Fishing trip

Isn't it strange how easy a song or some words can remind you of things long forgotten?
Even things that never really came to your mind because you did them totally drunk and had a tear in the film afterwards?

It was yesterday evening.
Jim and me mocked each other and I teased him until he said "Ah, shut up, babes!" and silenced me with a kiss.
I frowned because I had a deja-vue feeling.
"You...said that before...It is such a familiar situation..."
James thought a few seconds and then blushed deeply.
"Um..I...I...did I? Well...maybe...."

Suddenly an evening in August 1997 was very present before my inner eye.
Now it was my turn to blush and I flung myself onto the couch and downed a glass of Single Malt.
"Remember our fishing trip? '97? With no fishing at all?", I then asked.
James cleared his throat. "Erm...yah..I think I do remember...."
I rubbed my temples and shook my head. "You knew that all those years? And despite of that knowledge we had to behave like this for more than 10 years?"
"I...I thought it was an accident...you didn't remember anything..."
"Until now", I sighed, "isn't that strange?"

James was 28 then and I just had turned 38 in June.
We decided to spend our few days off on a fishing trip.
Well, that trip didn't include fishing but camping at a lakeside, many beers, silly talks and fun.
We took my old and shabby black pickup car, deeply laden with camping utensils, beer, food, beer, beer, clothes, beer, beer and beer,drove to that lake amidst the woods and pitched camp there.
The cellphones were left at home and we had some really good music with us and candles for the evenings. Jim's female wooers didn't have the slightest clue where he was and we were looking forward to 4 days in perfect peace.

Our first day began really, really silly when we set up the tent and I grabbed a tent peg and yelled "Your number's up, Dracula! It's me, Van Helsing!" James hissed and stretched his hands out in defence.
We spent nearly one hour running through the woods and yelling stupid stuff, me threatening him with the tent peg.
No one who saw us would have wanted to be treated by such crazy doctors, believe me.

Totally out of breath we fell down on the grass before our tent and tried to stop laughing.
James wiped the tears from his face. "God...House....Why is it only me who knows you like that? Unbelievable...this was the same man like that grumpy and slightly arrogant doctor who left clinic yesterday evening!"
I sniggered and shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe it's like Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde..."
James grinned broadly. "Or that Monsieur Opale from that crappy horror movie we watched last week."
I put that off. "Ah...same story. Apart from the fact that Monsieur Opale limps and has a cane. So...I ought to be Mr. Hyde then."
(Yes...no cane, no limpy then.)
"Why not just stay Dr. Jekkyl?"
"C'mon Wilson, that would be boring..."
James shrugged and laid back to watch the sky. "Maybe you're right. Hmmm...I'm a bit honored it's me who knows Dr. Jekkyl."
I grinned and poked his side. "Not to forget I am a genius!"
"Right!"
I laid back, too and for a while we just watched the clouds and told each other what we saw in them.

It was a perfectly good time we had there.
Lazy days with quiet talks, silly talks, long nights with many beers and so on.

The third night I was really drunk.
I remember that in the middle of the night - or at 3 am to be precise - I arose, crawled out of the tent, took off my clothes and jumped into the lake.
After swimming for a while I turned towards the brink again.
Shortly before I reached it suddenly my arm was grabbed by someone and I was dragged under water.
God, I was shocked and fairly close to a heart attack - nearly sober all over sudden.
I waved about and kicked around and tried to free myself from whatever it was.
When I caught breath and realised it was James who had been lurking underwater for me I got hopping mad and railed against him.
"Wilson!!! Who do you think you are?! Swamp Thing??? I nearly got a heartattack! I almost drowned!"

I clamoured, tiraded, grumbled, bickered and complained.
Suddenly Jim said "Ah, shut up, babes!" and silenced my tirade by pressing his lips hard against mine.
I held my tongue immediately, my stomach made backflips and I noticed his lips getting softer and really kissing me. (That was the second it came to my mind that all my clothes lay on the brink...together with his.)
Far, far away I heard someone moan.
Ten minutes later I discovered that this was me.
Jim took me by my hips, lifted me up and lowered me onto his...erm...okay, you know what.
"Wilsoooon?", I managed to ask with a quivering voice and my hands clung to his shoulders.
My answer was another kiss and a "Mmmmmmmmmmh" which made me embrace him with my legs.
My head dropped back and the last thing I saw before I had my head in the clouds was the full moon and some stars.

In the morning I awoke with a terrible hangover and not the slightest memory. I wondered why James behaved so odd, blushed all the time and asked me about the last night but forgot about it when he stopped that.
Okay...now I know he only had one beer that night and I had one beer too many.
But I still can't believe I totally forgot about that.
And he - he carried that knowledge with him all these years and never told me anything.
Isn't that strange?

I'm sorry, it's late....so you'll have to wait for my post about Boston once more.
Good night!
Or good morning.