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...our regularly scheduled programming!

(Back to Arizona in just a bit.)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

So, we have a new addition to our little family!

No, not this adorable little guy...

...though Ayize enjoyed watching him and all the other mice playing together. But let me back up just a bit.

This morning, we ventured to Petco. Ick, I know. Haven't set foot in a pet store in years since we specially order Weeman's dog food through the animal shelter and we get Turkey's fruit and veggie bird seed at a fancy suburban grocery. But since Turkey is off her feed, and only eating millet now since being boarded (my little brat of a bird!), I had no choice.

Off we went for more millet, but Ayize was immediately sidetracked by the mice and rats. Finally, his attention wandered to a huge tank of feeder fish.

I was hunting for the bird stuff when I heard him begin to shout, "Mama! Feesh! Uh oh!" over and over in a somewhat-distressed voice. When I tried to move him away to distract him, he dropped to the floor and refused to budge, almost in tears, still repeating himself. I asked him to "use his words" (I know he's starting to hate that phrase these days LOL) and he actually complied, or anyway, at least got to his feet and pointed again.

This time, I finally saw what he was indicating -- in the far corner of the tank was a powerful filter that kept sucking in a tiny goldfish. The little guy was a damn fighter though -- he got himself free, with much effort, as I watched, and the cruel cycle started again. Ayize gestured wildly and, to the best of my knowledge, he was clearly indicating that single suffering fish.

I was absolutely stymied. I know Ayize cares deeply for animals but this was beyond anything I would expect at his age. I was simultaneously distressed at the little guy's plight and delighted at my son's deep sense of empathy. But -- no time to reflect -- I hollered for an attendant and started babbling to her about how a fish was injured.

She pretty patiently stood and waited while I watched for his reappearance (it took a minute or two) and then, suddenly, he had struggled free and was again being cycled about for the next suction. She scooped, caught him...and made a move to dump him into an empty plastic container, much to my horror!

Of course, in her defense, I suppose it's understandable to some extent -- I guess she just misinterpreted my concern at disgust for this dying fish among the other fish? Or something?? At any rate, I kind of rudely interjected with "What are you doing?!" and then followed that up, surprising myself, with a, "Don't do that! We want him!"

Before the words were even fully out of my mouth, I was wondering why the hell I'd said them. We certainly don't have the financial means at the moment to spend a bunch of stuff on a fish, and I don't even have basic starter equipment at home, so I would have to buy everything from scratch. And yet, even as I wondered incredulously at my own words, I knew they were right. I said, more firmly, "We want him."

"This fish is half-dead, let me give you another."

"NO! No no no no, no thank you, THIS is the one we want, thank you very much."

She smiled (though I think on the inside she was muttering, Okay ya crazy bee-yatch) and then she scooped some water into a bag and dropped him in.

Now tell me, can YOU, as an adult, find the injured goldfish in all this mess?? And this is only part of the tank.

So I learned today, with some trepidation (and yet also much joy), that my son has inherited The Yamada Beacon! The invisible one that flashes every five seconds, seen only by injured animals who rove within a five-mile radius of us, that rats us out as a family of BLEEDING HEARTS!

Got home laden with the fish and all his many accoutrements, some of which are pictured here: tank water (I would normally make my own but there was no time); fancy goldfish food; air pump; filter and cartridges; his new home sweet home (complete with a 15-dollar castle because I was convinced he would need a little refuge to feel safe); Lifeguard medication and gravel. Wowzas!

I was surprised the little guy even made it out of the store alive -- the same woman who fished him out of the tank checked us out at the register, and when she dropped the box with the tank into the cart, she was careless and all but clocked the poor guy on the noggin because she had left him in the bag on the bottom of the cart during checkout. Hel-LO-OHH! I was furious! She was super apologetic though, and kept telling me nervously, "He's okay!"

Okay, maybe he still IS okay, but has probably now sustained brain damage to boot. In addition to all the suffering he had already endured at the hands of that damn frenzied filter!

Anyway, got him set up and in he went. I was thrilled that we had made it this far at least. He seemed a little overwhelmed, but also interested, in his new surroundings. And the little guy was STARVING -- he went to town on his food!

After a few nibbles, he rested, exhausted, head in the gravel.

I got a closer look at him. Oh my goodness! He was absolutely emaciated, with a bunch of missing scales, a ripped-off tail, very little fins of any use left...and a possible swim bladder issue, as he was constantly floating up to the top of the tank. And of course, swimming with amost zero fins was a struggle.

And yet, he seemed quite perky in his new environs, sussing out his wee castle, hunting about for food, lurking behind his plastic plants. I dubbed him "Salvage" given his circumstances. Mom and Dad thought this sounded a little harsh, so we settled on "Salvio" as a nickname. Sounds classy, a little Italian ring to it. And reminiscent of the word "Salvation", as Ayize was (hopefully, should he survive) his.

Fish stuff: 81 dollars.

Fish: 13 cents.

Ayize's amazing empathy: priceless.

He woke up from his nap happily and half-asleep muttering, "Feesh, feesh," on the monitor and my heart was filled with joy. I truly believe that this little guy was meant to join our tribe. The only thing I don't know is for how long.

Hang in there, little Salvio, stay strong! We love you already and we hope you'll stick around and spend a good, long time with us, sweetheart!!