HEY MA? RICHARD DON’T LOOK SO GOOD!

Poor Richard, we knew him just a short while. He was faithful and true, and although he never acknowledged us calling him, he was always there when we looked for him, then one sad day, Richard died. Richard was a pet, a pet that never begged at the table, never jumped on the furniture, and never ever made any noise. and never slept on the bed. Wow, what a pet he was. He couldn’t do any tricks, and he never was in the way. Richard you see was a gold fish. You must wonder how Richard got his name, and I will tell you. He was named after a commercial photographer who used to come to my house every morning to deliver the day be fore’s shoot for my company. My son Michael who was about 6 years old at the time would greet Richard at the door and let him in. Richard the photographer was a bit pompous, and even named his house. (Driftwood) The name was apt if you considered who was living there.

My little son one day decided he needed to have a pet. Having grown up with four sisters, I knew what a pain pets could be. My immediate reaction was to say no, then considered it a few moments more and said no. I put my foot down before we got any pet. My wife however thought otherwise and getting a pet had to be a compromise, so I lifted my foot and followed the little woman to the pet store where we purchase a gold fish.

Well Richard swam around a little bit, and I gave Michael the standard lecture about the responsibility of owning a pet, how he would have to clean the water, feed it and walk it. He understood everything and promised if I weren’t busy doing those things, he would get his Mother right on it.

One day the unthinkable happened (it was the third day of owning Richard), he was doing the sidestroke sort of on the surface of the bowl. The Little Woman in a panic calls me at my office and tells me the bad news. I told her I would call her back so I could gather myself composure and weep silently by myself. I called back and told her to go buy another fish. She thought it was a truly remarkable idea, and praised me for it.

Well Michael came home from school to a black fish, and wanted to know what happened to Richard. We told him that Richard grew up! That’s what happens to gold fish, as they get older.

Three days later, my wife called in another panic, “Richard the II is dead!” said she, “Put a bunch of Books in front of the bowl so he doesn’t see it” says me. But wait, Michael discovers Richard floating on the top of the bowl, “Hey Ma, Richard don’t look so good!” “SHUSH, he’s sleeping” This was a Friday. On Saturday we told Michael that we were getting a dog!

Michael forgot all about Richard.

This is the end of a very sad fish story.