The fish, named Peggy, Eliza and Angelica after #6’s favourite Broadway show, were soon exploring their new home, formerly known as our vase. (Luckily it was empty as He Who Knows Best buys me flowers on a rather sporadic basis.) An emergency dash to the pet store for foul-smelling fish food and we all sat around the coffee table to enjoy our new pets. After two minutes (and that was a stretch), #6 was back on Snapchat, #4 was strumming away on the guitar, I headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on … and He Who Knows Best was perched on the sofa, mesmerised.
His tea went cold, he spoke to no one. After a while we just had to see what was so captivating, and so we crowded around once again. Nothing, just three little orange fish swimming round and round, one after the other, in the same direction. No racing, no nuzzling up to each other, nothing. Just one adoring new owner.
Half a year later, we have one surviving pet. One died of boredom just a few days after being released into our vase, so we upgraded to a small fish tank, complete with pump. Apparently the pump required some adaptation – I think He Who Knows Best is missing the DIY he so loved back in our house in England – and so there was a little trimming of a pipe and a lot of cursing. Something must have been amiss, however, as the second fish had disappeared the following morning. We looked everywhere – behind the tasteful plastic fern swaying gently in the water, on the floor around the tank – until there was only one place left to search …
He Who Knows Best was heartbroken, particularly when I made him deal with the fallout. So he turned his full attention to his one survivor. We are unsure whether this one is Peggy, Eliza or Angelica. We are also pretty sure it is in fact male, judging by the enormous proportions it has achieved since it started eating food for three. But the strangest thing is, it has returned the devotion of He Who Knows Best – it responds to his voice and gets excited at the sight of him. Honestly.
The kids scoffed when we told them this. We could see them shaking their heads and muttering among themselves about how we were finally losing the plot and what should they do with us? But when Child #3 and Boyfriend #1 arrived, they were amazed to see the blatant bond between man and fish. Nevertheless, it is not the done thing in this family to admit someone is right, so #3 merely grunted a grudging acceptance of the fact and declared: Dad, the water stinks. I think she hurt his feelings – and Peggy’s/Eliza’s/Angelica’s.
Inspiration struck today at ... Caffe Reggio, Macdougal Street, just south of Washington Square Park
Came across this little place and felt like a
trip back in time to l’ancien Paris.
Pros: Friendly service and lovely outside tables
in this quaint Village street.
Cons: Very dark inside so not for sufferers of
seasonal affective disorder.
