![]() ![]() The oldest girl swims across herself, beside her mother. They all sit and watch the fish for a little longer, then get up one by one and wander off to look at other things.Įventually the time comes for the parents to return and ferry the children back across the water. She points to the fish and then the lake. "Her house is too small," the toddler says. Its lips move, as if it's whispering into the small pool. The fish is watching them closely, following them with its eyes. "No-its eyes are moving," another girl says. "Is it dead?" A middle child swirls her finger through the water, waiting for the fish to react. ![]() The children all crouch down to look closer at the fish. "What kind of fish is it?" the oldest girl asks. The girls see its eye and its mouth, which is more like a beak. A fish is lying on its side underwater, its body the shape of an oval cut in half. There's a faint white glow at the bottom of the pool. The water is stained brown by tannins from leaf litter. In between the rocks is a pool of water-it's not very large, but it's deep. They slip down the back side of the island, onto a pile of rocks that match the cliffs on the opposite side of the lake. They take turns leading each other around. Then they explore the tiny island, with its few trees and surrounding views. The girls can see their parents on the opposite shore. When all five of the girls are on the island, the parents swim back towards the shore to rest on the sand, leaving them alone to climb up the small hill. The water never gets higher than the parents' chins, but the kids can't swim across on their own yet. The adults take turns ferrying the girls across the water. On the top of the island is a micro-forest, made of a few very old trees growing together into a dense copse. The edge of its shore is neatly bordered by large rocks with pockets of sand in between. ![]() There's an island in the middle, where the water becomes much deeper. They pretend not to notice their father wearing a speedo, or the pearlescent burn scars across his chest. The women are wearing bathing suits and big hats with sunglasses. The man and the other two women take the girls over to the water. Lunch supplies have been packed, and one of the women stays behind on the sand to prepare food and take care of the babies. It takes about half an hour to get there, husband and wives and kids and all. On the first day of summer, the whole family goes to the lake. "You could have drowned her": at the lake ReadingRoom Short story: Moonfish, by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall ![]()
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