"Super" Fish

Nushi went to park that evening to play with his friends. He was little early. Nushi sat on a bench under a tree and watched the people. Some were sitting on bench and reading books. Some were walking and jogging. An old man was reading newspaper. He noticed something. Everyone has a pet except Nushi. There were Golden retriever, Pug, Poodle, Pomeranian, Afgan hound, Shih Tzu and Havanese.

Nushi wanted to pet a dog. He ran back to his apartment which was half a kilometer away from the park and he resided in 44^th floor.

Nushi reached home and ran to his mom who was busily writing grocery list and said “Mom, I need a pet. Everyone has a pet. I saw those cute dogs in the park. I wanted one too. Please buy me! Please….”

Mom said “Why do you need a dog? You already have Goldy as your pet!!”

Goldy is Nushi’s Goldfish lives in a round bowl in Nushi’s room. He is quiet. Just moves here and there inside the bowl. Eat the fish food balls served to him twice a day.

Nushi said “Mom, but Goldy cannot catch a stick or go for a walk or sit near me and lick me and most importantly he cannot wag his tail”

Nushi made his cute sad face convincing his mom to buy a dog.

Mom said “Ah! Enough of that sad face Nushi, Let me discuss with Pop and we will see what could be done”.

Nushi very well knew that these words from Mom means. It’s a Big NO.

Nushi turned and went to his room.

He sat on a bean bag near the window and saw the people holding dog’s leash and taking it for a walk and playing with it too.

Nushi became much sadder. His mom followed to his room and convincingly said “Nushi dear, how we could have a dog when we live in 44^th floor??Do you think the dog can stay in the same space where we live?

Nushi answered “Mom, living here will be good for the dog. I can walk him up and down the stairs which means it’s a best exercise for the dog and me?”

Mom, “Do you know how many steps are there in the stairs to reach 44^th floor??”

“Of course, I do know Mom. It’s Five hundred and fifty five steps” said Nushi.

Again Mom asked “Nushi, Don’t you think that the dog will feel bored when we leave him alone in the home at time when me and Pop go to office and you to school??

Nushi sheepishly laughed and said “Mom, I will teach him to read. When we all go out, he will sit and read the newspaper”.

Mom got irritated as Nushi is finding impossible answers for all her meaningful questions. But she did not give up in making him understand the possibility of petting a dog and taking care of it.

Mom came up with the next question, “How could you afford to feed a hungry dog?”

Nushi thought more and said “Mom, I don’t want a big hungry dog. I want a small, small, small pup that eats hardly anything at all, maybe leftovers”.

After all answers Nushi gave, still mom doesn’t want to buy a dog. It was not possible for her and the family to manage it.

Mom said “Dear, you have to be happy with what you have”. Mom closed Nushi’s room and went back to continue her grocery listing work.

Sad Nushi looked at his Goldfish, Goldy. Goldy looked sad too.

Nushi said to himself “All I have is Goldy! Maybe I should teach him something…”

The next day morning Nushi threw a tiny little stick into the fish bowl and said “C A T C H”.

He wanted Goldy to catch the stick like how dog does.

A month passed. Many tiny sticks were collected at the end of the fish bowl. Nushi thought its all waste of time but he knew that it takes practice and of course it is the world’s toughest job to make a fish act like a dog.

His hope and trust never gone wasted.

Goldy caught the stick on the day when Frozen 2 movie was released. Nushi felt very happy and showed the act to his mom and even took a video and sent it to all his friends through whatsapp.

As a next step, he took Goldy with his bowl on a kid’s wagon and pulled it and took it for a walk in the park.

Nushi dreamt of Goldy taking him for a walk under the sea.

Nushi kept Goldy’s bowl on his head and carried her up and down the stairs and counted 555 steps.

When he was about to leave for school, Nushi puts a newspaper in front of the fish bowl so Goldy could read the happenings.

Nushi hardly gave him anything at all. Just few balls of fish food and Goldy was happy to eat it.

When he comes back from school, Nushi keeps the Goldy’s fish bowl near his feet and tells him what happened in the class and other stuff. Goldy very well listened to him.

Nushi even made Goldy to wag his tail when he uttered the word “I LOVE YOU”.

Now, Goldy is not just a fish, he is a SUPER FISH.

Nushi takes Goldy to park and spends time with him and thinking that “All the people in this park have just an ordinary dog but I have a super fish and it’s the best gold fish in the world!”

Pop, Mom, Nushi and Goldy lived happily in their apartment.

Moral: When you love what you have means you have everything in the world. There are some people with nothing still they manage to smile. Treasure what you have. Be happy and grateful.