“I won it a couple of
years ago, at a fun fair”, says Rossler with pride.
“Is that so. I didn't think they could live that long,” says Arguedas. “Do you change the water often?”
“Once a week,” Rossler answers. “He likes it, it's obvious. He takes in as much fresh air as he can every time, his mouth wide open.”
“How did you manage to find such a huge aquarium? Did they have them at the fair?”
“Yes, I bought it there. I had a minivan back then; it came in handy.”
 |
| "How did you manage to find such a huge aquarium?" |
Arguedas scratches his
ear, then takes a drag of his cigar.
“It was a traveling
group near Sete Lagoas, right?”
“Yes. How do you
know?”
Arguedas steps forward.
He looms over the other one, who suddenly realizes who he's dealing
with. Shaking like a leaf, Rossler asks:
“It was you, wasn't
it?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Listen, I don't know
what it is that you want, or how you managed to trace it back to me,
but I suggest we talk about this like two civilized persons.”
Arguedas's gloomy laugh
bounces off the living room walls.
“Civilized? Have you
taken a closer look at what is floating in your aquarium, confined
between four panes, with barely enough room to turn around?”
Rossler does not seem so
proud anymore.
“It was given to me. I
won it! It's mine.”
“Ever considered
releasing it?”
“Well ... with his
skin all creased, and he has swollen so much ... I don't believe he
could live a normal life.”
“And I think you are
the one who won't have a normal life,” says Arguedas.
Bang!
He fires. Rossler collapses. The visitor shoots a second time and the
aquarium shatters into a thousand pieces. With his last breath, the
bloated man spits out a bit of water.
photo © https://unsplash.com/photos/mY_xGtaXtCs
photo © https://unsplash.com/photos/mY_xGtaXtCs