'Ode to Sully

Sully pulled a Nemo on me today. I don't think he knows the drains go to the sewage treatment plant and not the ocean. He was a fresh water fish anyway. A fighting fish. But he didn't fight much. He was the kind who played dead till you fed him. Then he'd move.

I had been dog sitting for the past week and this morning my friend was coming home so I packed up my things. I was getting ready to go visit my friend Harman in the hospital and thought I'd leave Sully there to keep him company, since I didn't want to leave him in the hot car.

So I was cleaning his bowl like I always do. I let the faucet run in and flush out all the poop. Well Sully never has a problem and stays away from the water rushing in. But today, of all days, he flowed out of the bowl. I didn't even think to look at the drain, or to put the metal strainer in over the drain.

I saw him go out of the bowl, but I was too slow to catch him. He landed on the drain. I was relieved for a split second and went to grab him. His little blue body gasping for water expanded and collapsed quickly. As my hand went for him I couldn't see and then he was gone. I think he jumped and then went down the large drain holes.

I was calling after him, but fish don't reply. It was the side of the sink that the drain goes down, down, down. It wasn't the disposal. I could've saved him if it was the disposal. I could fit my hand in there. But it wasn't. I flushed lots of water down the faucet hoping he wouldn't get stuck somewhere and just suffocate to death.

I looked at Kalei, the dog I'd been taking care of. She watched me spazing at the kitchen sink, hoping somehow I was preparing food for her. NOT. I patted her on the head and said, "I'm glad I didn't lose you."

Well, I had to suck it up and go to the hospital and cheer my friend up. So now I'm grieving for my sweet Sully, who would always play dead. I would always look at him sitting there, kinda floating and not moving for like a whole minute. Then he'd move. I guess he was sleeping or something. He was so cool.