A Fish Tale

Doris would tell her friends whenever they asked how she was doing, “I have four loves in my life: Harold, may he rest in peace; Kathy, my beautiful daughter; this solarium; and my saltwater aquarium. I miss Harold, but I still have the other three, so I’m doing just fine." She was content with where life had placed her, and at seventy-six, contentment was really all she could ask for.

Every morning, Doris started her day in much the same way. She woke up at 7:30 without an alarm, poured a glass of orange juice, toasted two slices of bread, spread on some of her homemade strawberry jam, and carried her breakfast into her splendid solarium. Some might call it a sunroom, but Doris preferred the more formal description. From her glass castle, she could observe the changing seasons, drifting clouds, the large grassy pasture that surrounded her property, and, of course, her aquarium, which was a source of pride for Doris.

Pieces of coral and other decorative items on the tank floor added to what, in her imagination, she felt a seascape should look like. Some people kept dogs as pets, others cats. Doris kept a diverse collection of fish for companionship. Clown Fish, Yellow Tang, Coral Beauty, and both Raccoon and Pyramid Butterflyfish, populated her tank. She gave a name to each one.

On the last morning of her life, Doris looked at the tank and saw a piece of coral that hadn’t been there the night before. She climbed onto the stepladder stored next to the tank and reached in to remove the unfamiliar item. She felt a sharp needle prick in the skin between her thumb and forefinger. Shocked and surprised, she quickly pulled out her hand and stumbled off the stepstool.

“This really hurts!” Doris cried out to the empty solarium. She watched in horror as her hand swelled. She could feel her arm going numb. Dizzyness ensued and Doris needed to sit. Her legs were now unresponsive, along with every other part of her body. Only her eyes were functional. Her breathing became increasingly labored. Doris sat in her favorite chair in a catatonic state for about thirty minutes, watching the clouds, the grassy pasture—and her beloved fish. A feeling of panic raced through her mind, followed by fear, then a calming understanding that she was no longer in control. Movement in the aquarium caught her attention. A bright-colored fish, one she had never seen before swam into view. Not one of mine, she thought. Doris took her final breath as a ray of sunshine beamed down on her.

Kathy was in a panic. She had been phoning her mother all day but got no answer. Finally, out of pure desperation, she called the local police department and asked them to check on her mother. Shortly after her call, an officer arrived at the house. He rang the doorbell, got no response, and walked to the back of the house. He found Doris in her solarium. She was unresponsive to his knocking and calling her name, so he jimmied the lock on the glass door. Kathy received the call later that day that her mother had passed away.

Several days before the funeral, Kathy received a call from the coroner’s office. The doctor asked her if Doris owned any exotic and potentially deadly fish. She was very familiar with her mother’s aquarium and told him that every fish in the collection was harmless. The doctor paused for a minute, then replied, "According to toxicology, the COD was venom from a lionfish."

Kathy was familiar with everyone at Doris’s funeral except for one man. He remained in the background until all the attendees had paid their respects and were leaving the gravesite.

“Ms. Madison, I’d like to offer my condolences on your mother’s passing. My name is Jonas Fordham. I’ve recently been in negotiations with Doris about selling her property. I know this isn’t the proper time to discuss such things, so please take my card and call me when you feel like talking.”

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Fordham. I’m afraid my mother never mentioned you. I’m shocked to hear she was thinking about selling her house. She loved that place. I will call you in a day or two, but as you said, now is not a good time.” They said goodbye and parted ways. Kathy glanced at the business card and noted he was a land developer that specialized in golf courses.

Two days later, Kathy gave Fordham a call. They met at his luxurious office on the top floor of the city’s tallest building. Kathy was impressed with the mahogany desk and well-padded leather chairs, but what drew her like steel to a magnet was the wall-to-wall aquarium. She noticed a few fish similar to her mother's, but many were unfamiliar to her.

Fordham’s voice snapped Kathy back to reality as he said, “I see you're admiring my collection of sea life.” She redirected her attention from the tank, ready to discuss business.

“My mother mentioned you in her diary. She noted your meetings and said she turned down your offer. My mother didn’t want her property to become part of a golf course. Instead of selling the property, I’m donating it to the city to be turned into a park in her honor.”

Fordham could barely contain his rage. That golf course was to be his crowning achievement, his legacy for generations to come. Without that property, the project was dead. They finished their meeting and Kathy felt a chill in the air as they said goodbye.

Fordham gazed into the aquarium and thought, Once again, I will need to be as smart as the octopus and as deadly as the lionfish.

Through her daughter, Doris had prevailed, at least for now.