Written a few weeks ago – update at the bottom:
This fish is somethin’ else.
Once upon a time, way less than a year ago, we got 4 fish. Who’s names were Penny, Fish, Oliver, and Pirates of the Caribbean Enemy. Then a few months ago I did some sort of toxic something to them and found 3 of them dead in the morning. We rescued this one and gave the others a toilet bowl funeral. I really didn’t expect this fish to make it. But it did.
And though I’m not really trying to kill it, it just lives on. Of it’s own will. I don’t change the tank nearly enough. I forget to feed it for days on end. What can I say? I’m not a good fish owner. But the other day, Survivor (as the kids have started calling him), made it through the biggest test yet.
When I get ready to clean out his aquarium I put him in a mason jar of clean water while I clean out and then let the water temperature adjust before transferring him back to his aquarium. In the jar is where he was this particular day.
BigMan had disappeared quietly long enough for me to notice (you know it’s gonna be good when you start with this). I found him sitting on the counter with a half empty bottle of glue and the mason jar clouded with a purple lump of playdough. While I was processing this information I realized the fish was swimming peacefully in the aquarium. When questioned, BigMan told us that he had put Survivor into his home. With.His.Hand.
Every time I write something about our animals and I get ready to put it in a category I get cracked up that I put “Animals” under the the “Ridiculous” category. Because they always are.
This was written a few weeks ago and I meant to get a picture of him in the mason jar to go along with the post. But then yesterday we awoke to find him… floating. Sideways. So, Survivor, is not… anymore. We had a funeral for him. And in keeping with his poor pitiful life with us, after the memorial service around the “bowl” – we flushed him. And he wouldn’t flush. Just swirled around and floated again. So, in my kids’ lowest moment with their fish, I exclaimed, “Hold on, I gotta get the camera.” Poor fish, no dignity. Even in death.
Gotta add, while telling my honey about the ordeal over dinner last night, my husband says, “Well, now Survivor’s in Fishville.” To which ThePrincess replied, “No, Daddy, he’s in Godville.”
