Fathers' Day Stories #2

        I was the first one up.  With my hair a shaggy halo around my head, my eyes half open, I navigated the steep stairs down to the first-floor bathroom.  It was cold on the tile floor.  I curled up my toes, swinging my feet to get loose from my flannel pajama bottoms.  I sang a little song and carefully measured out the allowed amount of toilet paper one small girl was permitted.  As I moved to the sink to wash my hands, I saw a most amazing thing:  The bathtub was half-full of water and....heavens...fish!

          They were swimming in lazy circles around the tub.  There were lots and lots of fish, with big eyes, and tails, and mouths making gulping motions. 

FISH!

For once, I didn't make a sound.  I knelt down and put my hand in the water.  I touched a fish.  He didn't bite me.  This was such an unexpected delight, I had to share it.  I tip-toed back upstairs and woke my brother and sister.

Come quick and see what I found!

Careful not to wake Mummy and Daddy, I shut the bathroom door and we all hung over the edge of the tub, playing with the fish.

I got one, my brother exclaimed.

Me too, me too, let me,  our little sister squealed.  She wanted to get right into the tub with them.

We didn't think about our breakfasts, but we gave the fish Rice Crispies to eat.  By the time Mummy and Daddy got up, some of the fish were listing to port in a "I'm not feeling so hot" so of way.  One or two were lying lifeless on the bathroom floor, our pajamas were soaking and we three were as slimy as the fish.  Even Mummy was surprised.  Her face got all red.

The smelt were running and Daddy hadn't gotten home until three in the morning, when we were all in bed and sleeping.  His sheepish grin won her over...once he promised to clean it all up and disinfect the tub, that is.