Episode 4:
It was a bottle of mineral water and a plastic tumbler. He drove a little further. It was close to midnight and the streets were nearly empty. He took a turn and entered a nearly deserted lane. After about a mile or so, he stopped. He opened the bottle of water, filled the tumbler and placed it on the carpet in front of the passenger’s seat. Then he lifted the bottle of Vodka. Angel could hear the cap being unscrewed. She looked up. Finally, the cap came off. He peered inside. Angel smelt a mild perfume. He covered the opening of the bottle with his hand and gently inverted it. Angel swam through the narrow neck and made her way to the opening. She rubbed a fin against his hand. The moment he felt it, he lifted his hand slightly and allowed the Vodka to flow out. Angel fell out into his palm along with it. He quickly threw the bottle aside, lifted the tumbler and released Angel into it. Angel felt as if she was in a new world!! Water at last. She breathed deeply, did a little somersault from the tumbler and dived back in. She looked up. He was smiling. She then heard the engine start. He drove home slowly and carefully to avoid the tumbler from falling over.
Once home, he lifted it and brought her inside. It was close to 1 am. His house was quiet. They were greeted by an old servant. He asked the servant to fill a glass bowl with fresh water. A few seconds later, Angel found herself in a bigger, better glass home with fresh water.
‘Third home in a single day….”she thought.
The visitor then carried the bowl upstairs to his room and placed it on what seemed to Angel like the side-table of a bed. She looked around. The room was colossal and exquisite. Diffused lighting, elegant furniture and shelves full of books.
He disappeared into the washroom. After a while, he came out and sat on his bed – right beside the table. He looked at Angel.
“You poor thing. I hope you feel better now….I’ll take you to a vet tomorrow first thing in the morning….don’t you worry,” he said and tapped the bowl gently. Angel smiled. Then she realized that he wouldn’t be able to recognize a ‘fish smile’.
He turned off the lights and Angel wondered what the next day would be like.
The next morning, his alarm went off at 6 am. Angel woke up. He woke up too and disappeared into the wash for half an hour. He came outside and then headed downstairs. A few minutes later, he came back accompanied by a white haired man with an exquisite moustache, probably somewhere in his sixties. Angel assumed he was his father.
“Dad….I got a fish.”
“I can see that. When did you buy it? Yesterday?”
“I didn’t buy it,” he said. He then explained the story to his dad who listened with a puzzled expression. At the end of the conversation, Angel heard him say, “How am I to believe your ridiculous story? Nobody would keep a fish in a bottle of Vodka…”
“I’ll give you proof….” said the young man. He picked up the Vodka bottle from his table and gave it to his dad.
“Open it and smell it,” he suggested.
His father opened the bottle and was taken aback by the fish-odour that emanated from it. He pushed the bottle away from his nose.
“Okay….I believe you now,” he said.
“Dad….the man is weird. He kept this fish in a bottle of Vodka and when I asked him about it, he didn’t seem to feel guilty or sorry about it. It was as if he was indifferent. I think it’s very abnormal….we need a further background check on that man before we do any business with him. Who knows, he might have other peculiarities…..and though this bottled fish has nothing to do with our business proposal, it reflects a lack of sensitivity towards life and towards other living beings in general. It’s actually CRUEL. And business with self-obsessed people doesn’t exactly sound like a good idea to me. I might be wrong, but if we have the options, I’d prefer dealing with a supplier who’s slightly more…..normal.”
“Give me a few days son,” his father said. “This does sound weird to me too. It’s actually quite sadistic. Getting some information about him shouldn’t take me too long. Meanwhile let’s keep things on hold.”
“Okay, dad.”
“Join me for breakfast?”
“In 10 minutes…”
His father proceeded towards the door. He stopped suddenly and turned back.
“Son…you might want to take the fish to Elina….she’s been living in alcohol for the past so many weeks…. I feel weird saying this… … but she needs a doctor…..doesn’t matter if she’s a fish.”
“I’ll do that dad….In fact, I’ll give her a ring right now. She might be able to drop in on her way to the clinic.”
Angel was taken aback by how fast things were going. Her new owner was actually going to call a veterinarian home to get her examined! She wanted to thank him, but that would take some time…..
It was a bottle of mineral water and a plastic tumbler. He drove a little further. It was close to midnight and the streets were nearly empty. He took a turn and entered a nearly deserted lane. After about a mile or so, he stopped. He opened the bottle of water, filled the tumbler and placed it on the carpet in front of the passenger’s seat. Then he lifted the bottle of Vodka. Angel could hear the cap being unscrewed. She looked up. Finally, the cap came off. He peered inside. Angel smelt a mild perfume. He covered the opening of the bottle with his hand and gently inverted it. Angel swam through the narrow neck and made her way to the opening. She rubbed a fin against his hand. The moment he felt it, he lifted his hand slightly and allowed the Vodka to flow out. Angel fell out into his palm along with it. He quickly threw the bottle aside, lifted the tumbler and released Angel into it. Angel felt as if she was in a new world!! Water at last. She breathed deeply, did a little somersault from the tumbler and dived back in. She looked up. He was smiling. She then heard the engine start. He drove home slowly and carefully to avoid the tumbler from falling over.
Once home, he lifted it and brought her inside. It was close to 1 am. His house was quiet. They were greeted by an old servant. He asked the servant to fill a glass bowl with fresh water. A few seconds later, Angel found herself in a bigger, better glass home with fresh water.
‘Third home in a single day….”she thought.
The visitor then carried the bowl upstairs to his room and placed it on what seemed to Angel like the side-table of a bed. She looked around. The room was colossal and exquisite. Diffused lighting, elegant furniture and shelves full of books.
He disappeared into the washroom. After a while, he came out and sat on his bed – right beside the table. He looked at Angel.
“You poor thing. I hope you feel better now….I’ll take you to a vet tomorrow first thing in the morning….don’t you worry,” he said and tapped the bowl gently. Angel smiled. Then she realized that he wouldn’t be able to recognize a ‘fish smile’.
He turned off the lights and Angel wondered what the next day would be like.
The next morning, his alarm went off at 6 am. Angel woke up. He woke up too and disappeared into the wash for half an hour. He came outside and then headed downstairs. A few minutes later, he came back accompanied by a white haired man with an exquisite moustache, probably somewhere in his sixties. Angel assumed he was his father.
“Dad….I got a fish.”
“I can see that. When did you buy it? Yesterday?”
“I didn’t buy it,” he said. He then explained the story to his dad who listened with a puzzled expression. At the end of the conversation, Angel heard him say, “How am I to believe your ridiculous story? Nobody would keep a fish in a bottle of Vodka…”
“I’ll give you proof….” said the young man. He picked up the Vodka bottle from his table and gave it to his dad.
“Open it and smell it,” he suggested.
His father opened the bottle and was taken aback by the fish-odour that emanated from it. He pushed the bottle away from his nose.
“Okay….I believe you now,” he said.
“Dad….the man is weird. He kept this fish in a bottle of Vodka and when I asked him about it, he didn’t seem to feel guilty or sorry about it. It was as if he was indifferent. I think it’s very abnormal….we need a further background check on that man before we do any business with him. Who knows, he might have other peculiarities…..and though this bottled fish has nothing to do with our business proposal, it reflects a lack of sensitivity towards life and towards other living beings in general. It’s actually CRUEL. And business with self-obsessed people doesn’t exactly sound like a good idea to me. I might be wrong, but if we have the options, I’d prefer dealing with a supplier who’s slightly more…..normal.”
“Give me a few days son,” his father said. “This does sound weird to me too. It’s actually quite sadistic. Getting some information about him shouldn’t take me too long. Meanwhile let’s keep things on hold.”
“Okay, dad.”
“Join me for breakfast?”
“In 10 minutes…”
His father proceeded towards the door. He stopped suddenly and turned back.
“Son…you might want to take the fish to Elina….she’s been living in alcohol for the past so many weeks…. I feel weird saying this… … but she needs a doctor…..doesn’t matter if she’s a fish.”
“I’ll do that dad….In fact, I’ll give her a ring right now. She might be able to drop in on her way to the clinic.”
Angel was taken aback by how fast things were going. Her new owner was actually going to call a veterinarian home to get her examined! She wanted to thank him, but that would take some time…..
2 comments:
"it reflects a lack of sensitivity towards life and towards other living beings in general" - it seems you are referring someone!
I am referring to a lot of someones here.
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