…who was a magnificent black and silver angelfish. Gabriel was found deceased today, following his (her?) mate Michael. So a fish died, flush it and move on - but Gabriel and Michael were special. They were 5 years old, their bodies were as big as the palm of my hand and their fins like black lace, long as my fingers. They laid batches and batches of eggs, and one time we raised the hatchlings to the size of dimes. But they didn’t make it. I scooped Gabriel out of the water and looked at her. She had red eyes, filming over, but she was still beautiful and shining. I understand you can’t get angelfish like her any more, the guys at the pet store say a virus killed off the angelfish down where they raise them in cement ponds in Florida, and the only ones available are little homegrown ones. So I’m keeping my eye out. I buried her under the birdbath out back, because she was too big to flush, and it didn’t seem right to just throw her in the garbage. There are other fish in the tank, but Gabriel is truly missed.
:: dons her black veil and lays a dark red rose at the base of the birdbath ::
good-bye Gabriel
I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature!
I’m sorry that Gabriel died, salingmind. He truly sounds like one of a kind.
Judy