My Rojo

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2008

My Rojo

Rojo (red in espanol) was our precious betta that lived with us for three years. Sadly, my Rojo died on October 25th. Strangely enough he was not floating up top in his lovely vase but at the bottom by his tree where he would sit for hours watching T.V. He really liked Little House on the Prairie and Judge Judy. He would hide behind his tree when I wanted to watch cooking shows especially one's that featured the chef cooking up cod, salmon, flounder or a nice juicy tuna. I could hear his hissing and booing through the vase and he would go rigid with indignation that I should want to watch such carnage! He gave me and my husband three enjoyable years. He was naturally indolent, not one to run out and play tennis or anything like that. He just liked to lounge around and would get excited at feeding time. When my husband fed him in the mornings, he would shoot straight to the top and wait for his morsels. He could be persnikety though, and one time he actually protested against eating bloodworms as a treat. He just didn't plain like them! He would spit them out. I said "Fine, Rojo, have it your way!" He'd glare at me as if to say, "How could you ever think of feeding me that stuff you crazy lady". Then he would flap his little side fins furiously and show me his little frown. I will miss him and so will my husband.

Rojo came to us via my aunt Alicia and uncle Bob when they went to Italy. They brought him over so we could baby sit him for two weeks and we fell in love with him. My aunt gave us a list of how to care for him and at the top of the list was this line:
1. Rojo likes to play dead. Do not be alarmed if no movement is detected. Just tap on the vase and he will wake up. He's a sleepy time boy.
I busted out laughing. We didn't want to give him back and my aunt was kind enough to let us have him. A month later I bought Azul (blue) and a month after that I bought Blanco (white). Can you tell that I'm so clever at picking out unique names for my bettas.....duh! My sister Cyndi once told me that I must have really banged up my brain cells to come up with those names.....ha ha ha!

I took my Rojo over to my sister and brother in-law's house and put him in a beautiful silver cardboard jewely box and I buried him behind a small evergreen tree by the swimming pool in my sisters backyard. I'm sad but I still have two more bettas. Azul and Blanco will miss their friend. At least I still have them swimming around making me smile.

Deanna