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Fabry and the Goldfish
Youngsters pour large cardboard boxes of flakes from the roof and it snows. The bridal party folds the chairs and the family carpools the gifts home. Can I have what I want now? Fabry whispers to the fish. The fish jumps up and slaps Fabry in the face. Listen again. Love is patient. The fish slaps Fabry in the face. Listen again.
Fabry raises his wine towards the happy couple with his right hand. With his left he drops a piece of roll to the goldfish in the flower vase.
Through the vase, he watches the warped shapes of the best man talking.
Love is patient, the best man is saying.
Can I have what I want now? Fabry whispers to the fish.
The fish turns to listen and lets the carrot and roll bits fall around him like snow.
Fabry lowers his wine and finishes it in an Adam’s apple gulp.
A barefoot woman in black tip-toes backwards through the line, low to the ground, pointing her camera at the advancing bride and groom.
Fabry slips away from the joy—It’s as real to him as snow in June.
The flower girl carries all the goldfish in a vase to the fake fountain stream. She tries to kiss the fish but forgets about the water. The water tickles her nose and splashes over her white shoes.
But I love them daddy! the girl says. Set them free darling. They’ll live a long happy life.
She bends at the waist and mixes the water of the vase with the water of the fountain, unaware the fish surely won’t survive the rapid change in temperature.
Fabry kneels by the pond and looks for his goldfish.
The fish walks out of the pond.
Can I have what I want now?
Love is patient. Patience is an action.
Love is patient, Fabry whispers back to the fish.
The fish nods and walks back into the pond and dies.
“Fabry and the Goldfish” by Nathan T. Baker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
