Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sadness and Reconciliation, Part One

Gabriel's fish died.

We had set up a fish tank when Jo turned 3, and every one was allowed to choose a fish.  Gabriel was only about 4 months at the time, so we chose a pleco for him since they are the cute bottom feeders that suck on everything and he was still nursing, and putting everything in his mouth.

This fish didn't really have a name.  We just called him 'Gabriel's Fish' or the 'Sucker Fish', but Gabriel knew it was his fish, and he was very proud of it.

It started out at just a few inches and ended up at almost a foot long, and it survived everything!

It survived the time we went out of town and my in-laws watched the house and the power went out and they didn't start the filter again so the snail laid eggs and the tank got over run with snails.

It survived the time the aerator tube came loose and drained almost the whole tank onto the floor.

It survived the time the paper came off the back of the tank and the sun turned the whole tank green.

It survived when I didn't change or refill the tank forever and a day until the water had evaporated to less than half and the filter stopped working.

It survived when our other fish had babies, then ate the babies and all the other fish in the tank and then died.

It survived when the heater quit working in the tank and the water got really really cold.

It survived pretty much just about everything.  

But then, yesterday, it just stopped moving.  Gabriel kept saying that its 'wing' was broken, and that it was sick.  

And then, today, it was gone.  Gabriel's fish had died.

Poor fish.
Poor Gabriel.  

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