Wednesday, August 5, 2009

In the beginning

My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to... oh, wait. That's something else.

My name is Indigo Montoya. I am a blue Betta fish in a triangular tank. When I was first moved from my tiny bowl at the pet store to my current location, I was placed in a split tank. My neighbor was a white Betta named Whitey. I was given the unbearably trite name of "Bluey." Shortly after our arrival, Whitey committed suicide by leaping from the bowl. He probably couldn't take the unimaginative name which was bestowed upon him by, ironically, a black woman.

Thinking me lonely, the dark skinned beauty placed a turtle outside my tank to keep me company and thus began my descent into madness. It was the most beautiful turtle I had ever seen.
Of course, he was smitten with me as well. I could tell because he sat outside my tank staring at me all day. Oh, who could blame him. With my rich blue color and my gloriously fanned tail, I am quite the sight to behold. My admirer was the strong silent type, and ever tenacious in his admiration. He never strayed from my sight, even when I played the coquette and hid among the plastic trees.

Then, one day, the dark skinned beauty left and never returned. A more beautiful woman, if you can imagine, came to collect my tank and carried me to another room--a room filled with wonders and sunlight. It was spectacular. She talked to me. She had the kindest eyes. I heard her discussing with other humans the stupidity of my given name. "Bluey?" she said, her voice filled with disdain. "Why not just call him Fish?" Several names were bandied about until she settled upon the current and, dare I say, quite befitting name of "Indigo Montoya."

I was so caught up in my good fortune and change of locale that I hardly noticed that my turtle friend did not make the trip with me. I swim to each corner of my tank--all three of them--and searched for his loving gaze but he was nowhere to be found. I listened to the conversations of my new caretaker and heard words like "that ugly thing" and "it's unseemly to have them so attached." I sank to the bottom of the tank and refused sustenance for days. Finally, the beautiful and kind woman, who clearly has no taste in turtles, brought my friend to me and placed him in his rightful place, where he watches over me to this day.