Lazarus

Oddly disrupted morning, but finally all the mini-crises at school were dealt with and I sent off all the documents to the accountant. Then discussing the death penalty with TallGirl who, after years of tears trying to do essays the sophisticated way her dad taught her, is now having to unlearn that to make way for the weird way she has to do them for her Brevet. (Didn't the French invent essays?)

Later shopping and the school run, and then the day took a turn for the very sad. This is Mendel, and at 4.30pm today he was not in his tank. TallGirl searched through the vegetation in the tank and in the filter, while I looked on the ground. He had jumped out and flapped his way into the cupboard underneath. Horror. TallGirl howled for an hour. I had put him in a tupperware, awaiting burial. Finally TallGirl was in a calm enough state, so we buried him and she headed off for a shower.

Then I hit the internet ... and discovered to my absolute horror that if fish fall on a non-absorbent surface in a cool room (tick, tick) they can survive for HOURS. I pretty much literally flew down the garden, dug him up and put him back in the tank. And slowly, he started moving.

So, we're hoping the extra bubbly oxygen thing will boost him a bit, and fungicide will kill any germs from the soil that a little bit got on him when I opened his 'coffin'. How did I not know about the surviving out of water? TallGirl's heart was broken (it was her fault for leaving the lid open). As Beverley Goldberg would say: I have failed as a mother. And Lazarus here is clearly ready to evolve... (And I am definitely in future checking every fish I bring home to eat, just in case...)