Very often than not, I find myself busy in another time period. Digging old memories and finding a strange comfort out of it. I am not sure if this is a result of a tedious MBA semester or just a prolonged brooding phase, that I don't seem to be getting over. Most of this comfort I seek has been from times I had my mini pets with me. I have whiled for hours with them. Hours and hours.
My first pair of Guppies (fish), Mr Bubbles and Mr Nibbles and our first fish bowl. It felt like having babies. Feeding them and cleaning them regularly. Making sure the water was always clear and never forgetting to give them a snack. Mom would scorn if I didn't say hi to them after getting home from college. I loved Mr Bubbles and Mr Nibbles. Bubbles had blue grey fins and Nibbles had orange grey fins. I used to spend hours looking into the bowl watching them swim around and do their fishy jobs. Its an odd comfort, but comfort nevertheless.
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Unfortunately, one sad evening I found Mr Bubbles struggling at the bottom of the bowl. Panting profusely. It was a tearful adieu. I called everyone I knew and cried my heart out. It was horrible to see a little soul struggle. I assume Nibbles with his fishy brains may have forgotten Bubbles, seconds after I cleaned the bowl. Or he probably cried. There is no way I'd find out.
Soon after, seeing how sad Mr Nibbles and I were, my mum took pity and let me get company for Mr Nibbles. And that is how another Guppie was added to the family. Slightly larger than the first ones. He had an orange tail and looked like Mr Nibbles's mom (hehe). It was cute seeing them interact soon after I popped him in. I thought out loud, 'Ma, what do I name him?' 'Him?' she said. 'Yea Him.' 'No, Him' she said again. And that is how we named him, Him. That didn't last long though. Him apparently a bullied Mr Nibbles to his sad death. I remember I was alone at home and SO grief stricken. I called my parents who were traveling and let my tear gates open. Dad, passed the phone to Mum with a 'oh!' and Ma gave me my first lesson on 'life and how short it is'. Him too, didn't live much longer. And needless to mention, my tears knew no bounds. Only after that did, And, my animal encyclopedia tell me..Guppies don't live long. I miss Mr Bubbles, Mr Nibbles and Him.
Perhaps a year or so after, on my 20th Birthday, And gifted me a beauty of a fish. To call it beautiful would be insulting as they are known as fighter fish. They are kept single in a bowl, BIG bowl. Broody magnificient characters. It was ink blue, with a deep tinge of royal purple. Magnificient because of their fins. Equivalent of wings, large flappy fins. Betta fish spread their fins out only in times of rage and during a fight. Or probably sometimes when they are happy and want to fool their viewers (hehe). And named him Aussie and at home we called him Noah. Noah ate a lot, large appetite and very quite. Often I would find Ma and Po tapping the bowl to irritate him, so they could see him beautiful fins spread out. This click is from one of those times,
Noah, my deep dark little brooder. He lived long, not tooo long for me to say, he's still here. Fish don't live long and I have come to peace with that. I miss my mini aquatic loves. Someday, when I have my own brood, I am going to make sure they grow up loving animals and knowing their importance.
The last one on my list of pets is the cherry on the cake. Slowly. The lesser I write about him, the better. I have had the most memorable times with this turtle. I have spent hours running around him in the house, hours worrying over why he wasn't eating properly, clinging onto him when he got his vaccinations, feeling bad for him when I had to administer eye drops when he caught an eye infection,crazy study breaks when I would take him out of the tub and play with him on the bed. Quick as a flash, he is anything but slow. I have had the most fun with this little four legged, shell bearing creature.
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| My silent comfort |
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| The night we bought him |
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| First night at home |
Slowlums! I had to give him up to a friend who had a larger space to keep him comfortably. He got larger and he's a big grown turtle now. Not one that would fit in my palms or one that I can run behind anymore.
I miss his bratty tail and his antics when I fed him an extra share of dry worm cubes.
They make a small special place and they stay forever.
