The Lily Trench Orphanage

Last week, Risk Or Death and I decided to blow away the cobwebs of conformity and do something reckless!  First, Risk Or Death suggested leading a revolution in Burma, but I told her that was so Aung San Suu Kyi, and we didn't want to look like copy-flatterers, because that could be, like, way offensive to a 21st Century feminist icon whose name I have to Google for the correct spelling every time I reference her.

Then, RoD suggested that maybe adopting all the street children in Vietnam and housing them in our apartments could be worthwhile, but I reminded her that she spends almost eights hours a day with 5-year-olds and she doesn't really like small children, so this was out.

Instead, whilst zipping along on Little Moto, we stopped as we came out of town next to a man with a bicycle like this:

And we purchased three fish, who were originally called Jesus, Mary and Joseph, because we couldn't remember the Beegees' names, or the names of the three tenors, and we wanted to consolidate their identity as a trio.  As it was a Sunday, this was the only trio I could think of.

Sensing the urgency in our mission, we zoomed home to the Lily Trenches at our humble apartments, and released them from the bag, elated that we had given the gift of freedom to three worthy candidates, and encouraged their fish trafficker to continue to ruin the fishy lives of many for a small profit from guillable Westerners.

A day later, after we had been crossing out fingers tightly, hoping that the change in water temperature/environment/fact that they had been living in a plastic bag for some days/shock would not result in the deaths of J, M&J.  Great excitement overcame us, therefore, when we saw all three swimming around quite calmly in the water with a fourth, white goldfish, who obviously stole the name of Jesus, and whichever one had been Jesus before is now John the Baptist.  We also saw three smaller fish, whom we have named Romeo, Juliet and the Nursemaid.  So others must be freeing fish as well!

We plan to make this a monthly occurrence and continue to populate the Lily Trench Orphanage with lost, abandoned and neglected fish.  Please address any charitable donations for the fish to 'Emma and RoD's Holiday Fund, PO Box 2049, Vietnam'.