la verre de la poseidon, i am Aquavin.

 

“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”– Robin Sharma




You can't admit defeat even before you've started”
I wish this was the mantra. I would take that anyday to “you're going to quit in a week.”
“You and your lazy little ass can't do it.”

It isn't. And I've decided that that's okay. People are like that. It's not personal. I'm going to do it just because.
By people, I mean fishes are like that. This big pond you see here is home to all the fishes in La verre de Poséidon.
We take our selves very seriously. Especially when we've not been called upon to give unwanted bad vibes. It's their way of giving encouragement.

In case I haven't said already, I'm Aquavin. I gave that delicious name to myself. You want to know why? Come on, it's obvious. You guess.

No? Well if you look at my baby pictures till now, you'd see how I'm aging like fine wine. There. Now you've got it.

Here in La verre de Poséidon, we name ourselves. That way you can't put the blame on mama fishilicious over there.

Mama fishilicious is the incubator we came in. How I know this? Don't ask me. I know all sorts of people in all sorts of places. She looks sleeker than ever. Almost as if she's never been an incubator. You may have already guessed but once we're hatched, we're pretty much on our own. Unless you're Aquavin and a social fishess, you're pretty much going to end up as one macho sharks dinner.

As I speak, I'm calling out to the water lilies and coral that love to hang out with me.
The reeds are a different sort. The uptight I'm-too-good or is it I'm-too- scared? —to call out a greeting?
Well, that sort of different.

I'm swimming to the hollow. It's a rite of passage. Not that I care about all the talk that it's what makes you a respectable one in La verre de Poseidon, no matter what you call yourself.

The hollow is a dark intricate tunnel in the mountainlike rock. It's got everything. I mean smooth swimming and sharp turns and sharks waiting to spring on and swallow fish like me that are courageous enough to do this on our own terms.
Even when we could easily get the guidance and moral support from our older and wiser “big fish league”.

I'm doing this. I'm doing this. I keep repeating this in my mind to discourage myself? This isn't our language of encouragement.

I make another sharp turn and come face to face with this beautiful glowing rock.
This is a rock, tiny and pretty that you don't leave behind even when you're being chased by sharks.
I would carry it for a souvenir only it could be my companion in the shark's belly.
Aquavin of la verre de Poséidon is no fool. I stay on track and feel the currents of the Eddie's. Like PHD's they are going to try the best to turn me off course or pull me under.
It's great they don't know I've got an ace in the hole. Literally. I hold on to that. It's a root. It's going to anchor me as I get thrown around by the bullies; the eddies.

This is when I hear the sound. A great whoosh that surrounds me and tells me I'm going to be dinner soon. Or not.
Does my life flash before my eyes? No.
It's a light.  A light I would get to only if I muster the courage to swim in the face of the danger. A broad heavy face .

I dash forward. Then pause. I'd be swimming straight into danger's belly and deprive him of the pleasure of the chase.
I'm kind.  Aquavin does not deny people of their personal pleasures.
But with no strategy, there's no chase either.

I eye the series of little rocks that would save me from danger's great whites. And then I take the swish.
All this talk about chases and strategies and you ask?
What's going on?
Well I'm in the labyrinth. The large one that is designed to be fair to all fishes. Fairness is overrated. But I'm not going to lie pathetically in the bed of excuses.
The swish of my movement sounds so amplified, like someone put a speaker to my life.
I focus on the destination. I can't let a few mind games get me down. I'm the Aquavin. My destination, which is also my temporary refuge, is this alcove designed for little angel fishes like me. Did I mention fair? Well that's fair jutting out of the channel.

Suddenly, I sense a ripple in the still water. He has brought his great whites to toy with me. I shiver. What is it that they say about courage? Right! It's not the absence of fear.

His patient toying bores him. My would be predator has got no finesse. I could teach him to play the game the way it needs to be played but he doesn't seem very bright.
His movements cease to cause ripples, he's making waves. This one is way too eager. I may be Aquavin but I'm little, at least in size.
Just as I get in the alcove, I hear the clamp of those great whites at my tail's tips. You would think this one would savour the kill. Well there's no kill here, not this moment.
I see the flash of those great whites in you two seconds. I stop breathing. Even as the killer disappears from my view and all goes quiet.

To press on or not to press on. Not this moment. I very well know that the killer would just not leave like that. He would lurk behind some rocks for a while to wait me out. I may be young, but I've got theoretical experience.


I'm being as still as a rock on the sea bed.
Believe me, those ones will not flinch in an earthquake. They're sturdy. My heartbeat sounds to me like the main jam at an undersea rock show, you plug your ears and it will come right through.

After fifteen minutes of motionless sparring, maybe of wills,I decide to venture out. I start to give myself the motivational talk but then, stuff it. I dart right out. It's jaws of Mr great whites or glory for me.
Aquavin will want to be known for sense but mostly for courage, or stupidity. It's all on where it is you're standing.

Three minutes in the wide open free range and Mr. Great whites is nowhere to be seen.  I'm hyper, with fear and adrenaline pushing me where I want, need to get to.
I see the glowing circle they've all mentioned with glee at one moment or the other. It's believed to give some immunity from Great Whites. It's probably some crap some wise guy came up with to solidify our guts which should normally be mush around then.
Crap or no crap, I swish right through and feel the relief that renewed hope brings.
Ah, what we do for glory!


Oh oh
I sense a ripple in the current and I know, the chase is on!
Fate hands me one of it's surprises when seemingly out of nowhere , a cave made just for me. I rush in.
The darkness does not engulf me. You couldn't possibly be here all your life and not develop superb night vision.
The chase at least for mr.Great whites is still on. I hear his mad movements, he seems to have officially lost it. Now I'm in a right bind.
I look around imploringly, my mystery cave has got to be more. I need it to be.
Oh what are the odds! I swish forward cautiously into a wall, supposedly.  It doesn't end so I keep moving. It does feel like the inside of a log, I can smell the rot of the wood.
Darting forward, The opening seems to become wider yet. Could I be swishing right into the danger. Well it doesn't look like I've got many choices . I increase my speed. I might just as well die with some semblance of courage. I haven't got an audience but where's my hope?
This time, I forsake any instincts pointing me to make use of strategy. It's surreal and heady..
I rush forward and who do I bump into. No! You're too bleak. Remember one of those friends in the big league? Well I'm home and out of danger. Looks like I've made it through this hollow.  My big league friend shows me the very safe way of getting home, now that all has been accomplished, I can abandon my hero thing and adopt some sense.

 

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