the fish

I went inside and sat down in the armchair. The fishtank glowed in the dark. The little grey fish looked at me. Over the years I had gotten used to him looking at me. I bought the fish tank when I started college. That was seven years ago. My then girlfriend thought it was a great idea to get a fish tank for my room so we went to this shop which sold all kinds of animals and bought the fish tank and four fish. Three goldfish and one small little fish. It was my idea to get the little fish. I don't know what exactly possessed me to get him. I didn't even know what breed he was. I still don't know actually. He was very average. Small and grey with a red tail. And he had these eyes which made it look like he was worried that if he stopped swimming he would die. So he kept swimming and looking around.

She gave them all names but I've long since forgotten them. In any event, the goldfish all died the first month (we overfed the fish). But the little fish survived. We got some more fish. My girlfriend dumped me. More fish died and I replaced them. I finished college and moved cities. I took the fish tank with me. In the seven years that I've had the fish tank, so many fish have died that I've lost count. But that small little fish is still around. And he still has that worried look in his eyes which says he had better keep swimming.