THE
FULL MOON AND THE VOO DOO CURSE
ONE TIME YEARS
AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO MY FRIEND RAY AND I DECIDED TO GO CATFISHING.
WE WANTED TO GO TO CADDO LAKE. RAY WAS A RETIRED BUTCHER AND I WAS
JUST TIRED. IT’S TOUGH TO BE AT THE AGE WHEN YOU GO ALL OUT YOU END
UP “ALL IN.” WHEN WE GOT TO CADDO WE SET OUT OUR TROT LINES AND
SETTLED IN FOR A LONG NIGHTS FISHING. WE BAITED OUR TROT LINES WITH
WEENIES. IN THE PAST WE HAD CAUGHT A FIVE GALLON BUCKET FULL OF
CATFISH ANYTIME WE FISHED WITH WEENIES. SO WE KNEW BY MORNING WE
WOULD HAVE MORE FISH THEN WE WANTED TO CLEAN. SPEAKING OF CLEANING
FISH, I TOLD YOU RAY WAS A RETIRED BUTCHER. HE HAD MADE A SPECIAL
KNIFE FROM AN OLD BONING KNIFE JUST FOR FISH CLEANING. BUT THAT’S A
WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR DIFFERENT TIME.
THE FIRST TIME
WE RAN OUR LINES WAS ABOUT MIDNIGHT. TO OUR SURPRISE WE DIDN’T HAVE
A FISH BUT ALL THE BAIT WAS GONE. ‘’WHAT’S GOING ON?” RAY ASKED. “WE
JUST LOST A WHOLE PACKAGE OF WEENIES AND WE DON’T HAVE A FISH TO
SHOW FOR IT.” I SAID, “MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE IT’S THE FULL MOON. YOU
KNOW HOW CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN UNDER A FULL MOON. OR MAYBE IT IS
BECAUSE OF THAT VOO DOO CURSE THAT OLD BLACK WOMAN PUT ON YOU FOR
RUNNING OVER HER CHICKEN. ON THE DRIVE DOWN.” “I DON’T BELIEVE IN
VOO DOO” RAY GRUNTED. “MAYBE NOT, BUT IF YOU WOULD HAVE JUST PAID
HER THAT $10 SHE WANTED FOR HER PRIZE ROOSTER SHE WOULDN’T HAVE PUT
THAT CURSE ON US” I TOLD HIM. RAY SAID, “YOUR CRAZY.” “I KNOW I
SAID, “IT’S A FULL MOON.”
“COME ON, LET’S
BAIT UP AGAIN. WE’VE GOT ENOUGH WEENIES TO BAIT UP ONE MORE TIME”
RAY SUGGESTED. I ASKED RAY IF HE DIDN’T THINK WE SHOULD SAVE THOSE
LAST WEENIES FOR TOMORROW NIGHT. THE FULL MOON WOULD BE GONE THEN.
THIS TIME HE JUST PICKED UP THE PADDLE AND STARTED DOWN THE LINE I
WAS HOLDING ON TO AND SAID, “BAIT!” HE HURT MY FEELINGS THE WAY HE
SAID IT BUT I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING. WE WERE IN HIS CAR AND IT WAS 16
MILES BACK TO THE HIGHWAY. I DIDN’T THINK HE WOULD MAKE ME WALK
HOME, BUT AFTER ALL IT WAS A FULL MOON. I FIGURED IT WAS BETTER TO
BE SAFE THEN SORRY. WE BAITED OUR TROT LINES WITH THE LAST OF OUR
WEENIES AND PADDLED BACK TO SHORE.
WHEN WE GOT
BACK I STARTED THROWING MORE WOOD ON THE FIRE TO STAY WARM AND KEEP
THE MOSQUITOES OFF. RAY SAID, “DON’T DO THAT. THE LIGHT KEEPS ME
AWAKE AND I WANT TO GET A LITTLE SLEEP BEFORE I HAVE TO DRIVE HOME
IN THE MORNING.” HE ROLLED UP IN HIS BLANKET AND WAS ASLEEP BY THE
TIME I COULD SIT DOWN. NOW AS I SAID WE HAD COME IN HIS CAR AND HE
ALWAYS CARRIED A BLANKET ON THE BACK SEAT SO WHEN WE WENT QUAIL
HUNTING, HIS BIRD DOG COULD RIDE IN THE CAR WITH US WITHOUT GETTING
THE BACK SEAT DIRTY. YOU NOTICED I SAID “A BLANKET.” HE THOUGHT
MORE OF THAT DOG THEN HE DID ME. HE NEVER LET ME RIDE IN THE BACK
SEAT AND HE ALWAYS MADE ME TAKE OFF MY DIRTY BOOTS BEFORE HE WOULD
LET ME IN THE CAR. “WHAT A GROUCH.” WELL I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS
GOING TO BE A COLD AND MISERABLE NIGHT. HERE IT WAS IN APRIL AND THE
TEMPERATURE HAD BEEN IN THE 80’S WHEN WE LEFT HOME, SO I HADN’T
BROUGHT A COAT. FOR THAT MATTER I DIDN’T EVEN WEAR A LONG SLEEVE
SHIRT. OH WELL, IT WAS THE FULL MOON.
COME DAYLIGHT
JUST AS THE SUN WAS COMING UP AND I WAS STARTING TO THAW OUT THE BIG
LIGHT IN THE SKY WOKE UP RAY. HE’S FRESH AND RESTED AND ANXIOUS TO
RUN THE LINES. I COULD BARELY MOVE I WAS SO COLD AND STIFF FROM
SITTING ON THE GROUND ALL NIGHT. WE GOT IN THE BOAT AND I STILL
COULDN’T MOVE ENOUGH TO HELP PADDLE. THIS MAKES RAY MAD AND HE HAS A
FEW THING TO SAY ABOUT MY ANCESTRY AND ENDS BY SAYING THIS IS THE
LAST TIME HE IS EVER GOING FISHING WITH ME. WELL, THAT’S JUST FINE
WITH ME BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE A COLD DAY YOU KNOW WHERE BEFORE I
GO WITH HIM AGAIN. ABOUT THAT TIME WE GOT TO OUR FIRST TROT LINE.
LIKE THE NIGHT BEFORE, NO BAIT AND ONLY ONE LONELY BREAM ABOUT FOUR
INCHES LONG. WE DON’T EVEN BOTHER TO TAKE HIM OFF THE LINE. WE GO ON
TO THE SECOND LINE AND AGAIN NO FISH AND NO BAIT. BY THE TIME WE RUN
THE LAST LINE WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. YEP, NO FISH, NO BAIT.
YOU NEVER SAW
TWO MORE DISAPPOINTED, ANGRY AND MISERABLE FISHERMEN IN YOUR LIFE.
WE STARTED TAKING UP OUR LINES AND GETTING READY TO GO HOME. WE HAD
TAKEN UP TWO LINES AND HAD JUST UNTIED THE THIRD LINE TO ROLL IT UP,
WHEN IT STARTED MOVING. I WAS HOLDING THE LINE REAL TIGHT AND
WHATEVER WAS ON THAT LINE WAS PULLING OUR LITTLE BOAT DOWN THE LAKE.
I SAID, ”THAT’S THE STRONGEST BREAM I EVER SAW” “YOU IDIOT!” RAY
SHOUTED. “NO BREAM CAN PULL A BOAT LIKE THAT! WE GOT OURSELVES A
MUCHO GRANDE OF A CATFISH.” HE STOOD UP AND SHOUTED, “LET ME HAVE
THAT LINE YOU FOOL. YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LANDING A BIG
CATFISH!’’ “SIT DOWN YOU IDIOT! WHAT IN THE BLUE BLAZES DO YOU THINK
YOUR DOING?” I SHOUTED BACK! “I’VE CAUGHT JUST AS MANY BIG CATFISH
AS YOU HAVE.” WELL, WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT. WE FOUGHT OVER WHO WAS
GOING TO LAND THE “BIG ONE” UNTIL WE TURNED THE BOAT OVER. “ NOW
LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE.” RAY CRIED. “YOU’RE THE IDIOT WHO WAS
STANDING UP IN A LITTLE 12 FOOT JON BOAT, NOT ME.” I TOLD HIM.
WE HAD TO SWIM
BACK TO SHORE, WHEN WE GOT THERE WE WERE SOAKEN WET BUT WE GOT IN
RAYS CAR AND STARTED HOME. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE A
LONG, COLD AND SILENT RIDE HOME. RAY’S OLD CAR WOULDN’T RUN OVER 30
MILES AND HOUR AND THE HEATER DIDN’T WORK. . ONE WINDOW WOULDN’T
ROLL UP AND IN WET CLOTHES AND AT 30 MILES PER HOUR THE WIND CHILL
FACTOR WAS GOING TO BE WAY DOWN THERE. I DIDN’T FIGURE EITHER ONE OF
US WOULD BE DOING MUCH TALKING. AFTER WE GOT BACK TO THE HIGHWAY WE
STOPPED AT THE TRUCK STOP THAT WAS OUR LAND MARK TO TURN ONTO THE
BUMPY GRAVEL ROAD THAT TOOK US TO OUR SECRET SPOT ON THE LAKE WHERE
WE ALWAYS CAUGHT FISH. WELL, MAYBE NOT WHEN YOU HAVE A VOO DOO CURSE
ON YOU.
ANYWAY, WE WENT
INTO THE COFFEE SHOP TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE. RAY WENT IN FIRST AND I
WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM. I STOPPED TO LET THE WAITRESS GO BY AND
WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT! SHE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW MY MUDDY BOOTS AND SHE
WOULDN’T LET ME GO IN UNTIL I TOOK THEM OFF. I FOLLOWED HER TO THE
BOOTH WHERE RAY WAS SITTING, TELLING HER SHE WAS JUST AS BAD AS RAY.
I KEPT TELLING HER IT WASN’T MY FAULT MY BOOTS WERE MUDDY BECAUSE
THERE HAD BEEN A FULL MOON LAST NIGHT AND BESIDES THAT I HAD A VOO
DOO CURSE ON ME.
WHEN WE GOT TO
THE BOOTH WHERE RAY WAS SITTING SHE ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD BROUGHT
THIS CRAZY MAN IN THERE. RAY TOLD HER HE WAS JUST DOING HIS GOOD
DEED FOR THE DAY. THAT HE HAD FOUND ME ON THE BANKS OF CADDO LAKE
ALL WET AND MUDDY. HE HAD STOPPED HERE TO GET ME A CUP OF COFFEE TO
WARM ME UP BEFORE SENDING ME ON MY WAY. SHE MUST HAVE FELT SORRY FOR
ME BECAUSE SHE GAVE US A CUP OF COFFEE WITHOUT CHARGING US FOR IT,
OR MAYBE SHE GAVE IT TO US BECAUSE RAY WAS DOING HIS GOOD DEED.
REGARDLESS OF WHY WE SAT THERE ENJOYING OUR COFFEE EVEN THOUGH WE
STILL WEREN’T SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER. ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WERE
MY BOOTS SITTING JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR. I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD
STILL BE THERE WHEN WE LEFT.
AFTER WE DRANK
OUR COFFEE WE WENT OUT THE DOOR TO LOOK FOR MY BOOTS. THE SUN MUST
HAVE BEEN SHINING ON ME BECAUSE THEY WERE ACTUALLY STILL THERE. I
SAT DOWN RIGHT THERE AND PUT THEM ON. AS I WAS TYING THEM, UP DRIVES
THIS YOUNG GUY IN A NEW PICKUP WITH A BRAND NEW BASS BOAT BEHIND IT.
HE JUMPED OUT AND STARTED YELLING FOR EVERYONE TO COME SEE THE BIG
CATFISH HE CAUGHT. RAY AND I COULDN’T RESIST. WE HAD TO GO LOOK!
THERE IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS $25,OOO BASS BOAT LAID A “OL” FLATHEAD
CATFISH THAT MUST HAVE WEIGHED 80 POUNDS. ONE OF THE MEN ASKED HIM
WHERE HE GOT IT. HE KNEW THE YOUNG MAN TO ONLY BASS FISH. THE BASS
FISHERMAN SAID, “YOU KNOW THAT IS A FUNNY THING. WHEN I WAS CASTING
THIS MORNING MY LURE HUNG THIS TROT LINE. WHEN I PULLED IT UP I SAW
THAT IT WASN’T TIED TO ANYTHING. SO I WAS PULLING IT IN TO GET IT
OUT OF THE LAKE. WHEN I GOT DOWN CLOSE TO THE END THIS BIG CATFISH
CAME FLOATING UP TO THE SURFACE. HE JUST LAY THERE LIKE HE WAS ALL
TUCKERED OUT. SO I REACH DOWN AND TOOK HOLD OF HIM AND DRAGGED HIM
IN THE BOAT EASY AS PIE.”
THE GUY TOLD
ALL HIS BUDDIES THAT WERE LOOKING AT THE BIG FLATHEAD HE WAS GOING
TO HAVE A BIG FISH FRY THAT NIGHT AND THEY WERE ALL INVITED TO COME
HELP HIM EAT THAT CATFISH. THEY COULD BRING THE BEER.
RAY AND I
LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND RAY SAID, “FULL MOON!” I SAID, “VOO DOO
CURSE!”
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