Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Unwanted Oscar


Oscars were popular when I worked at the tropical fish shop. They're cute, pugnacious, and intelligent. They have personality. Some even like to be petted. They have one serious drawback: they grew very large. Inch long youngsters become ten inch* bruisers. Unless your tank holds more water than your tub, you've got a problem. Owners sometimes returned the big guys in exchange for smaller fish.
This had its problems. While magnificent to look at, they cost more to feed, took up a lot of room, and were harder to sell.
Still, I didn't expect it to lead to the callous treatment one Oscar got.
He was almost a foot long. A scar over his eye resembled a disease called hole-in-the-head**. As you probably guessed, the super-sized, diseased-looking fish wasn't selling.
One day I took out the trash. Something in the dumpster moved. It was the foot-long! Someone had thrown him in the trash, alive! I couldn't believe anyone could be so mean. He lay gasping amongst the trash, in the hot sun.
I ran in, got the biggest, longest net, went to the rescue. I almost toppled into the dumpster to get him out. I splashed him back into his tank. He seemed okay.
"Someone put the big Oscar in the trash," I told my boss. He seemed surprised.
Was he? Or was he in on the plot?
A few days later, the fish was gone. Was he re-dumpestered when I wasn't there to save him? Released in a local pond? Or did he actually find a good home?

*Wild ones can be over a foot long.
**Really, that's the name of the disease.

8 comments:

  1. I can't stand to hear stories like this. THAT ILLUSTRATION IS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL.

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  2. Nice work rescuing that Oscar!

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  3. Anonymous7:50 AM

    Yes, this illustration is fabulous!!! You are so good at this!

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  4. Thanks, Linda. Sorry about the disturbing aspect. In retrospect it seems ironic- the shelves were stocked with food, filters, medicine, and everything you could buy to make a fish happy and healthy. Meanwhile backstage one nearly gets whacked, Mafia style.

    Thanks, Walter World. I still wonder if the boss (a rather kindly fellow) was glad I or annoyed that I saved the Oscar.

    Thanks, Stray. I'm flattered that you pro artists like my stuff.

    Thanks, Sally!

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  5. Anonymous7:15 AM

    Funny you posted this right before the Oscars: was that intentional?

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  6. Good question, Stray.
    I didn't consciously do this, but it wouldn't surprise me if it somehow influenced my choice of what to post about. I had the Oscar been another "big galoot" fish- a Red Devil, a Pacu or a Green Terror, would the incident have crossed my mind this weekend?

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  7. some people just have no heart.....ice water running through their veins, its blasphemy!

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  8. I agree, Franco.
    I can reluctantly understand that the shop is a business and profit is an objective...
    ...but what kind of person throws a live fish in a dumpster like he's a piece of garbage? It's disturbing.

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I dislike typing the quasi-legible words too, but without them it's Spam City, Sorry!