >IMPORTANT. >"LISTEN SIMON," THE OLD MAN WHISPERED, "YOU'RE ALREADY >BETTER THAN I EVER WAS. YOU WENT DEEPER, STAYED >LONGER, AND SHOWED MORE COURAGE THAN I EVER DID WHEN I >WAS YOUR AGE. YOU STAYED DOWN TO GET THE FISH. YOU >RISKED DROWNING. THAT >TAKES COMMITMENT. YOU GOT THE STUFF OF GREATNESS IN >YOU KID...DON'T EVER FORGET IT." > >continued on next page...

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