Spencer Carlos Donatello

Greetings,

Spencer Carlos Donatello died today. It was a very sad day for our entire family. I've known for a while that he was sick. It was very clear to me that his fins were rotting off and his water was looking quite disgusting. Last night Autumn and I decided that we should clean out his bowl to try and make him a little bit happier in his final days. So we got the bowl all cleaned out and lovely looking again and went to put him back into his little fishy sanctuary.

This is where is all went down hill. We scooped him out of the temporary bowl, and as soon as we did that he started flopping around....onto the floor. Of course Macie had to be standing right there and went INSANE. I some how managed to hold her back but as soon as SCD got a glimpse of The Moose, he stopped flopping. So panicking, I picked him up, fearing the worst. The shock of being out of water and nearly attacked my a giant land creature would surly send any fish into cardiac arrest. "NO! MOVE SPENCE MOVE!" we shouted, and to our surprise - he did! "SCD LIVES!" we chanted. I immediately threw him back into his newly cleaned and remodeled home. Not breathing sucks, even for a fish.

So there he was, back home, swimming, breathing. Alive.

At this point we think it's okay to go to sleep, rest peacefully, and wake up. We were right, mostly. Autumn wakes up - goes to feed her beloved SCD only to find him floating upside down. Glassy eyed and paler than Edward Cullen. So she runs downstairs and wakes me up to let me know that our year long friend has moved on to that ocean in the sky.

She walks back up the stairs, I lay in bed. "SHIT!" I think. *FACEPALM* It hits me. In my excitement to get the resurrected SCD back into his bowl after I was sure that he was dead for 15 seconds, I didn't temperature adjust him. I just flopped his little fishy ass right back into his bowl. I killed SCD, he passed on from this world because of fishy hypothermia, and not at all of his fin rotting ailment.

Of course, I didn't let Autumn know this. I calmly walked up the stairs saying a little prayer and sat next to his bowl. I stared at him, seeing. He stared at me, not seeing. It was all my fault.

Somehow through my guilt I managed to explain to Autumn that the fin rot must have finally gotten him. I think she took it well. After our talk I get up, grab the same kitchen ladle that we use to scoop our soup, and removed SCD from his bowl. Autumn and I then walked him to the bathroom, dripping dead fish water everywhere, and placed him gently into the Throne. Then we watched him float away. He was king of his bowl in life, and he is king of this bowl in death.

Never again will we get to see Macie with her wet doggy nose pressed up against his wet fishy bowl - playing. Never again will I find myself Googling a beta fish's memory span because I'm certain that he knows I'm the one who feeds him. Never again will I see him waiting for me each day to sit down next to him and watch him do tricks, even though everyone says his memory span is only 19 seconds long and he doesn't really know me. It's not true, he knew me, and I knew him.

Rest in peace Spencer Carlos Donatello. You were the most consistent friend I've ever had. If I forgot to feed you, you'd ALWAYS forgive me - 19 seconds later.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Autumn Wright Save A Fish Fund may do so by contacting 1-888-547-FISH.

Faith

P.S - We're looking for a new tenet. Area holds about one gallon, comes with red and white stones, a fake plant, and a beautiful view of the fireplace. Only single fish need apply. Message for details.