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A treadmill squeaked as a mouse ran off its caged-up energy
in the back of the pet shop.
Parakeets chirped loudly and flapped their wings, throwing food all over.
The bubbling sound of aerated water echoed off all the fish tanks.
I watched as the old man grabbed some small fish from the aquarium.
He took them to a larger tank holding
a huge orange and brown fish called an Oscar.
With one gulp, the Oscar devoured one of the smaller fish when it hit the water.
Glittery pieces of fish and scales seemed to drop from the Oscar’s gills as it swallowed its prey.
“It’s a shame,” he said.
“We were doing all right in this place.”
“This is a great store,” I said.
“Why are you closing after all these years?”
The Oscar moved quickly as it cornered some of the smaller fish
in the back of its tank.
Then it moved in, picking off the slower ones one at a time.
“A big chain store is moving in the shopping center
down the street,” the old guy said.
“I can’t compete with those guys.”
We both stood by and watched quietly as the big fish ate the
little fish that had given up.

Reprinted from "It was easy to say goodbye"
©Copyright 2002 Keith Gery