Captain_Kuchiki
12-07-2010, 12:32 AM
Matthew was only six years old, but he knew that he loved his little goldfish, the beautiful sea animal that drifted around in its tank in his room. He had never named it because he couldn't think of a good name, so he was just satisfied with calling it his fish, nothing more. One hot summer afternoon he was in his quiet room, nose pressed to the glass as the goldfish lazily swam this way and that in the cool water of its tank, its beady eyes watching everywhere.
Then, Matthew backed away from the tank and looked out of his room to see his mother come into the house from the backyard, still with her gardening gloves on. She was sweating a lot.
"Oh! Matthew, don't go outside today. It's way too hot," she warned him, tired from the heat wave that was striking the area. After getting a glass of water from the kitchen, the stripped off her gloves and joined her son in his room, and he led her to the fish tank.
"Still watching him swim around, huh?" Matt's mom asked with a small smile, watching him observe his little pet.
Matthew nodded, pressing his nose against the glass again. "Yeah. But I'm jealous of my old fish."
"Why is that? He never gets the chance to learn good things in school, or have fun exploring, or..."
"He's nice and cool all the time," Matthew told her, resenting the fish's constant bliss. "Unlike you and daddy. The garden's all dry and you're out in the heat making the plants feel better, and daddy is out delivering mail in the heat. We haven't had rain in a long time."
"Well, that's true..." his mom said thoughtfully, aware of her son's agitation. Then an idea came to her. She clasped Matt's shoulders. "Sweetie, your fish seems to know how to master water. Why don't you ask him to bring the rains so mommy and daddy are cooler? Go on, try it."
Matthew thought this was a great idea. He addressed the fish directly, hoping it could hear him through the glass. "Goldfish, give mommy and daddy all the comfort and coolness that you have, okay? Make it a gift from you to them." The fish didn't say or do anything in particular, but Matthew was sure that it was listening.
*o*o*o*o*
Four days later, during the morning, the rains came at last. Dark thunderheads had assembled overhead, and refreshing rains had cascaded over the neighborhood. The garden flowers were growing green again, and Matt's dad relished the break from the relentless dry heat. Matthew had slept in, and when he heard the drumming of the rain outside he was overjoyed. He hurried over to his goldfish to thank it, but stopped in his tracks.
The fish was floating at the top of the water with its belly up.
"Mommy! MOMMY!" Matthew cried out, starting to sob. His mom rushed into the room, alarmed. Matthew pointed at the dead goldfish. "H-he's dead, mommy. It's all my fault."
"Your fault? But why?" his mom asked soothingly, kneeling to comfort him.
"I-I asked my fish to give us all his cool water, but he died because of it! Because I asked him! I..."
His mom knew that the fish was old, and was bound to die soon. She felt bad about tricking her son this way, but something occured to her.
"Matt, dear, don't cry. He was a very special fish with great powers. He wanted to give us the cool water even though he couldn't live. He loved us very much, and wanted you to be thankful for the rain. Will you thank him?"
Matt had not thought of it this way, and now he was very grateful for the fish's selfless act. As the merciful rains poured outside and the thunder rumbled, Matt tapped the tank glass, giving his last message to the fish. "Thank you so much, goldfish. I never gave you a fancy tank, and um... I never even gave you a name, but you gave mommy and daddy and I rain to drive away the heat. Please swim in all the cold water you can in fish heaven."
The goldfish didn't move, but Matthew was sure that its spirit could hear him as it went up to the fish heaven, probably a big ocean. Matt's mom led him out of his room and to the kitchen for a late breakfast while the rain still poured.
Then, Matthew backed away from the tank and looked out of his room to see his mother come into the house from the backyard, still with her gardening gloves on. She was sweating a lot.
"Oh! Matthew, don't go outside today. It's way too hot," she warned him, tired from the heat wave that was striking the area. After getting a glass of water from the kitchen, the stripped off her gloves and joined her son in his room, and he led her to the fish tank.
"Still watching him swim around, huh?" Matt's mom asked with a small smile, watching him observe his little pet.
Matthew nodded, pressing his nose against the glass again. "Yeah. But I'm jealous of my old fish."
"Why is that? He never gets the chance to learn good things in school, or have fun exploring, or..."
"He's nice and cool all the time," Matthew told her, resenting the fish's constant bliss. "Unlike you and daddy. The garden's all dry and you're out in the heat making the plants feel better, and daddy is out delivering mail in the heat. We haven't had rain in a long time."
"Well, that's true..." his mom said thoughtfully, aware of her son's agitation. Then an idea came to her. She clasped Matt's shoulders. "Sweetie, your fish seems to know how to master water. Why don't you ask him to bring the rains so mommy and daddy are cooler? Go on, try it."
Matthew thought this was a great idea. He addressed the fish directly, hoping it could hear him through the glass. "Goldfish, give mommy and daddy all the comfort and coolness that you have, okay? Make it a gift from you to them." The fish didn't say or do anything in particular, but Matthew was sure that it was listening.
*o*o*o*o*
Four days later, during the morning, the rains came at last. Dark thunderheads had assembled overhead, and refreshing rains had cascaded over the neighborhood. The garden flowers were growing green again, and Matt's dad relished the break from the relentless dry heat. Matthew had slept in, and when he heard the drumming of the rain outside he was overjoyed. He hurried over to his goldfish to thank it, but stopped in his tracks.
The fish was floating at the top of the water with its belly up.
"Mommy! MOMMY!" Matthew cried out, starting to sob. His mom rushed into the room, alarmed. Matthew pointed at the dead goldfish. "H-he's dead, mommy. It's all my fault."
"Your fault? But why?" his mom asked soothingly, kneeling to comfort him.
"I-I asked my fish to give us all his cool water, but he died because of it! Because I asked him! I..."
His mom knew that the fish was old, and was bound to die soon. She felt bad about tricking her son this way, but something occured to her.
"Matt, dear, don't cry. He was a very special fish with great powers. He wanted to give us the cool water even though he couldn't live. He loved us very much, and wanted you to be thankful for the rain. Will you thank him?"
Matt had not thought of it this way, and now he was very grateful for the fish's selfless act. As the merciful rains poured outside and the thunder rumbled, Matt tapped the tank glass, giving his last message to the fish. "Thank you so much, goldfish. I never gave you a fancy tank, and um... I never even gave you a name, but you gave mommy and daddy and I rain to drive away the heat. Please swim in all the cold water you can in fish heaven."
The goldfish didn't move, but Matthew was sure that its spirit could hear him as it went up to the fish heaven, probably a big ocean. Matt's mom led him out of his room and to the kitchen for a late breakfast while the rain still poured.