The Fishing Trip...

As part of our 1 year anniversary celebrations of Billy The Brilliant, the JustZeusBooks team is sharing some magical tales. Enjoy the anecdotes and share with those you love most. Happy 1st Birthday Billy!

When I was at Primary School, compared to now teaching in one, being different wasn't quite accepted with the same genuine touch. You were told how to behave and looked down upon for acting in any other manner. At the time, I didn't understand why one particular boy, Travis, was always hyperactive, and moreover, why the teachers would just let him more or less run wild. I later found out he had A. D. H. D. and today, I'll be celebrating the remarkable feats of this young lad. This particular story is written in rhyme and encompasses the beauty of making fun and games out of the harshest of times. We can all relate to the trip to the dentist or Doc when we received a lollipop for merely being brave, so let me enthral you with the bravest of visits; that of tumultuous Travis!

~The Fishing Trip~
Timothy Bristow

I once had a friend who loved being silly. Instead of sitting straight, he’d run nilly willy. One day, when Travis was away from school, the teacher sat us down and made a rule.
 
“When Travis returns- back to join us, we are not to laugh or make a fuss” This instruction for a group of six-year-olds was a little weird. But the next day when Travis returned, he walked in stroking a beard.
 
All the students stared and tried their best not to wiggle, although it was tricky. Even poor Mrs. Mac couldn’t withhold her giggle. Travis was stroking this new hairpiece and begun to voice, a story of adventure, a fishing trip was his order of choice.
 
“Well it all started…” he entered his story. “…sometimes life threatening and often gory”. His aim was clearly just to retell, but his tone of voice sounded more like a car salesman trying to sell.
 
“I saw the doctor and noticed a deep dark cave off into the distance. Mastering the waves would take some resistance. So head on I challenged the chasm, the darkness, and claustrophobia was nearly more than I could fathom”     
 
At the time no one knew of what he was saying, for the only time us Prep students had heard language like this was when we were praying. There was no way this was truth but more of a tale, yet Mrs. Mac let him continue as if he was close to the sale.
 
“The first human to come out alive, my courage was limitless; my escape took courage just to contrive…” Now the students of Prep Mac were stunned and amazed, for Travis were only gone one day and came back un-grazed.
 
To wind up his tale, from his pocket Travis pulled…
  
…A lollipop from the Doc! I knew it; I wasn’t fooled!
We all clapped in awe of this treasure but let’s back track somewhat just for good measure.
 
Now see what had happened was Travis was scared; because he had to see the Dr. That’s when his temper flared. He hated those trips so his mum made it a treat. A game of sorts and fun filled thoughts.     
 
His trip to this place he wouldn’t forget but for everyone’s worry, Travis was never even wet. The cave he spoke of was more a machine, it scanned his body to see the unseen. The topic in question was his odd behavior so this scan’s diagnosis was everyone’s saviour.
  
So of those waves that the boy had preached, they weren’t of the ocean but mum and dad as poor Travis screeched. The truth is, this fishing trip was a bit fishy, from the start. It was the learning of the trip that had played its part. Everyone at school and around the town could always rely on Travis to turn his or her smile upside down. 
 
All of his life poor Travis was labelled ‘different’. Now we had new rules- to listen, tolerate and just be patient. The fun he brought livened our class even with those stories that were a bit of a farce.

And best of all what, I failed to see, Travis wasn’t different at all; it was actually me!