The leaves of the trees were moving faintly in the breeze and shining green and yellow in the late morning sunlight. On the stone patio in the garden it was bright and hot. But beneath the leaves of the trees, where the old man was trimming the lilacs, it was shady and cool. At the rock pond, the young boy was playing with his boat, pushing it adrift upon the water and then hoping the wind would take it from there. Through the curtains of an open window of the house a radio could be heard.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"Can we go fishing in the boat on the lake this afternoon?"

"Perhaps."

"I like to go fishing," the young boy said.

"Yes. I do also."

The young boy pushed the boat farther out upon the pond.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"What's the biggest fish that you ever caught?"

"I don't know. I suppose not very big."

"As big as the yellow perch that I caught yesterday?"

"No. Not as big as the yellow perch that you caught yesterday."

In the shade beneath the trees the old man clipped the lilac bushes. They were still wet from the rain from the night before.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"Were you ever a young boy like me?"

"Yes."

"And did you have a wooden boat with a white sail like me?"

"No," the old man said. "I never had a wooden boat with a white sail like you."

In the bright morning sunlight the leaves of the trees glistened with the rain from the night before. The young boy pushed the boat farther out upon the pond.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"When you were a young boy did you ever go fishing with your papa?"

"No. I only went fishing with my father."

Beneath the trees, where the old man was clipping the lilacs, the sunlight moved in patches over the shade and across the grass that was also still wet from the rain from the night before.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"Did you ever go fishing with my father?"

"Yes. I went fishing with your father many times."

"Was he a good fisherman?"

"Yes," the old man said. "He was a very fine fisherman."

The young boy pushed the boat farther out upon the pond. It was nearing the reach of his fingers.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"Have I ever gone fishing with my father?"

"No. You have never gone fishing with your father."

"Oh."

Through the curtains of an open window of the house the sound of the radio came faintly and blended with the stirring of the leaves of the trees.

"Papa," the young boy said.

"Yes," said the old man.

"Will I ever go fishing with my father?"

"I don't know. Perhaps."

"I hope so. I think I would like that very much."

The young boy pushed the boat still farther out upon the pond. The wind was not taking the sail though and with another push the boat would be beyond the reach of his fingers.

"Papa," said the young boy.

"Yes," said the old man.

But the young boy did not say anything more.

"Joshua," the old man said.

The young boy turned.

"Yes, Papa?"

"Why don't you go down to the shore and see if the boat has any water in it from the rain last night. And then after lunch perhaps we will go fishing."

"Okay," Joshua said. "But will you watch my boat for me?"

"Yes," the old man said. "I will watch your boat for you."

Joshua leapt from the wall of the rock pond where he had been sitting and started to run off down to the shore of the lake. When he got to the gate of the garden though he stopped. He turned and ran to the old man. He hugged the old man around the waist. Then he turned and ran once more towards the shore, this time not stopping at the gate of the garden. Through the curtains of an open window of the house a radio could be heard, and in the shade beneath the leaves of the trees that were moving faintly in the breeze and shining green and yellow in the sunlight, the old man was clipping the lilacs that were still wet from the rain from the night before. He had gathered a fine bushel now.

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Joseph Modugno is a substitute teacher in Milton, MA. Next month he will ship out with the Peace Corps to teach English in China for two years.