Blub, Blub, Cheer Up!

I entered the house, closing the door behind me. The summer heat wave was too much—glad I’d taken a cab home. 

Mom wasn’t there to greet me. Slipping on my house slippers, I headed to the kitchen and found her baking up a storm. Just looking at the sweets gave me a sugar rush. After waving hello, I went to my room to freshen up. 

When I returned, I gave Mom a hug and grabbed a plate of spaghetti. Sitting at the table, I enjoyed my lunch while watching her cook. Are we having guests? I wondered. 

After putting my clean plate on the rack, I walked into the living room—and there was the reason for Mom’s cooking spree: my nephew. 

He sat there, surrounded by gloomy clouds. I gave him a hug and asked what was wrong. Turns out, his friend had moved away, and he was pretty upset. 

Knowing words wouldn’t help much, I grabbed my wallet and told Mom we were going to the nearby convenience store. Hoping ice cream would cheer him up, I ordered a scoop for each of us. 

As we sat eating, something else caught my attention. Finishing quickly, I led my nephew over to it—a mini goldfish-catching game. 

I let him try. After several failed attempts, he finally caught one. Proudly holding up a bowl with his new goldfish, he beamed at me. 

We bought some pet food and brought the fish home. I watched as my nephew played with it, giggling as the goldfish followed his finger, bubbles softly "blubbing" in the water. 

The gloomy clouds had vanished. Once again, he was a happy little boy. It’s amazing how a pet can bring so much life into ours. 

Blub, Blub, Cheer Up!

Blub, Blub, Cheer Up!