We borrowed a tank and set them up in their new home. They quickly swam their way into our hearts. Hannah loved to watch them swim. Clara is the larger of the two. She chased Francine away from the food until she ate what she wanted. They seemed to like each other. All was well.
The girls went off to summer camp. Chris and I picked up the routine for taking care of the fish. We knew the time was coming to change the water. So, we decided to surprise the girls with a new tank. Off we went to make our purchase. We came home with a tank slightly larger than the one we borrowed, some blue gravel, and a few plastic plants for decorations. We followed all of the set-up instructions, conditioned the water, and made the switch. The fish immediately started exploring the new home. Francine, the smaller fish, loved to hide under the big plant.
We noticed when we moved the fish that Francine had a few white spots on her. Neither Chris nor I have any previous fish experience. We had no clue this was a big problem. The fish still seemed to do their fishy thing. All was well.
Hannah and Caroline came home from camp today. They were thrilled with the new tank. Hannah sat by it and watched her fish swim and swim. Clara swam around the tank and seemed to be having fun. Francine, on the other hand, was lethargic. She was covered with more spots. We knew something was wrong.
A quick internet search revealed the culprit – ich. Ich is a parasitic disease that infects fish. It’s pretty gross. There are a couple of ways to handle it. We chose to go with the quicker method of buying some medicine to add to the tank. We followed all the instructions and the fish seemed to be fine. Until Francine wasn’t. She grew even more lethargic. She looked like she was struggling to breathe. And, then she grew very still. Clara began to touch her with her nose. Francine did not move. Clara nosed her again. Still, no movement. Nothing. We knew the end had come. Francine had died.
We discussed what we should do with Francine. Should we flush her? Should we bury her? Hannah wanted to bury her. She asked her dad if we could bury her in the church cemetery. Caroline found a small box. Chris and I gently removed her from the tank. Hannah sat on the couch and cried. I put some tissues in the box. We placed Francine in the box and Hannah said her goodbyes.
As we walked outside and up the hill to the church cemetery, a few drops of rain began to fall. The sky did not look threatening so we continued up the hill. Chris began to dig a small hole in the corner of the cemetery beside the fence. As the hole grew deeper, the rain grew harder and harder. We halted the digging and took refuge under a tree. Hannah loved the rain as it reflected her sad feelings. Soon the rain was pouring down on us. The radar on the phone showed a storm that seemed to blow up right on top of us almost out of nowhere. We were soaked.
Watching the rain, I stood there holding a small box, a small coffin containing the beloved Francine. Then Hannah said, “Look! A rainbow!” Sure enough, there was a rainbow on the road in front of us. It was a perfect moment. Even through her tears, Hannah began to laugh. We were soaked and miserable. Yet, a perfect, beautiful sign of hope appeared in front of us. We talked about the rainbow bridge for pets and our thoughts on pets in heaven. That rainbow shone brightly for us and Francine. It brought hope and love. And, it provided us with some levity as we stood there soaked by the unexpected rain.
Soon, the rain came to an end. The digging continued. Hannah placed the box in the hole. Chris said a prayer. The hole was covered up and a few rocks were added for extra protection. We walked back down the hill.
Clara is swimming around the tank almost like she is looking for Francine. We’ll continue to follow the treatment instructions to rid the tank of this infection. Then, in a few weeks, we’ll introduce a new fish into our lives to join Clara.
Hannah has declared there will never be another Francine. I am sure there will never be another funeral for a fish like the one we had today. Francine’s rainbow bridge was as visible to us as it was to her. We hope she’s having a swimming time on her side of the rainbow.
