The Immigrant Catfish | Rehanul Hoque

(1)

It was a lake- clear, serene and old as earth. Although people tend to create bazaars in the middle of nowhere under the guise of parks and tourist spots, thank God, that the lake was free from the din and bustle of everyday life. It was so calm and quite that the soft plop of a clod could easily be heard from a distance.

The lake was surrounded by large trees that attracted especially the migratory birds. In winter, literally, it would become a meeting zone of numerous birds- from the larger ones like geese, waders, storks to the tiny ones like warbles, wagtails, and pipits. Some branches of trees hung just few centimetres above the lake making it easy for reed buntings to preen at the lake’s edge. Sun rays bucketed down through the rustling leaves. At night glow-worms used to play hide-and-seek, and the glistening moon peeked through the lake amid floating clouds. The lake, abounding in water spinach, sea lettuce, Irish moss, manatee grass and sugar kelp was the haven for butterflies and grasshoppers. An embalmed southern breeze would lull a passer-by to nod off and get lost in the heavenly bowers in a sweltering summer.

While a glimpse of the lake’s surface might reveal stillness, beneath it lies a three storied palace teeming with flora and fauna. It abounds with plants like algae, diatom, kelp, seagrass and seaweed as well as fishes like Catla, Sawfish, Betta, Clownfish, Killfish, Labeo Rohito and so on- each species forming its own universe within a universe. Yet, what‘s fascinating is that all these diverse worlds were borderless and the animals living there were subject to a delicate web of interdependence. They never breached trust and had respect for one another’s privacy.

At the break of dawn schools of fish swam from the surface to deep waters, retreating deeper during the day before returning to the surface at sunset to feed on phytoplankton at night. This tiny Phytoplankton transforms CO₂ into organic molecules; organic carbon molecules to provide food and energy to all organisms of the marine food webs. Furthermore, dissolved organic matters or waste products become food for tiny organisms like archaea and bacteria. It’s a universe based on the principle ‘waste not, want not’. Here every creature thrives on a win-win approach. For instance, the Barracuda, a larger fish known to swallow swarms of Goby, but relies on the same Goby to get his teeth cleaned. The Goby then, without being dismayed, and with permission from their leader would accomplish the cleaning task diligently. In short, everyone in the lake seems to live in harmony, barring the Catfish named Xi. Why Xi remains in a constant state of melancholy, rather than embracing the youthful pleasures of life, is a story for another time.

Situated in the Torrid Zone, the locality boasted abundant rain, lush plants, big trees and a variety of animals. This vibrancy ensured the lake hadn’t shown any sign of drying up in the last three hundred years, nor were the animals there in need to fret over the issues of earth’s temperature rising, the melting of the ice caps and acid rain. They knew the lake to be there home perennially, and had no intention to move anywhere. But, at times an occasional flash flood would cause some outsiders to come and join them. Last monsoon, for instance, saw an unusual event: water surged in unexpectedly, inundating everything for days. When the water receded some of the animals, native to the region by the lake, were found missing. Perhaps they were swept away by the floodwaters while exploring the outside world, unable to find their way back, or perhaps they discovered a more suitable habitat elsewhere. The flood also brought a wave of new fish immigrants, among them a pond catfish named Joe. Xi befriended Joe, marking a pivotal moment in his life. It’s from Joe that Xi learned first about an entirely different world ruled by a powerful species, Homo sapiens.

In fact, there were times they would spend the entire day together at the bottom of the lake. From far-off they appeared as though they were merged,

as single entity like the anglerfish, skins joined, blood vessels— eyes, fins and other organs are but one. At night they would come up to the surface to take food while the entire day they would just chill out and get engrossed in fun and frolic. Thus Xi came to know what an eventful life Joe had! Born somewhere in one of the sixteen lagoons that dotted over a vast landscape of deltaic savannah, Joe was a very run-of-the-mill kind of fish, barely able to fend for himself at the time of being caught by a fisherman. The fisherman kept Joe and others in a big cylindrical drum and started a gruelling journey through the off the beaten track to an unknown market. The journey was a kind of ordeal, all were worn-out and some of them died due to the lack of oxygen. There, a farmer bought small Joe and a shoal of young catfish only to take them through the excruciating pain of another 200 miles. At last, they were released in the farmer’s pond. The rest is history.

The pond where Joe was released was imposing, with concrete blocks, having vertical drops, and straight edges. It wasn’t a simple pond; a fibreglass coating provided an ultra-strong, smooth, and attractive finish, preventing impurities from leaching into the water. The green and black coating, however, more suited as a swimming pool in a ritzy plaza hotel rather than a fishing pond. Certainly, continuous awareness building by some bona fide animal rights activists and nature lovers impelled many people like the owner of this pond to show kindness to animals. Hence, the fishes were enjoying the carte blanche to move anywhere in the pond. There were no smaller ponds within pond to cultivate different species in different territories. The water there was conditioned, it was free from contaminants; minerals and chemicals were altered in a way conducive for health. Indeed, the owner of the pond believed that pond water should be distilled in a way that humans can drink from it. As he was an activist of the ‘Equal rights for all’ campaign group, he was always prompt to ensure equality among all and believed that ‘little deeds of faith and love link the earth to heaven above.’ Thus the farmer on advice from a benevolent pisciculturist, turned the water clear and distilled; free from bigger animals like common toad, teal, pond olive mayfly, diving beetle, blue-tailed damsfly, pillwort, medicinal leech etc. to the tiniest ones like euglena, paramecium, diatom, amoeba, ciliates and so on.

“‘Where did you get your food then?’ Xi asked. ‘Weren’t there any bacteria, protozoa, or hydra to make life more colourful and contribute to the food chain?’

‘Nope,’ Joe replied. ‘Bacteria get a bad rap for causing problems, but people don’t realize it’s silly to raise them on one hand and spend money on antibiotics on the other.’

‘You have missed the beauty of life’, Xi retorted.

Yes, it was true. In the absence of bacteria there were no protozoa in that pond to feed on bacteria and the detritus. This lack of protozoa meant no food for zooplankton, which in turn starved the invertebrates. As there were no invertebrates, fish were not required to make effort to look for a prey. However, they always felt the presence of a kind soul tossing food (mann wa salwa) from above. What’s the use of beavering away for hours for something that you get automatically? Yet, one thing Joe could understand was that while food was being doled out, the colourful fishes were getting the bigger morsels. Such predilection was blatant and happened so repeatedly that the weak fish community had to devise and hone the art of purloining. After all, civilized people can never make mistakes. It is their ingrained habit that taught them that ‘nothing is more pleasant than gaining an object without exertion; the best art is pillage and plunder by befooling others; and there is nothing unjust in want and belief’.

‘But how did you feel in a world devoid of colour,’ Xi asked, ‘where nothing transforms it into greens or blues? You must have missed the mesmerizing dance of the hydra, where biofilm is not produced, the amount of nitrogen remains unfixed, oxygen is not generated, there is nothing to promote the carbon cycle, and you can’t relish targrade, water bear or crustaceans.

Joe chuckled. ‘There was a rule,’ he said, ‘never question the status quo. Everything in the pond was preconditioned. Whether the water tasted good or bad didn’t matter. You couldn’t complain about what was provided. Why search for spirulina algae when you were given spirulina pills? No worries about protein deficiency or resorting to violence for food – fish food was readily available. Watermelon, oranges, peas, and even honey nut cherries were there as supplements. Success in that world wasn’t about being an alien; it was just doing things differently.’

This way Joe shared the stories of his life in a pond. He told Xi and other fishes in the lake how every month they were taken to the bank and got their weight and length measured. A doctor would come that day and check if any of them were showing any signs of injury, deficiency or broken backs. After scrutiny he would suggest the farmer the methods to ward off aflatoxins, ‘as peas sink to the bottom, be careful to toss these in your pond so that fishes can gobble up’. Despite so much concern of some caring masters for their finned subjects, Joe would feel rather offended that the catfish community was being disdained. No doubt, they could collect food from any level but were bottom feeders as well. As the doctor advised the farmer to remain careful while throwing peas to the pond, the catfishes began to harbour a deep resentment against him. Many a time Joe was obsessed with the thought what may be the reason of such discrimination! Was it only because they were ugly?

Besides feeding time, all the fish enjoyed their owner’s daily interaction. Quite often he would throw a party and all his friends would turn up at the pond garden. Although sometimes it would be themed as ‘have tea with me, the gossip is free’, their only pleasure would be to toss pallets, millets and grains in the pond and all the fishes would scramble to swallow those up. It was during these parties that Joe learned about the developments taking place in the outside world. He heard stories about media influencing a nun’s fate, tunnel construction projects, fighter jets soaring through the sky, celebrity awards, and the Democrats’ landslide victory in turning the south into an agricultural society by re-routing a river. One afternoon, Robert, a friend of the farmer who recently have travelled through Florida, shared how catfishes were held in high esteem there. He told of how pulling into a parking space, he came across a wayward shopping car, a few pigeons, someone pulling a stroller and the most unusual of them, a school of catfish. Another day, he found a large school of catfish moving from a golf course pond to an isolated cypress pond, and people halted their cars to let them cross the roads. This story sent shivers down the spines of all the fish present. From that moment on, they all harboured a secret hope: to one day migrate to Florida themselves.

“So, that’s why you left the pond? You wanted to go to Florida and ended up here?” Xi chuckled.

“No,” Joe replied. “We certainly dreamed of migrating to Florida someday, but that wasn’t the reason we left the pond. After all, our basic needs were met there. We had a luxurious concrete block home, two meals a day, healthcare, and even some education. We even understood the language of the kind and noble creatures who cared for us. There was nothing forcing us to leave…until we faced a grim reality one day.”

At this point Joe couldn’t utter any more words, his voice stifled with anguish as he looked back to the past. He snuffled and muttered ‘One day, you know, they killed our leader, our neighbours and friends …brutally. Like all other days, we thought it was regular health check-up, but they slit our throats, disembowelled us, put us in a frying pan and relished and feasted on us. They were on a killing spree. They danced, drank, cracked jokes and so on. Fortunately, I could slip out of the hands of a young chap and could save myself. Ever since that horrific day, haunted by the trauma of losing my family and friends, I’ve yearned to escape the pond. At last, the opportunity came; incessant rain caused the entire region to inundate and I could run away only to find refuge in this big lake in the wilderness. Yes, everything is fine here but I’ll not stop until the day I land in Florida’. Joe vowed once again, ‘I’ll persevere, I’ll not stop.’

However, hearing Joe’s stories not only the lake catfish, but other fishes as well were encouraged to move to Florida. It was such a dream that didn’t let them sleep. All they needed was only to cross the vast mountainous region on the other side of the lake. So, they awaited a chance. Chance definitely came in their lives in manifold ways but it was not sure whether they reached Florida or not!

It was in the next summer that the lake animals began to encounter something new. They failed to make out what went wrong. They saw objects resembling hooks and containing delicious food, tied in tackles coming down from above. All the fishes thought it to be a great feast offered by someone in the sky, so they happily scrambled to swallow the hooks only to get the hook points pierced and anchored inside their mouths, gullets or gills. Confused and struggling to escape, they were yanked upwards and hauled away. In this way, many fish were being transported somewhere and within days the pond catfish, Joe also went missing. Xi was so devastated that he gave up eating and wagging his tail for days and wished to commit suicide.

(2)

Soon the lake, its unperturbed surface, mountainous south along with the picturesque natural scenery became a favourite tourist destination. Hordes of people flocked there for angling. Boats of all kinds, from sailboats and schooners to dinghies and trawlers, dotted the water, their mechanized engines shattering the former tranquillity of the lake. The local authorities found immense business prospects and took plans to turn the area into a modern tourist zone. So, a flurry of projects were undertaken, the shores were covered with stone blocks, shorelines got illuminated with street lamps, bushes were removed, several multi-national companies invested in the region, several markets grew up, the fish and chips business boomed. One ambitious investor proposed a four-star hotel built directly on the lake to attract both domestic and international tourists. Pneumatic caissons were utilized for the construction, allowing for an underground tunnel to be built along with the underwater hotel. To implement the plans with minimum cost the lake was dredged and the mud and silt thus collected were used to elevate the banks. An artificial island was made in the shape of a palm frond where a multi-storied building was erected. With most of the structure above the ground, the hotel featured several underwater suites 20 feet below the sea level. Descending an elevator into the suites, guests were greeted by massive floor-to-ceiling windows with views of sea animals, even from bed and baths. The restaurant and tunnel had acrylic structure that offered a breathtaking view of the water level below 25 feet. In the restaurant one could relish mouthwatering dishes with a panoramic view of the marine life surrounding it. Within two years, a Chinese company completed all these development projects. Tourists flocked to the area, boosting the coffers of the investors.

It was first on a sunny day that Xi came across a creature he had never seen in life. It had five to six feet height, two legs, two eyes, fingers and so on but no tail, no fins or gill. Since Xi had earlier heard about the physique of a human from his dearest pal Joe he could easily recognize that it must be a human. A group of them, encaged by acrylic sheets were spending the evening revelling, relishing some fish-like creatures, sipping tea and having a look at all the fishes swimming around. They cheered as soon as they could get a glimpse of scuba, dolphin or octopus. Xi initially felt hopeful about this harmonious cohabitation with these magnificent creatures. However, within days, the marine life realized their home was no longer theirs. The water temperature rose, causing many fish, including Xi, to experience shortness of breath. But when they tried to gasp for air coming closer to the surface, they were being caught indiscriminately. Escape to the deep abyss offered no refuge either. In fact, many a day Xi himself had encountered scuba divers ravaging the deep deserts. The places that remained pitch-black for hundreds of years were exposed to dazzling light. As a result, animals living there ran amok in fear. One day, a dead seabird floated on the water. But those who were there to have a good meal had to meet their doom. The bird had apparently ingested something it couldn’t digest, leading to starvation and death. The fishes who ate the remains of the bird also gave up eating and began to float dead on water within days. Some fishermen collected these dead fishes and sold them to nearby restaurants. Fortunately, Xi was not present at that feast and was saved.

Rapid development around the lake led to chemical leaching into the water, causing significant changes. The tiny phytoplankton were the worst victims. They developed sores on their bodies that wouldn’t heal. Fertilizer, crude oil and different pesticides interfered with the circadian rhythm of the organisms altering their feeding, migratory or reproductive habits. Xi was close to a horse fish family, very simple and industrious one. The male horse fish was very caring to its offspring and was fond of conceiving over and again. The process was very painful. Xi would never forget the exhaustion and shrunken face of the poor fish after each delivery. Yet, the horse-fish continued willingly, hoping to establish a horse-fish majority in the lake. No doubt, of all the marine lives Xi encountered in life, the male horse-fish was the most vocal advocate for female rights. He would bluntly declare that females should be treated as queens, given the ordeal that they undergo for creation; they have every right of being served by others. “Life has taught me two things,” he’d say,”never shirk your duty, and always respect your females.” That noble horse fish, one day, while heavily pregnant was found unconscious. He had ingested some tiny particles, possibly plastic or something else, and died.

Another horrific memory etched into Xi’s mind was the reckless burning of Hydras. These freshwater invertebrates resemble miniature, fleshy palm trees with swaying fronds of tentacles. Their unique ability was regeneration – even if you cut them into pieces, each piece could grow into a new hydra. Once Xi even saw an angry mother ripping her child apart, she then mixed up the pieces into a ball and a new hydra child grew out of it. All the animals in the lake were amazed at such magical display. But they were not envious. However, Xi later understood that such rare endowment of the creature made them ideal for studies in healing and ageing among mankind. Humans, longing for immortality, often experimented on them. But at that time Xi couldn’t make heads or tails of why so many hundreds of hydras were being caught every day. One person even wanted to confirm if they were really deathless! So, he brought a huge quantity of a viscous substance and spilled it upon them. Millions of hydras perished within seconds, reduced to ashes. Stunned and horrified, Xi sat motionless for hours, overcome with despair. ‘Whose turn is next?’, he thought, trembling with fear.’

Once, a pandemic ravaged many countries worldwide. Therefore, a grand scheme was taken to establish a hospital on the eastern part of the lake. When work started the lake dwellers felt that the entire sky was going to cave in. Soon the eastern lake bed was covered with huge piles of sand and debris. Someone even dumped some toxic chemicals over there. Everything happened so rapidly that the plants and animals living in the eastern bloc had no time to flee, they were buried alive and buried for good. Even the powerful rays couldn’t escape the cataclysm. Personally, Xi admired the rays. These rays can inhabit open dunes, construct complex single-celled nests and prey on flies at least of 11 families. Quite often they move along the muddy or sandy bottom with their fins over the sand or shooting jets of water out of their mouths to flush out potential prey. Despite their keen eyesight, they hunted by sensing electrical signals from their prey below. Their unique skills and beauty were a source of awe for other creatures in the lake. But everyone panicked when the tortured bodies of such smart cookies were found dumped in the eastern part, their homes were destroyed. Countless invertebrates making micro habitats in the homes of rays turned homeless. The surviving rays got their spiracles infected. Many worms, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish and squid disappeared in that unprecedented disaster.

Apart from the animals, Xi recalled some of the plants that grew in that lost part of the lake for centuries. Water stargrass, once floated like tiny stars upon the surface, sometimes grew on land with small, leathery leaves and star-shaped flowers despite having fewer branches. Hydrilla, with its stems covered in tiny leaves and serrated edges, thrived in low-light conditions and even sediment pollution. Yet, to the dismay of everyone, these resilient plants that were fortunate not to get crushed under huge stones, bricks or heaps of sand hurtling through the water, were soon infected by unknown diseases. Xi would never forget the moments he played hide-and-seek with his pal amid the bush of wild celery. Celery has the capability to withstand wave disturbances and tolerated murky, pollutant-rich waters. Moreover, they are important food source for critters and can help keep ducks’ feathers clean and healthy. However, all these plants vanished in the thin air as if within the twinkling of an eye. Within months a large area of the lake was turned into an artificial island and a dedicated COVID hospital, along with a museum built on the spot. Primarily, there was no plan for a museum, but later it was included in the estimates since it could help conserve the marine life. Xi found the irony staggering – establishing a conservation effort after such merciless destruction.

Once a 211 years old grandma turtle, who nested in the south-east corner of the shore for a dozen times, told the catfish, “I’ve lived a full life- of pleasure and adventure, but I’m not sure whether my offspring would be able to fulfill even 25 or not,” Then she leaned over and said in a whisper ‘Xi, let me share you one thing, I have nested just behind the cosmetic shop on the south-east corner of the shore. If my hatchlings somehow can reach the lake, show them the way to Florida’. She was right. After some days the hatchlings made their way up to the water, Xi was not in a position to take them with him to Florida. His own situation was so precarious that he was unable to ensure their safety.

The most peculiar sight in the lake was a blue-striped grunt fish trapped in a plastic band. He resembled a convict, constantly struggling with the bands wrapped around its body like handcuffs and shackles. The small fishes were frightened at this; their parents would spin a tale of mass murder committed by the grunt fish that precipitated his doom. While most fishes would avoid him taking as a damned soul, some would feel sorrow at his misery. And for the wretched grunt life was nothing but flipping through the blank pages of eternity. It desperately searched for a way out, yearning for the quick release just as those lemmings he had seen jump off cliffs! The grunt fish would moan why he couldn’t be a lemming! At times, he would wish that he could become a drop of water only to get vanished in the vast ocean. Xi being very kind-hearted used to console the grunt fish but sweet words offered no comfort. “Leave this lake,” He advised Xi, “Go to Florida. This place is occupied. Stay away from the ruffians.”

Thus from tiniest plankton and shrimps to the giant squid, everyone fell victim to the cruelties of the bipeds—humans. Even the majestic sharks were not spared, their fins were being lacerated. For long Xi was in the dark about the use of fins to human. Only he would see that those who are cutting the fins are doing it most brutally! Sharks themselves were powerful predators and were literally ruling the lake for centuries and the lake animals couldn’t believe anyone would wage war against the sharks. One day, Xi witnessed a horrifying sight – a young shark, its fins barbarously cut off, was thrown back to die in the lake. He was bleeding profusely and eventually succumbed to death. All the sharks surrounded the lifeless body of the baby shark; they mourned his premature death and resolved to take revenge. Unfortunately Xi couldn’t know whether the sharks could take revenge against those enemies or not. It was on a rainy morning that Xi made the heartbreaking decision to leave his home – the lake, their home, the home of his forefathers, their natural habitat for centuries where all the plants and animals have lived in harmony; where they never thought to do any harm to others, where they were but worshippers of beauty. He became tearful, ‘so many memories, so much joy and sadness! How can I forget! Dear lake, my home, my love.’ He felt Joe more intensely that day; they were supposed to start the journey together. Alas! That didn’t happen and Xi started a lone journey. He crossed hills and dales, fields, buildings, sewerage lines etc. The rapid development that had reached this remote corner startled him. Earlier the diversity of habitats here was home to a wealth of plants, animals and other biotas. Among all the cedar and pine trees it was not difficult to come across a mountain ibex grazing or a marmot standing on hind legs trying to see something; a slug chewing its way across the lichen and leaving its characteristic scraping marks behind; a bark lice being preyed upon by spiders, a spider being eaten by the shrew and shrews themselves being snatched up by hawks. At night some foxes would give out a high-pitched howl,. An owl could be found hooting and katydids would remain busy singing to attract a partner. But now all these are tales of bygone days. Buildings, avenues, parks and streets are replacing the once beautiful landscape. Now drivers blow horns and rev up engines to their roaring maximum to push other vehicles out of the way.

Desperate to avoid the chaos and crowded areas, Xi crawled for seven days, driven by the fear of danger until he reached Florida. But as ill luck would have it, one day while crossing a meadow, he was intercepted by a hound dog that at first snarled at him, probably out of dislike, and then caught him in his mouth and took to his master. However, by the time the dog brought Xi to his master, he almost got crushed under the dog’s teeth. The master, Fred, somehow felt pity for the poor catfish, waited upon him for several days. No doubt, Xi was seriously injured but the way Fred took care of him was unforgettable. Whenever Fred returned home, he’d bring peas and orange slices, gently reassuring Xi, “Don’t worry, my friend. You’ll recover. You’re special to me. I won’t let you die.” With this intensive care and nursing, bit by bit the catfish convalesced from his injuries harbouring the thought that ‘Men are not bad as they think’. Then one day, Fred brought a new glass case and put Xi inside. The next morning, Fred packed his luggage, put the case with Xi carefully inside, and boarded a plane. He was taking Xi to his workplace in a faraway land.

(3)

Two days after their journey began, Xi and Fred arrived in a breathtaking land. As they exited the airport in a car Xi could see through the window pane the rising sun cast a rosy glow on the morning sky, illuminating the gently sloping, white sand beach lined with pristine palm trees. Silky dunes tumbled down, seemingly flirting with the briny seawater. As Fred drove down the winding course, Xi came across beautiful parks where elderly humans were taking a stroll; colourful flowers bloomed along their walkways and nothing but palm trees across the highways. But after driving for one and half hour he found in a place road pines being replaced by oaks, mahogany and cedars. It was summer and the temperature was around 30° c. He felt that day to be the sunniest in the region. Xi found the summer there long, very warm and fairly humid. Every so often a sea breeze rustled by, allowing day time warmth to be bearable. Throughout the journey, Xi noticed Fred’s joyful mood, the soothing sea breeze playing with his hair. He also spotted numerous inland lakes, solidifying his impression of this place as the “Sunshine State.” By the time they reached Fred’s house, the few thin strips of clouds on the horizon had transformed into shimmering gold. The beautiful sun seemed to set behind the palm trees in a sea of gold. Exhausted from the trip, Fred still provided Xi with plenty of food pellets.

For the next two days Xi remained in that house. Placed in the wide veranda of a house featuring glazed walls and sliding doors and nestled in sylvan setting, Xi could get a glimpse of the surrounding mountains and forests from here. His life had become now more humane. The melodic dawn chorus of birdsong served as his wake-up call. The intoxicating aroma of yellow flowers would captivate him, and the gentle southern breeze lulled him into afternoon naps. From his new home Xi would gaze at the beautiful sky and clouds drifting lazily overhead. Contemplating his past, he realized that his life in the lake, confined and underwater, hadn’t truly shown him what life could be. He began to see life as a multifaceted actor playing a multitude of roles. Sometimes it’s a model gliding down a runway, sometimes a whirlpool swirling towards its centre, and sometimes a gentle breeze, ephemeral and free. His ancestors, for generations, knew only the lake as their home. They couldn’t have imagined a world so close yet so different. Although some of the lake’s inhabitants had a glimpse of the world above, either by committing a mistake or by chance; they had to pay for it. His dearest pal Joe had significant knowledge of the earth and life, but this awareness couldn’t shake his distrust of humans. No, not all men are bad. If everyone were good as his master Fred, how amazing life would be!

Indeed life plays manifold roles! Who knew more wonders are waiting for the catfish!

Fred soon moved Xi to a much larger facility. It was bright and airy, with easily rearranged furniture, safety signage, and easy-to-clean floors. There was a large aquarium in the middle of the hall room, which was in fact, a large pond teeming with several species of marine life. Algae, diatoms, seaweed, and kelp provided a natural feel. Surrounding the aquarium were large jars and glass cases, each containing a single animal. Initially, Xi couldn’t tell if these isolated creatures were alive or dead! But soon he could realize that some of the animals there were as old as 150 years! None of them were moving and it felt that they were either in a deep sleep or played possum. However, finding so many marine friends all around, Xi had bursts of happiness although he was a bit concerned about on which pot the master was going to release him. Is he going to put him among the dead! However, much to the wonder of the little creature, Fred placed Xi in the big aquarium. Xi’s gratitude towards this kind man was beyond words. However, from his long experience Xi guessed that his new home must be a laboratory. It had all the equipment of biological research like microscopes, paraffin dispenser, drying oven, water bath, centrifuges, autoclave, acetic acid, vinegar, ammonia, sulphur oxide, formaldehyde, and what not! Besides, the laboratory promoted employee well-being, female staff retention, nursery and small gym. Free hot food was being served quite often. There were also a collaboration area encouraging formal and informal gathering and idea sharing. Despite the occasional pungent odour, it was an unusual but strangely wonderful place – a haven where some marine life could coexist and even befriend benevolent humans. This, Xi learned, was a Center of Excellence, and Fred was its Director.

However, Xi soon realized a disquieting truth – not all was well in this house. A sense of gloom hung over everyone. At a closer inspection, Xi discovered that many fishes were having deformities; some behaved abnormally and some suffered from amnesia and couldn’t tell who they were. A walrus was seen to bite the glass of her enclosure, regurgitating and re-eating her food. She remained shy most of the time. One day, Xi overheard Fred discussing recent research with his colleagues. It seemed to offer hope for the brave but caution for the timid. Xi couldn’t help but wonder if shyness had already shortened the walrus’s lifespan! She appeared frail and much older than her actual age of ten that Xi assumed was 28. However, Xi had unshakable faith in his master, and he knew him full well. ‘Fred can’t make a mistake. He must have brought the walrus to treat her disorder’- he thought. He recalled once again the way Fred tended him during his own illness.

In the new environment Xi used to roam around in order to get acquainted with new friends. He never expected to find any familiar faces, let alone someone he knew from the lake thousands of miles away. But to his surprise, one day, Xi bumped into the old grandma turtle! He remembered her from the lake, the one who had asked him to look after her hatchlings. Xi was over the moon to see her but couldn’t tell her that none of her hatchlings survived. He simply explained that after her departure, he too had left the lake. However, soon both Xi and the grandma turtle became close friends. They would eat together, drink, wander around and often would reflect on their past. Grandma turtle, an age-old lady, literally, had drunk life to the lees. She would relate her stories to the catfish and the catfish would be all ears. Beginning her life in the Atlantic, she spent most of her time in the Gulf Stream currents where floating sargassum weeds grew in plenty. From there, she would travel to the lake for nesting, doing so at least 53 times in her 215-year lifespan. Each time she would lay dozens of eggs. So, her belief that her babies were moving in almost all the big oceans on earth often would become of boast, and swagger, and rodomontade. She also related the story of her first love, of a loggerhead turtle she had fallen in love with. Unfortunately, she could never tell it to him. Then in summer when everyone was looking for a partner, she expected that the love of her life would propose her. Indeed, it was about to happen so when a villain intervened and a fierce fight took place between them. No doubt, the villain was a stronger one and could get under her lover’s shell and attack him with his gulars. Devastated, the grandma turtle was forcefully taken advantage of by the victor, who then moved on to another victim. When everything was over the villain moved to someone else and did the same thing. Throughout her life, grandma turtle had fallen in love twice but with no success, and ultimately remained the faithful partner of someone she didn’t truly love. Even after so many years, the memories of her lost loves haunted her. She couldn’t forget those days. At this time Xi saw tears in her eyes.

One afternoon as they were talking about the ugly looking grunt fish of the lake, Fred along with his subordinates came and caught the grandma. She was then frog-marched to the corner of the hall room where a male soft-shell turtle was kept inside a glass case. They held the grandma turtle forcefully and began injecting something in the muscles of her hind legs. Afterwards, the male turtle was brought out and the team members tried collecting semen from him by manual stimulation and the use of a vibrator. But the process failed and they tried a different way. Eventually, they made it through sedation and electro-ejaculation, found some viable sperm and inseminated the grandma turtle. Xi could see all these through transparent acrylic fibre walls of the aquarium. When everything was over, Fred and his team relaxed and ordered hot soup of shark fin. The grandma turtle returned to the aquarium, she felt a severe twinge in her cloaca. No doubt, she let out a torrent of invectives. Xi was shocked by all the abusive words used against his kind master and tried to stop her. At this the grandma became more furious and told, ‘Have you noticed I’m gaining more and more weight day by day. I detest their company food, why should I eat? I like the floating sargassum weeds in the Gulf, not the company food they provide. I’m gaining weight and now I can barely move! Do you know for the last three months how brutally they are torturing me and that old soft turtle! His sex organs are already damaged and my kidney and other organs are declining. They whipped out all my babies, yet they want babies from me in this old age! Isn’t it ridiculous? Do they think just because they’re in charge they can do whatever they please? Do you know every cup of soup they are sipping now is at the cost of sharks dying from excessive bleeding? What kind of drink is that? Soup or blood?

Xi wasn’t prepared to hear such accusations. Yes, he had heard about remorseless cruelties of human beings, but couldn’t believe his kind master, Fred, could be a scoundrel. He swore to distance himself from the grandma turtle . After all, how could he tolerate slander against someone who had done immense good not only to him, but to many! He wouldn’t be ungrateful! After spending so much time with humans, he believed one thing: humans were the only rational creatures on Earth. However, when both of them fell out over the issue of Fred , once again Xi became alone and was on a look out for a new friend. But he was oblivious of the fact that it’s possible to run away from reality, not from truth. There were so many bizarre incidents taking place all around that Xi felt extremely uncomfortable; he squirmed, and wriggled, even screeched at times. The miserable death of the crab, mantis and eel fish aroused doubts in him. In his childhood, as darkness descended he would see electric eels emerge from the lake bottoms and attack their prey with up to 860 volts of electricity. They would grow as long as a broomstick and would hunt in packs. Then for many years eels went missing from the lake. Their disappearance was a much-talked about issue in the lake. While Xi didn’t know the exact reason of their disappearance, he saw eels undergo a brutal crackdown. In fact, the repression was so severe that not a single eel was found in the lake in its aftermath. A clownfish, who was witness to the incident behind such repression, condemned an eel for risking nemesis by insolence. Yes, it is true that the princess of the state enticed him trying to take him out of the water. But he shouldn’t have attacked her for it. Yet, when he did so by giving a shock of 600 volts; the princess shouted and was then dragged out of the water with the creature still on her. She somehow was able to shake him off and allowed her friends to cut the animal into pieces. The clownfish regretted, ‘Poor eel, rather than kowtowing to a princess, you dared to attack and kill her- now your community have to bear the brunt of it! Do you know they can produce thousands of eels like you in their safety tanks?’ However, although many of the fishes in the lake blamed the wayward eel for bringing disaster to the entire eel community Xi never agreed with them that the eel, being an ignoble creature shouldn’t have the right of private defence!

However, one thing Xi noticed that while most animals here looked gloomy and withdrawn, eels seemed strangely elated. They were fed crabs daily– a feast for them, but a nightmare for the wretched crabs. In the lake they had opportunities to flee and save themselves. Who knew the world outside could be so suffocatingly narrow? While insignificant creatures underwater, crabs even tolerated homeless barnacles that attached themselves to their reproductive organs, causing significant damage. Clownfish also faced numerous threats – groupers, sharks, and barracuda. Humans, too, captured them for their tanks and aquariums. Yet, they still had some semblance of safety. Xi recalled a time when barracuda was chasing a small clownfish. The clownfish madly ran to save himself and found refuge in a lovely bush, very colourful and deep. When the barracuda entered there to seize the prey, he got entrapped and paralysed before breathing his last. Thus the clownfish was saved by anemone and he also returned the favour by eradicating parasites from the body of his benefactor. Here, crabs were denied not only a safe haven but also their basic right to self-defence. Xi couldn’t help but think the crab might have wished to be born a clownfish. He could offer the poor creature no solace but a prayer for a peaceful afterlife. But were the eels truly out of danger?

Another incident, in addition to the crab’s plight, left a lasting impression on Xi. Everyone in the lake were awed by the mesmerizing interplay of colours of the beauty queen, the mantis. The catfish vividly remembers how a mantis used to create an interplay of sixteen colours in the lake! While many would see just a rainbow, mantises were able to see a thermonuclear bomb of light and beauty. They were aggressive, could move extremely fast and capture their prey knocking them out. They had two appendages that they used to strike the prey with the velocity of a gunshot. Sometimes, they might miss their target, but the sheer speed of their limbs created a shock wave in the water, still killing the prey. Here, however, the sight was unbelievable: the once gorgeous and powerful mantis queen lay lifeless on a chef’s cutting board. He split her shell open along her belly and then proceeded to cut her into pieces. Then he heated the wok and added some oil there. Afterwards, he dipped the cut ends into the cornstarch and shook off the excess. Again, he heated oil to 180 degrees Celsius, fried the mantis pieces for five minutes, turned them over and drained it on paper towels. He then poured oil and cornstarch from the wok and set it over high flame; he added garlic and chillies, sprinkled salt and pepper. Eventually, it was ready for serve. Xi, unaware that the mantis was being prepared for a seminar’s guests that afternoon, couldn’t help but let out a long sigh at the sight of the powerful queen’s pitiful fate. All hope seemed to vanish.

The seminar buzzed with excitement as speakers shared their plans with the invited guests. They talked about how all the projects they have undertaken are going to bring a revolutionary change in the field of natural science. They bragged about their achievements and hoped that in the coming days their centre will lead the nation. However, the projects that they focused on included generating electricity from eels, replacing eels with catfish, producing more loggerhead turtles by cloning, turning the barren turtles fertile, decorating royal gardens with sea anemones and so on. Fred, the Director of the Center, read out a message to everyone and told – ‘Dear researchers, it’s a message from His Excellency, the President of the Republic that the Congress has agreed unanimously to invest in our research. However, the success of our projects is paramount. Rest assured of glory, dosh and laurels; we stand to achieve more than we can imagine! . Remember, our life on earth is not meaningless and there can be nothing more glorious than doing something for the nation, nothing more beautiful than exploring the unexplored. So, it’s high time you show your best.’ With this concluding speech, the Director expressed his gratitude to the young researchers and invited them to enjoy mantis shrimp fritters paired with a hot shark fin soup.

Certainly, those who are noble never do anything unnecessary. They have noble motives behind.

Xi was now clear that all the creatures brought there were brought for some purpose, for experiment, for opening new vistas of life. No doubt, those who have known themselves are inclined to know others, know their surroundings, and delve into the mystery of life. They wanted to change the old order, find pleasure in creating space for the new, and hope for their inventions to last perennially. They wish generations to sing paeans in their memories. And there is nothing wrong in such an honest intent.

Exactly, after months of arriving at this research centre, Xi’s turn had finally come. He had spent so much time knowing humans, but there was still much to discover. One morning he was shifted from the pond size aquarium to the smaller glass case. He had nothing to do but eagerly wait and see what lay ahead! Yes, he was a bit unnerved but he never shuddered to face the reality, he has been facing ordeals since birth. Although he was provided delicious food, spirulina pills, oxygen rich fresh water and temperate atmosphere in the glass case, he lost his appetite. In consequence, he lost weight and became thin within days. Days went by. No experiment was being conducted on him and though he didn’t like to be confined in the case he tried to remain normal. In those lonely days he recollected his past life, his dreams. He envisioned someday being free and sharing his story with the world. He even began writing an autobiography, though everyone wondered what he was doing with his whiskers! He remembered how the Director and his team had shared the experience of visiting the Chillinghum castle. They mourned the tragic story of the “blue boy,” who, confined within a wall, cried himself hoarse. His cries faded in the thin air, unheard. Then, the boy wrote something on the walls, dismissed as mere scribblings. However, it was the heartbreaking story of a little boy penned within a subterranean prison cell, a potential bestseller that no one could decipher. Xi felt that may be whatever he is writing will go unheeded but he has to speak. He believed someday, his words would resonate with compassionate souls somewhere in the world. With these thoughts, Xi drifted off to sleep, only to discover the next morning that he was no longer considered “he” but “she.”

Xi was befuddled, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He gave a second look at his male part, ‘no, it’s of a female’. He began to reel, his heart constricted and bones seemed to crush. There was inflammation in his intestines which led to severe stomach pain and diarrhoea. His temperature ran high and he seemed to spin and collapse. Repeatedly, he asked himself, ‘How’s it possible? I have not caused any harm to anyone. Then, why should I suffer for someone’s experiment? Is it at all civil to change someone’s sex in the name of invention! I was born a male, grew up as male, had sensations of a male, I fell in love with a female, used to be excited smelling the sweet fragrance of female whiskers, and I dreamt my female partner bear my offspring’! In a word, Xi was so stupefied that he couldn’t feel whether he was living or dead.

A few days later one afternoon his master, the renowned Director of the centre came to visit him with his team. The Director thanked everyone that they have done an excellent job by turning a male catfish into female using soybean isoflavone. He tried to whip up enthusiasm among his team mates by speaking a few words: “Juniors, look! Female catfish grow much faster than males! By making them all female, we can significantly increase production efficiency. This translates to a cheaper food source, meeting national demand and contributing to achieving SDGs in the global south. The technique can be applied to sturgeons as well. Before we move on our next project of healing taste buds with whiskers, I would request you to consider alternative methods in which catfish can take in soybean isoflavone in their food, such as soy less. Remember, our success in our research will determine whether we’ll be nominated for the next Nobel prize or not”. Inspired by the Director’s speech, Fred’s colleagues enthusiastically embarked on the next project. However, Xi was astonished. His master, the very man who once tirelessly waited on him night after night to ensure his health and well-being, now completely snubbed him. Xi couldn’t reconcile this with the man he once knew. However, the meeting being over, the Director and his teammates started with renewed vigour to conduct the next phase of their research. They arrived equipped with surgical instruments – lancets, forceps, dilators, specula, suction tips, and tubes. Xi was carefully transferred to the operating table, anaesthetized, and his whiskers were removed. Meanwhile, the catfish slept through the procedure, oblivious to everything. However, upon regaining consciousness, he found himself in a daze. He couldn’t remember anything and had lost his sense of smell. The world felt disoriented and upside-down. Despite feeling no pain during the procedure, when his whispers were being pulled out, excruciating pain overwhelmed him hours later. It felt that all his axons and dendrites were ripped asunder. That night he caught severe fever, several times he passed out and regained senses. He muttered something but no one could hear that.

At the break of the dawn as the first rays of the sun fell upon the distant mountains and scattered the breathtaking hues of pink, orange and red against the aesthetic backdrop of mystical morning mist, Xi, the lake catfish breathed his last. Director Fred and his team, enjoying the inspiring daybreak with coffee, planned a hike before their next assignment. After all, a catfish has nothing to do with the way of the world. Those that are great have much important tasks left; they have miles to go before they sleep.

Next year the news hogged the headlines ‘A Florida scientist and his team win Nobel Prize for their rare contribution to mankind, by exploring the method of reviving lost taste buds’.

Born in the village of Majkhuria in Bangladesh, Rehanul Hoque started by writing poems at an early age. Falling ‘upon the thorns of life,’ Rehanul takes refuge in the lap of nature. He also seeks pleasure in playing with words. He believes beauty is religion and literature can build a habitable earth by promoting harmony and truth together through the appreciation of beauty. He dreams of a future ruled only by love.

Rehanul’s works have appeared in different journals, magazines and anthologies like The Wagon Magazine, Scarlet Leaf Review, The Penwood Review, The Pangolin Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, The Piker Press, Cacti Fur, LUMMOX 9, Literary Yard, NAT SCAMMACCA CULTURAL MAGAZINE, AZAHAR REVISTA POETICA, Asian Signature, North Dakota Quarterly, Kittab, The Cyclone will End, and Love in Summer.  He was selected for best of the net nominees by Scarlet Leaf Review in 2020.