Requiem for Trotsky

I don't know why Mary, the woman who sits our cat when we're away, thought it was a good idea to introduce a fish into the equation more than 9 months ago, but when we came back from a week away there he was--a big red betta fish--swimming with the decorative magnolia branch I was trying to force in a vase in the middle of the dining room table.  Fast forward to:  I became mesmerized with the fish.  Einstein, the cat, would jump between me and the vase when I talked to Trotsky--jealous? trying to protect Trotsky? my vaseline covered human senses will never know.  Although I don't ascribe cosmic purpose to random events--like having a fish appear in my life--I do believe in trying to see what's in front of my nose and what I saw in the vase was a creature who responded to me, to Einstein, and Paul--and not just the rattling of the food bag or the silhouette of a predator.   Who helped me discover Instagram and all the cool effects I get with photos of him and I took quite a few. He was quite a ham. Did he have a good life?  I don't know what that means.  He's in the freezer in a baggie waiting for the ground to thaw.  As are we all.