Little Fish Just Keep On Swimming

Cambodia is far from home

Little Fish Just Keep Swimming

(Cambodia is a long way from home)

 Rumor has it that Her Majesty, The Queen Soama, our first [female] leader of Khmer people, the visiting Chinese ambassador Zhou Daguan, His Majesty The Emperor Jayavarman VII, a devout Buddhist, Emperor of the Khmer Empire and Oknha Khleang Moeung, Khmer national hero sat enjoying afternoon ginger green tea in the temple garden as Oknha Son Kuy, Khmer national hero told his story about the golden fish (not really made of gold) The day however was golden and ginger pretty too. It was said or implied that Earl, you know, the one from Atlantic City NJ, recorded the events as they unfolded in time. It is perhaps suggested that the originator of the historical events or story if you will, was an invention of none other than he himself. (We use the word “historically”, loosely here, as it might have been written as early as yesterday.) The story goes like this according to the ever vigilant Mr. Schumacker....or so we are told;

 

One day and perhaps another, the rain came down upon the tiny pond. It was so much water for such a small pond. We all thought something was wrong. Rain fell in all directions including up which at the time seemed peculiar if not impossible. Who ever heard of rain going up up up? The wind was so strong. It danced. It swirled. It lifted. It made strange things happen. We like it when strange and unusual things happen.

No one ever taught the baby goldfish in the pond how to swim. No one ever told them how to use their little fins. They just swim swim swim.

The rain came down so hard so fast that everything in the pond began to move and swirl around. Everything became lifted up, fish and water and all. The world was changing. It was very scary. First it became a stream and then a river moving, raging, roaring like a lion down the street. It took the baby goldfish with it without any warning or parental permission.

 

It was true though, as true as true can be because I saw it with my own two eyes. There was so much rain it was inundating, (whatever that means...but it must be important because inundated is a very big word.) Rain was coming steadily, filling up sidewalks, rolling down streets like a roller coaster, moving sideways too, through street signs without warning and traffic signals, not even stopping for red lights. Everybody knows that running red signals is illegal and against the law. We are not sure about rain and rivers running through stop signs is in the legal books but this story is not about that any way so lets move on.

 

The little goldfish found themselves in a strange new world. They did not know what to do. Thank goodness they were still in water. A fish out of water doesn't hold a promising future, isn't very kind, isn't good, isn't very nice and doesn't look pretty either.

 

All over the countryside it continued pouring. The town was saturated. The rice farms and plantations were drenched. Even the schools were overruled by nature and the inclement weather. They had to close for the afternoon.

 

Due to the prevailing conditions already mentioned, everyone questioned; Would it rain forever? No one knew not even the fish and you know how smart fish can be.

 

People who had holes in their roofs could not stop the rain from coming through on their very clean floors. It even poured on their shoes and under their beds, lifting them from their foundation which caused them to float right out the door with people on them. Beds became rafts that drifted down the streets on newly made rivers while children on the artificial unnatural banks pointed and laughed at them as they swayed back and forth and up and down rolling with them.  It is funny how that sounds but every word is true. They wondered if goldfish cried. It is hard to tell because they are always wet and under water, covered in water to be exact.

 

All of the fish, big and small, including all the pond creatures were relocated. They ended up in the giant ocean far away from home, perhaps ending in Cambodia but we don't know. There would be no more pond for them. They had to get used to the taste of salt. Too much salt is not really good for you. At least they are all alive and well surviving such a dangerous trip. Transitioning from pond to oceans can be hard.  Conditions are sometimes tricky for little fishies. Baby goldfish fish just keep on doing what they do so naturally and easy. Little fish just keep on swimming. They don't even have to think. We know how difficult that can be. They will never learn Cambodian Khmer we fear.  Swimming is their specialty. Thank goodness for the sea.  They never run out of water and drinks are free.