What is there to say about Mr. Wiggles? What words can do justice to the memory of a fish who meant so much to us all?
Yes, he was a Japanese Fighting Fish. But that didn’t define who he was. He was more. So much more. He was the betta and the omega.
He was a beautiful paradox – a fish bred for fighting, who loved nothing more than peaceful solitude.
To Molly, he was a teacher. He helped her learn lessons of empathy and responsibility as she grasped the importance of changing his water and scrubbing out his bowl frequently.
To Mcnugget, he was a friend. Side-by-side they swam in their separate bowls. (How does that old saying go, “Good fish bowls make for good neighbors”?) What wonderful conversations the two must have had on many a quiet afternoon? Mcnugget never judged Mr. Wiggles or lent any credence to the rumors of his violent reputation. And, for his part, Mr. Wiggles was never one to embrace the baser stereotypes of Mcnugget’s common goldfish heritage. And so the two became inseparable (well, unless you’d pick up one of their bowls and move it to a different room or something).
To Balloo and Felix, he was a worthy and noble adversary. For a lesser fish, the thought of two cats perpetually drinking the water out of your bowl in an attempt to get the water level down low enough that they might reach you could have been enough to induce a paralyzing fear. But Mr. Wiggles was made of sterner stuff. He never lashed back in frustration nor cowered in terror. He merely went about his business (such as it was).
To Claudia and Molly, he was a bridge. That wise old fish demonstrated the need for developing a step-sisterly sense of trust. Claudia learned how important the well being of that fish was to Molly and realized that it was up to her to carry that torch on the many days when Molly wasn’t around. And Molly learned to trust that Claudia had the best interests of good Mr. Wiggles at heart and that she wouldn’t let him go without food or let him sit in a bowl that got TOO terribly nasty.
To Josie, he was a redeemer, as he swam into our lives and helped fill the void left by Rainbow after the unfortunate BUT ACCIDENTAL leap of destiny a few years ago. That leap left Josie scarred and guilt-ridden. But bringing Mr. Wiggles into the home helped bring closure to those wounds.
And, in the end he was, yes, a fighter. Oh Mr. Wiggles, was that indeed a tumor on the side of your head, as Josie speculated? Or was it simply the distortion of shapes as your floating body rested on the surface of the water, day after day? There’s no way for us to know, because you were never one to complain. (Not like Jasmine.) No complaints from you. Just a quick, frantic scramble to the bottom of the bowl whenever any of us would poke you to check for signs of life.
Godspeed, Mr. Wiggles. Swim strong. Swim true. Swim free, as you twist and swirl your way into the vortex of the great beyond. And, while none of us may say with certainty what lies at the other end of that pipe, I, for one, pray that it’s a whole school of kindred spirits for you. A happy band of Japanese Loving Fish.
okay you see Rainbow is an example as to why i don't clean the fish tank, he leaped down the sink drain, I didn't kill him.
Posted by: josie | 05/17/2010 at 09:30 PM