Arushi Week 13 - Edward
He was blue. He was red. He was every color of the rainbow.
He meant the entire world to me.
I was 7 and he was 8 days old, and my entire life revolved around him.
His name was Edward, my beloved betta fish. Edward was probably my first true love; I mean you know what they say about first pets, right? It took me all seven years of my existence up until that point to convince my parents to let me get a pet. It started off big, of course. I wanted a dog, then I compromised by asking for a cat. Then we learned that I was allergic to cats, so I talked about a parrot instead. The parrot turned into a gerbil which turned into a hamster which turned into a fish. That is when Edward entered my life.
I still remember that day as clear as ever. I was jumping up and down with excitement when my parents finally agreed to get a pet fish. I remember the drive to the store and how I felt as I walked through the double doors. It felt like everything in the universe was aligning just for this moment. The weather was great, fish food was completely in stock, the exact aquarium that I wanted was there, even all the fake rocks and plants. And of course, Edward was there too.
It was the way the sunlight gleamed across his iridescent scales that probably made me feel entranced. He wasn't just purple like my neighbor's fish or half green and red like my best friend's, no, he was every color fathomable to mankind. It was easy to say that I knew immediately that he was the fish for me.
My best memory of what Edward looked like
I was the happiest girl on the planet. I wouldn't stop gushing over my new pet. Even though I remember so many details about picking him, I still don't know what made me name him Edward. I do remember thinking about kings and the Tudors (I think I was in my royalty phase) though. To my mother's dismay, I named my fish Edward. I knew that Edward would be my best friend.
He would be there for me throughout my life, or well for the next 3 days at least. Yeah, that's right. I only had him for 3 days. No my parents didn't get mad at me, no I didn't accidentally knock over the aquarium. Edward succumbed to illness. He died because of fin loss disease.
It's hard to forget about Edward. My parents saw that his death affected me deeply, and suddenly, they had pledged to never again adopt a pet on my behalf. Now, every once in a while, I imagine that Edward is in fishy heaven and that he's living in the nicest aquarium ever.
Maybe when I'm older, I'll buy another betta fish. I could name him Edward the II and give him the best life possible.
Hi Arushi! I really enjoyed your blog about your first pet, Edward! I also chose to write about my pets for this blog! Before I had my two dogs, Pico and Pixie, I also had a betta fish named Ray. Unlike Edward, he was a solid red color and I loved him a lot. However, when I moved, I had to give him to my neighbor to take care of. I haven’t seen him since then but I hope he is doing well.
ReplyDeleteI love how you recount your special connection with Edward since he was your first pet. You explain the story from the beginning starting off with how your parents were reluctant to adopt a dog or a cat. I too remember the struggle of convincing my parents to let me adopt a dog. Then you explained how Edward’s death came unexpectedly which surely affected you as a 7 year old. I admire how you added comedic relief towards the end and looked to a brighter future to lighten up the mood. I also love the informal language you use throughout your writing because it makes your blog much more engaging and genuine.
As a whole, you successfully conveyed the memory of your first pet, which many people can relate to.
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ReplyDeleteArushi, I never thought I would say this, but I'm devastated by the story of Edward. His story deeply moved me and made me feel as if I wanted to write a 100000 page novel detailing his life, his rise, and his ultimate downfall. Oh what a tragedy :( He lived like a king for those 3 days, and he believed that he would become to ruler of the world, however, the world did not truly revolve around him, and he passed away. I can't imagine the emotions that Edward had in those dying moments...Being betrayed by the world is a horrible thing, and I bet that he, just like other main characters in famous tragedies like Romeo and Juliet, felt a sense of deep sorrow and sadness at his untimely fall.
ReplyDeleteWe shall pray for Edward in our dreams and hope that he went to fish heaven, and as much as I've been joking around in this response, I really do understand how it feels to be that little kid with the pet. I remember having a dog when I was around 8, and then she passed away...How I cried that week haha, I bet my mom hated having a dog though because usually I wouldn't clean up all the stuff and mess that my dog had left behind. Maybe I'll get a dog when I'm older. But of course, I have to take care of it this time, so hopefully I will do that.
Also I really loved your POAS presentation, that accent that you did literally made my jaw drop, and I think you deserve the praise that you've received for your presentation. I look forward to more stuff from you!
Hi Arushi! The vivid and passionate descriptions you used to describe Edward almost makes me jealous that I couldn’t see him in real life, especially that moment when “sunlight gleamed across his iridescent scales.” Though significantly older than you were at the time, I also had a pet betta fish for a couple of years—though I took a different approach at picking one out. I remember the experience of eyeing the rows of dismal fish in Petco before choosing the most (subjectively) depressed looking fish in sight, stagnant in its tiny cup of water, and hoping I could give it a happier life and similarly “the best life possible.” Ultimately, after around two years of coming home to a comforting (and subjectively happier) companion everyday, it passed away similarly to fin rot disease. I hope he’s looking down from fish heaven too (albeit while closing his eyes everytime I enjoy a fresh alaskan salmon for dinner every now and then). Overall, I really enjoyed hearing about your experience with Edward, no matter how short it may have been, and it seems like a fond memory that is especially treasured. Thank you for your creative blog, and I’m excited for the day that Edward II makes it home!
ReplyDeleteHi Arushi! It was great learning about Edward. Although I never had a pet of my own, I can imagine the happiness and sheer joy upon owning your first pet. The way in which you depicted everything to be almost perfect when you got him, from the "great weather" to the "exact aquarium [you] wanted" being in stock; it really felt as if this was truly a day to remember.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your loss of Edward after a mere 3 days, but it sounds like from the beginning you felt a special connection with him, as it should be with pets. Pets tend to be a very important aspect of people's lives, and fish (although tiny) are no different. I hope you get to fulfill your dream of buying another betta fish in the future!
I liked the overall structure of your blog and how you went from describing how your fish Edward meant the world to you, from being your first true love, to how it eventually left your life when it died from fin loss disease. The buildup that you created about Edward made the ending especially sad for me, as a reader. Due to the vivid descriptions that you presented about your experiences with Edward, I was able to better understand how deep your connection with it really was and sympathize with this painful memory in your life. I like how, although this memory was filled with pain, you have chosen to take a more positive outlook towards it. Instead of still resenting Edward’s death, you imagine the beautiful life that it must be living now, in “fishy heaven” and in the “nicest aquarium ever.” You are also looking forward to having another Edward as a pet in the future, instead of dwelling on what was. I also think it is very important to see the positives in a lot of the memories we have. Memories are filled with pros and cons, as life will never be perfect, but we should always choose to treasure the great things that have happened in our lives and move on.
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