goodbye, Mashams (for real)
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Our friends the Mashams came by tonight for their last visit. They'd finished packing the apartment (which must have been a mighty job with two small children about) and we were happy to feed them.
Little Ma-chan, the Masham's boy (Ma-chan Masham, wow) loves aquarium fish, and we had an empty aquarium, so Mari and I agreed to get some fish if we could. I took a sample of the water from my fish tank into a pet store. They told me that the water was good, so I bought some fish. And shrimp!
The fish are clown loaches, one of my long-time favourites. Instead of buying one or two fair-sized ones, this time, I bought five little ones. Because at long last I did some reading about them and discovered that they like to hang around in a small group. Fine.
I'd intended on getting a plecostomus as well, one of those throw-back looking fish that angrily thrashes about the bottom of the tank and occasionally eats algae. But the Japanese stores don't always carry them, and the store's staff suggested shrimp instead.
So I got the loaches and shrimp into the tank, and all looks well so far. Everyone's playing nicely and swimming happily.
At dinner we toasted to the Mashams finding good fortune in Barcelona. Now they're gone.