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Icky swam and kind of fluffed around in the
new tank, arranging the plants and ornaments. Icky discovered the waterspout
where the air and water pumped into the tank. She sat under the bubbling
stream. Auntie Jackie stared, transfixed. Darting to the surface, Icky said,
"Do you mind, I'm having a Jacuzzi. It's a Norwegian thing".
Later, perched on the top of the large
amethyst rock, brushing her hair with a tiny Barbie doll brush, she said, "I
know what you're thinking, you know. You're thinking that I'm lucky you
found me when you did otherwise the water in the jar would have become
stagnant or the sun would have fried me through the glass." She put her
little hand on her hip and continued coyly," How do you know I didn't simply
decide to let you find me?"
"Well I never!" was all Auntie Jackie could
say.
"It's a fish thing", said Icky.
Later
that evening,
Auntie Jackie asked Icky, "If you don't mind me asking, where do you come
from? Do you have any family? Are there anymore like you? How old are you?"
"That's a lot of questions," replied Icky,
disentangling her lovely long curls with her fingers. "There are others just
like me. In fact, I met one just yesterday. He was particularly rude. He
came from Tennessee and used bad language so I swam away from him as fast as
I could." She nibbled on a fish food flake. "I come from Canada". "You came
all the way from Canada!" exclaimed Auntie Jackie, "that is a long way to
swim".
"Yes, I know", replied Icky, "I didn't
realize how far it would be. I came for the singing festival."
"Singing festival…?" floundered Auntie
Jackie.
"You really don't know much of anything, do
you", said Icky, rather annoyed.
"Obviously not", replied Auntie Jackie.
"Every seven years in the Cumberland River.
It's tradition."
"You sing too?" questioned Auntie Jackie.
"I speak, I sing, I eat, I sleep, I read"
retorted Icky, "I am quite normal".
"I think I'll make a cup of tea", said Auntie
Jackie who, when at a loss for words, usually made herself a nice, hot cup
of Earl Grey Tea.
"Clears
the mind", she would say.
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