Big fish Pond in da Sky

One of our goldfish has died. I woke up one morning and it was just floating with his eyes all glossy. I hoped against hope he was just relaxing but since I didn’t see his fin embracing a cocktail glass or his glossy eyes covered with shades, I had a sinking feeling. I knocked on the side of the tank to make sure it wasn’t just relaxing and it just moved with the vibration my knocking on the tank produced.

I felt really bad and my heart just dropped. I couldn’t believe Whitey had died. We had those fishes for over three to five years I cannot recall accurately, but I know they were tiny fishes when we got them. They are now the size of my palm…big! We originally had three; they were all goldfishes, two were brightly orange colored and one had a white body but orange fins and tail. I told my son to name them since they were his responsibility. He thought really hard and couldn’t seem to find names he liked and then in a burst of inspiration he had it and was jumping around in excitement. Okay out with it I said… “Goldie, Goldie and Whitey” he said. I laughed so hard; this kid has no imagination I later told my friend.

Anyhow, one of the Goldie died earlier and that was really hard on my son and I but at least we still had two left and they kept each other’s company. Now whitey was dead! My son was away on vacation when this happened, I called and explained that Whitey had died and he asked plaintively “why did he die?” I told him it was just old. The other Goldie is swimming around merrily, at least so it seems and I’m wondering if he hasn’t missed his buddy…

I went to the pet store to get him some more fishes but I had a hard time deciding which and an even harder time trying to figure out where in the store the reptiles (specifically snakes and lizards) were so I could avoid them…ugh! I decided to wait until he returns from vacation so he could pick the ones he likes. I remember one morning I woke up and Whitey was white all over, I mean his tail and fins that were orange were now white. I’m sure it happened gradually but I hadn’t noticed. I was quite alarmed and went straight to the pet shop and told the lady I thought the fish was dying, or it was really sick but something was wrong. She calmly told me nothing was wrong when goldfishes get old they sometimes lose their color. She was right. He was still swimming around merrily and doing his thing, that was some five months ago.

It’s just amazing how emotionally attached we are to our pets. They belonged to my son but in reality I was the one feeding and cleaning their tank, greeting them mornings and evenings when I get home, having one way conversations while they swim around merrily and eat like they were starving every single time. In the mornings when I put the tank light on they would jostle for space at the corner of the tank, faces upturned and mouths open waiting for their flakes…*sigh*

Bye Whitey…. I scooped him up out of the tank and promptly flushed him down the toilet. Took my shower, had to get ready for work. I miss him now, every time I look in the tank and see the last Goldie swimming around I really missed the other two but I was lucky and happy to have had them for such a long period. Their purpose was to teach my son responsibility but since I practically did all the work concerning them I am happy that he at least learned empathy and he is not growing up an emotionless and selfish child.