Every kid wants an aquarium. Even “grown-up kids”, especially if they never had one during their youth. My experience began about five years ago with one little frog named “Froggie” and a bubble-eyed gold fish named “Eye-Gore.”
“Froggie’s” life ended after two days. I forgot to feed him. Eye-Gore lasted a little longer. His death came shortly after an injury sustained when his eye bubble got sucked into the filtration system of the aquarium tank. His bubble popped! A surgical procedure performed by clipping the remains from his eye, a short prayer and a couple days in recovery ended when I discovered him floating.
Still longing for a beautiful tank, a gift card at Jack’s aquarium proved beneficial in what would become a constant replacement of the water creatures I struggled to keep alive. For one reason or another, everything I tried to love, would die.
Just because you read something on the internet doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a true fact. I learned that after trying to rid my tank of Red Algae that a few drops of Clorox Bleach kills more than just Algae. The Algae lived. The fish didn’t.
After a year of trial and error and attending many toilet bowl funerals, I was managing to keep 4 frogs alive, Elvis, Ruby, Ebony and Ivory. They had doubled in size and life was good!
However, I soon discover that size was not a guarantee when they began Missing in Action. One-by-one. I would look in the tank, and one would be missing.
First Elvis somehow managed to “WIGGLE” out of the tank!
Shortly after “Elvis Died” or is he really dead? Ruby disappeared.
Evidence of their remains was never found. I chalked that up to Grace, my dog. I figured they must have jumped out of the tank somehow. I didn’t know Dogs liked frog legs….. or do they? I believe Ebony and Ivory must have eaten Ruby and Elvis.
January 15th, it happened again! After work that dreadful day I noticed Ebony was gone. The time line I created placed him in the tank at 7:30 am, and it was now 8:00 pm! Baffled by his disappearance I retrieved a flashlight and went on the prowl. Lifting up the couch, the recliner, and checking down the heat vents I found no evidence of a frog.
I decided to email a company that specializes in frogs and ask what in the world could be happening. Do they eat their mate after sex? Do they even have sex?
I had noticed a few weeks prior to their disappearance them “Sticking” together quite a bit. I thought it was because they were cold, so I had put a heating thermostat in the tank. They still seemed to “enjoy each other’s company” even after the tank was now heated.
Abandoning the search without success, I decided to leave it up to God. I decided to retire early to my bedroom and read for the evening.
The bedroom door was left open for Grace to come and go.
Lying in bed, I kept hearing her making noises around the bed area. I scolded her time and time again but she seemed to be ignoring me.
In total frustration I threw back my covers and got out of the bed to see what she was playing with. While searching for my slippers, I caught a view from my peripheral vision. Between the bedside table and the headboard of the bed I spotted a little brown thing that had the appearance of a dried up leaf.
Somehow, some way, Ebony had managed to make the trip across three rooms of carpet and linoleum and end up behind my bed. How in the world did that frog get the bedroom door open? Better yet, how did he actually make it through all the junk under my bed?
Looking down at him (or her) in disbelief, my little frog was barely recognizable! He was “TOAD”ally covered in the evidence of his long journey! His resemblance reminded me of fish washed up on the pond banks only covered in lint.
I looked at his lifeless little body………… Then I picked him up. Mouth to Frog was not an option. Holding him in my palm, I looked deeply into his eyes. I was certain he was dead. He was as stiff as a pretzel stick
I rushed him into the kitchen, retrieved a cup from the cupboard and gently placed his lifeless body into it.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
He was non-responsive.
I made the decision to fill the glass with water to remove the lint and prepare for another toilet bowl funeral.
With great surprise, I noticed a tiny little twitch from his right leg! Is it possible? Could he still be alive?
I stroked his little belly a couple times and then his other leg began to twitch.
Praise the Lord!
Hal-la-lu-yah!
I quickly returned to the aquarium and gently lowered his body back into the water. Down he went……. Sinking to the bottom………… my heart sank. Then up he came! And then - the miracle happened! He began to swim a little desperately working his stiff little legs. Yes, Ebony was ALIVE! I couldn’t believe it! I had considered changing his name from Ebony to Lazarus as he appeared to have risen from the dead!
If it hadn’t been for my dog he may have never been discovered. Ebony has a lot to be thankful for…… he had definitely been “Saved by Grace!”
Art Garland
Greenville, OH
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