Emese Kassai
It was a normal, almost boring day at school. The weather was cloudy and rainy, which gave a spleenful feeling to the students.
If I remember correctly, it started in biology class. The girl sitting next to me was texting someone when she put her hand before her mouth in surprise. And I, being the curious teenager I am, peeked at her phone, and almost exclaimed! She and I looked at each other, then we started whispering, distributing the information. Soon the whole classroom was buzzing. After the bell rang, everyone ran to tell their friends the news. That way, almost the whole school, and even most of the city, knew it by the afternoon. I could hear every people whispering:
Trout fishing in America??! With HIM?
What does that even mean?
Ah, you know…Trout fishing…in America…You know..
Who is He?
Why is this relevant?
It must have been a nice trout fishing in America…
Who told you this?
Who is She?
When did this happen?
I would love to go trout fishing in America too….
REALLY? They didn’t even invite me?
Well, good for them I guess….
Ah, I’m also very good at trout fishing in America … At least that’s what people tell me….
Oh my God! I have heard about it, I would like to try that too!
Oh, come on, it’s the eighth time I’ve heard it today, I DON’T CARE!
And it kept getting more interesting. Everyone had a theory about what that phrase stood for, but no one knew for sure. The information became a whole story, which was different to everyone. Even I didn’t understand it fully. To this day it remains a mystery that cannot be solved.
Note from the editor: This is one of twelve pieces in the Spring 2022 issue of Folyosó that play with the concept of Richard Brautigan’s Trout Fishing in America.