The Story of a Fish

This is the story of a fish named Taxi.  

Taxi was a Beta, a fighter, a friend and someone who kept us company in the bathroom.  That's where Taxi resided.  Nestled between two sinks Taxi saw a lot of life.  The busy hub of a bathroom to 6 people.  

Never a dull moment for the fish.

I'm always the last to bed so I'd turn his tank light off every night.  He would swim toward the opening in the tank hoping for a few more specks of food.  He loved me.  Or it was just a conditioned response to the hand that feeds.  I'd like to think it was a little of both.  People looked at me like I was crazy when I said I genuinely cared for that fish.  But he was a part of our family for over two years.  And another living being who needed care.

He was a birthday gift to Sullivan from us on his 4th birthday.  Sully was thrilled.  He loved having the responsibility and would talk to him daily.  It's funny how a pet - no matter how small - can get in your heart.  And he really did with the boys.  They would talk to him while brushing their teeth, tap on his tank before washing their hands and tell him goodnight before bed.  I even overheard them whisper "don't tell mom!" to the fish in a fit of giggles over who-knows-what, more than once.  

Oh the secrets that fish kept.

Taxi on the day he came home.  Before I splurged on a fancy filtered tank.  Don't fish live in fish bowls??

Sully meeting, and naming, Taxi for the first time...8/2015

I can't believe how much he looks like Fletcher in this picture!

We also threw parties for Taxi...

  Gathered around his tank we'd sing happy birthday on the arbitrary day we picked to be his special day.  That fish was never bored, if fish actually get bored.

So it was last month...  

It was time to change the tank water and I found him.  Grey and lifeless.

My heart sank, because the worst part was coming...telling the boys.

Max laughed nervously.  He immediately tried to play it cool.  

Announcing we could now get a new, better pet.  Even though I could see the devastation in his eyes.

  Fletcher didn't quite understand and accounted the whole business to Taxi being sleepy.

And then there was Sully.  My old soul who feels everything.  He burst into tears and truly mourned the life of his fish.  I resisted the temptation to cover his sadness with the promise of a new fish.  He had to make his way out of the tunnel and feel what he was feeling for his pet.  I let him be sad.  He cried himself to sleep more than one night.  He wanted to talk about where Taxi went and if he was happy and if he'd see him again one day.  He was thoughtful about whether Taxi would've wanted to be flushed or buried in our yard.  I was proud of his process.

Then, recently, Sully handed me this drawing.  He had stayed up silently drawing in his bed one night.  He said the last  image is of him ready to meet his new fish.

(Sully's description of his picture: It was a happy, sunny day when he met Taxi.  Then his heart was sad when Taxi died.  And now he is ready to go get a new fish with  momma.)

And soon, we'll go find Taxi 2.  

To be continued...