Bye-Bye Goldie

I only realized that our sole-surviving goldfish was dead this morning.

Goldie was one of the two, out of 20 odd Comet Goldfish, that survived not ending-up as fish-food. It was rescued by my son when he kept buying an oxygen-inflated plastic pack of about 20 odd baby goldfish for a S$1.00.

He kept buying them out of pity, after learning from the pet owner that the packets of fishes stacked outside the shop were meant as food for bigger fishes like the Arowana.

Of lower standard breeding, these fishes were not meant to last long enough, but alive enough to give the bigger fishes sport-hunting exercise before being eaten. Sad fate. That's life.

He bought packets after packets on different days after his weekend morning religious class at Tampines Street 82 neighbourhood aquarium shop. The money he was given for his Seven-Eleven Slurpee was used to rescue these unfortunate souls.

This boy has compassion. I love him for that.

I have explained to him the way things are, and left it to him to think about it. He finally let it be and stopped bringing back after the umpteenth packet as the baby fish could not survive beyond a month or so.

The rest died in a matter of a few days, but Goldie and Goldtron were strong enough to survive for more than a year in our aquarium.

Goldtron died when our aquarium filter pump died on us at night. By the time I realized it in the morning, all 4 Silver Dollars and Goldtron were dead. Except Goldie and 3 Sword-tailed Mollies.

They were saved and placed in another tank at the top, but at the expense of our Tetras and the landscaped aquatic plants. Goldie must have gobbled them up like sushi. Sigh.

Anyway, Goldie has left for a better place in Fish Heaven; not known if it had lived its full lifespan here on earth, like the 3 Sword-tailed Mollies... but Goldie and Goldtron... both have given us much needed tranquility just by looking at their antics for hours on end.

I have to tell my son about its death. He is sleeping over at his cousin's place until Saturday where they will go to watch Bob The Builder cartoon character coming to Singapore this school holiday.

Dilemma... do you flush it down the toilet, wrap it with paper and put in the rubbish bin or bury it under the tree just like our hamsters? Let Wifey decide tonight.

Now the tank is empty, desolate except for the bubbles. I guess it is ready for new occupants and to be landscaped again as beautiful and as serene as my son's and my imagination, and yes, as much of my money can be spent.

Life goes on. Bye-bye Goldie, Goldtron & The Silver Quartet.