Donuts

Donut #1

Donut #2

Beta fish are great pets. They are quiet, create little mess, and are fun to watch. That's why Jeremy and I were very sad when Travis's pet fish Donut died. Travis had been wanting a pet for quite some time. We told him any animal he could catch outside, he could keep as a pet. He chased squirrels, rabbits, and birds to no avail. Soon, he learned he could catch lizards and frogs. After numerous little critters made their way into our home, we finally broke down and bought him the easiest pet we could think of...a beta fish. No filters. No chemicals. Just water in a bowl and occassional flakes of food.

Travis thought it was great. He carried his fish home and named him Donut. Why? Because he likes donuts, of course. The first few days, we taught Travis that fish needed water to survive. Many times I caught him holding his fish gently in the palm of one hand while stroking it with the other saying things like, "It's okay Donut. It's me Travis. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna pet you." Travis's love for his fish caused part of his tail to fall off.

All was well for a while until I cleaned its bowl. Who knew beta fish needed distilled water? The next day he was belly up. I quickly put the bowl on top of the refrigerator so the boys couldn't see. I called Jeremy at work and asked him to buy another fish to replace the one I had killed. "Make sure it's a blue one with a little red," I told him. That night Jeremy came home and we made the exchange. I looked closer at the fish swimming in the bowl. "Jeremy! It's red! The boys will know it's a different fish."

I did my best to disguise the loss of Donut #1. One morning Tyler said, "Mom, why is Donut red?" Uh-oh! "What?!" I asked shocked. "Oh, he must have changed colors." Satisfied, he left it at that. Next Travis approached the fish bowl. Surely the boy who held his little friend would know the difference. "Mom! Look!" I waited. "Donut's tail is growing back!" "I guess it is," I lied. We kept that fish for a number of months. This leads me to yesterday.

On Sunday Jeremy cleaned the fish bowl and filled it up to the rim. As I left for work yesterday morning I noticed him swimming happily around the edge. When I got home I spotted an unfamiliar object on my kitchen counter. At first I thought it was a roach. Then, a dried up leaf. Neither. It was Donut #2 all dried up on the counter. With the water so high, he must have jumped out. I buried him in a napkin and threw him in the trash.

Tomorrow I shall buy Donut #3.