The Other Member of our Family.

As all of the other members of our family have been on the blog I thought it high time I introduced you to Kieran's Fish. This lesser known member of our family is so much lesser known that I don't even know his name!

Kieran got fish when he was about 4 years old. We had set the tank up in his room while he slept on the eve of his birthday and festooned the tank with ribbons and cellophane. It sat in pride of place on his desk right opposite his bed.

He slept in that day.

What normal child sleeps in on their birthday?? It's like waking up on Christmas Morning looking at your stuffed stocking and then rolling over to catch another hours kip.

In the end we had to open his bedroom door and cough extremely loudly as all the thumping and loud talking we had been doing in the hallway didn't work.

Poor kid was disoriented and still half asleep as he stumbled out to the lounge. He opened his presents and then we suggested there might be another in his room. He went in the room he looked ALL around- on shelves, the bed, under the bed, behind the door he looked for a LONG time and finally when he had all but given up he saw what had been right in front of his face an empty and rather conspicuous fish tank. Later that day we went and he chose his fish which he named Toady and and Dorndy.

In the years since he has a succession of minnows and goldfish- my favourites were Sherbert and Fizz. Some lasting longer than others and some lasting not long at all.

At one point we had to segregate one particularly fierce fellow from the others and they lived along side each other separted by a perspex wall which must have been especially confusing to their tiny fish memories... bonk..."Oi what the heck is that doing there?" .... seconds pass.... bonk..."Oi what the heck is that doing there?"

I do remember one death it took a while to pass and when it finally did we though Kieran would be heart broken. When the fish finally shuffled off I believe Les sat Kieran down and told him what had happened at the traditional bruial rituals for pet fish. Assured him we could get another fish and so forth.

We had the ceremony and the cistern hadn't finished refilling before Kieran was all "Righty-ho! Can we go to the pet shop NOW!?."

Earlier this year when Goldie passed away we departed from the 'traditional service and went with a garden burial (The Feijoa is looking quite well fertilised this year). At his passing we were left with one in the tank so with no further ado I introduce... the fish.

♥