The lucky Fish

I awoke how I usually do, to the sounds of rats and cockroaches scurrying across the mossy, cracked and
grimy floor. Slowly, I got to my feet as the daylight seeped through the cracks in my bedroom wall. I had
slept in! I hurried to change into mildly clean clothes and hurtled towards the kitchen. Already from
halfway across the house I could hear alice crying
“Top o’ the mornin’ to ya’ ma” I called over alice’s fit.

“Mornin’ harry,” she replied, “ yer’ sister’s ‘bout as loud as those boats she is”

That was true, both the fact alice was loud and the fact that the boats docking on the edge of the
sorrento peir were very loud as sorrento had grown quite popular for boats to stop and refuel on the
trips.

“That she is, ma” I replied.

The smell of eggs lingered through the air but I didn’t have time to eat, I needed to head over to the
market to help out Mr porter who runs the fruit stall earning myself a shilling a week, of course Ma had
no idea about this.

I headed for the door, lacing my boots but Ma stopped me.

“And where do ya’ think your goin’” she called.

“I’m of of the market, Ma. The busy streets of Sorrento don’t wait ya know” I called heading towards the
door.

“Here take these” she replied sliding three single shillings across the rotting table.

“I can’t accept these ma, you need ‘em” I spoke.

“Go buy something fer’ yourself harry. You deserve it, after all you did earn them” she winked.

Maybe I wasn’t as good of a liar as I though I was.

I grabbed the money and ran for the market.

I was about half a street away when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Well… well… well… what da’ we ‘ave here” He called.

I sighed. It was james burns, Well known for his reputation as the bully.

“What da ya want james, If ya can’t see I’m busy ‘ere.”

“I wanna know what yar doin’ on my street” he replied spitting on the curb.

“Its not yers james,” I said, “ I belongs to the people of sorrento”

He shoved me over and kicked the ground.

“Well bummer yer ain’t a person then,” he spoke, “ go back to the sewer yer filthy rat.”
Suddenly, out of no where, I got to my feet leant forward and punched james in the face. For a moment
everyone was stunned but before he knew it, I bolted for the market. My jog became a sprint. My sprint
became a rush of feet and before I knew it I was running for my life through the market.

I zig zagged left, right, left, right but where ever I went james and his gang followed. This continued until
I felt like collapsing on the ground as I felt blood rush to my cheecks. In a matter of desperation I ducked
onto the peir and crawled stealthily onto an empty boat tied to the dock. I waited a few seconds for
good measures before peering back out to find James and his gang sprint past the peir and continue on
in there journey.

I sighed in relief.

“Whats goin’ on ere” called a deep voice behind me, startling me.

I jumped sending the boat shaking creating waves in the water.

“Steady.. steady” He spoke.

I turned around finding myself facing an old man. He had dark black greasy hair with thin strands of grey
poking out. He had a dark long beard each hair entangled in multiple others like a jungle revealing the
fact he had very bad hygiene.

“And who are yer” he said with a hint of anger on his voice.

“Harry gold” I replied.

“Well harry gold, What in the flamin’ hell do ya’ think yer doin’ on me boat ‘ere”

“I’m sorry I was hiding from some Bullys” I said dropping my eyes to my feet.

He glanced at the market catching a glance of harry and his gang and nodding.

I turned to leave but before I did something caught my eye. Something shiny. It was a trophy!

I turned to face it, perched on the top of the boat for the whole world to see.

“1863- Jack rogers- sorrento fishing tournament champion.”

Who was harry grant? Was it the old man. I tried to restrain his curiosity but he couldn’t.

“Congratulations” I said.

The old man turned back to me.

“For what?” he replied.

“For the fishing tournament”

“Ugh… that old thing... it’s still up there!?” He said grabbing the trophy and shoving it under a carboard
box.

“Why are yer still ‘ere?!” He yelled, “ I thought I said to leave.”

“Yes, sir” I said exiting the boat and heading towards the market where I spent my day feasting on how
ever much money three shillings could buy until it reached dark where I walked home.

On my way home something amazing happened.

“Enter here for the sorrento fishing cup” called a man, “ sign ups here for Sorrento fishing cup, last
chance to sign up.

“You know what I think I might enter” I said walking up to the man.

“Sorry lad but you have to have at least one adult on yer team” he said, turning his back.

“I do” I called in desperation.

He raised an eyebrow.

“And who would that be?” He asked.

I tried to remember the name on the trophy.

“Jack, Jack rogers”

The man nodded and put the name down.

I walked all the way home smiling, this was it. This was my chance to be remembered.

The next day I got up at dawn and walked down to the pier and entered the captains boat to tell him the
good news.

When I found him he was asleep below deck.

“Captain… captain… wake up” I said.

“Huh… what? Whats goin’ on ‘ere” He yelled rubbing his eyes.

“Guess what captain” I spoke in excitement.

“What the flamin’ heck are ya’ doin’ ‘ere lad, its six in the mornin’”

“Captain, I couldn’t wait to tell you but I entered us in the sorrento fishing cup”

“YOU DID WHAT?!” He yelled.

“Why are you angry? We could win, you could win again”

“I’m not entering that stupid thing again!”

“Why not? You could win again.”

“NO”

“But-”

“NO, that’s final”

For a moment there was silence, until it was broken again by me.
“There’s a 1000 pound prize, you could fix your ship”

He was silent. I knew I had hit a sweet spot.

“Or maybe you could buy an entire new ship” I spoke.

“Hmmmmmm…”

He though for a moment.

“ok” he spoke after a good 2 minutes.

I fist bumped the air.

“ but, on one condition”

“I would do anything” I replied in excitement.

“You supply the food and I do the fishing”

“Deal!”

The next few days were quiet.

The captain and I went fishing everyday between 8 and 2 and he did the fishing and I supplied him with
food. It worked well except we never seemed to catch stuff. Occasionally when he went to the toilet I
held the rod but never got a bite.

That all changed on one lunch time. The captain left to eat his food and I took over the rod. Out of no
where the rod lurched forward.

“Uh… Captain.. COME QUICK” I called but he didn’t reply.

I had to do this myself. It was all up to me. The rod lurched forward again. For the next few minutes it
was a desperate battle between me and the fish but slowly the fish tired. Then with one final pull I
reeled it in. I had done it. The fish was HUGE.

I had won by a mile. And then the captain walked out and nearly fainted. The day had passed by so fast.
I had won it. I got 1000 pound split between me and the captain so he could fix his boat. MA had
screamed in joy. We weren’t poor anymore! Finally I could give Ma and alice the life they deserved. The
life we deserved.