Fish Bowl

Story 1)1

The Fish Bowl2

as told by Beatnik3

“ and you’ll swim far, far away4

along with all the games you play5

but you wont make it to the sea,6

because glass is all around you7

in a fish bowl you’re surrounded8

by the things you’re never9

ever gonna be”10

Fish Bowl- Death Wish11

I was kind of sick of hearing the same chords that Hood kept trying to incorporate into that damned song. I know nothing about metal music except that if it’s good, Brody falls asleep, and if it’s bad, she’s off the wall. 12

Brody was off the wall, more so than usual.13

“What is the song called, Beadie?”14

Beadie was her name for me15

“ Fish Bowl”16

“ Is it about fishies?”17

“ No Brody, It’s about people?”18

“Who?”19

“Your daddy.”20

“Why?”21

“ I don’t know sweetie”22

“Daddy isn’t gonna turn into a fish is he?”23

“ I sure hope not.”24

I had to be half honest with Brody, at the same time, I couldn’t tell her the song is about how her mom is a cunt. Ronan was a god in his own right, he was the king of his world. The difference between Ronan and the rest of the band was that Ronan was a man. He’d been there, done that, and wore the scars for it. I could never tell him how much I admired him. Nate was my baby, the light inside my cynical darkness, but he was so young.25

We were in the kitchen and the boys were in the garage. I was expecting them to run into the kitchen for sustenance, signifying the mid point in practice, any second now. The cookies where fresh out of the oven. With the help of Brody, we set out their drinks. Rob with a Yoo Hoo, Hood with an OJ, Ronan with water (two ice cubes) and Baby with Ginger ale. Brody kissed all of the glasses to signify that the snack was made with love. Which it was. A kiss for my brother, a kiss for my Baby, a kiss for my buddy, and a kiss for my God.26

Sure enough, seconds after the last cup was kissed, I heard the clunk of instruments being set down and the rumble of teenage male feet that carried hungry teenage male stomachs into their place of worship, the kitchen. Brody was swept off her feet by her father, I was swept off my feet by Nathan, the other two gathered around. There was really no point to this story except something that Brody said during snack.27

“We’re in a Fish Bowl Daddy?”28

“Why do you say that?”29

“ Because we cant get out”30

“Of what, Bunny?”31

“The bowl”32

“ I don’t understand”33

“ But daddy, its ok, because we’re all swimming together, so it isn’t so bad.”34

Ronan got it. Brody wasn’t off the wall because the music was bad, she was awakened by something that made sense to her. This life is a Fish Bowl, and we cant get out of it. But if we all swim together, than it isn’t as bad.35

I leaned back into my light while my light wrapped himself around me. God shed a tear and kissed his child and we all kept swimming, if not for ourselves, than for each other.36