Attach a Couple of Masts and You'd Have a Fine Ship

Story Submitted by Patti:

John was slightly younger than the usual guy I'd consider dating, but he had a way about him that was different from any other guy I could remember who contacted me online.  There was nothing fake or phony about him.  He came across as a little immature, but he was blunt and funny, so I took to him quickly.

The day of our date, a couple of hours before we were to meet, I received a call.  I saw on my cell's caller ID that it was John, and so I picked up.

"Hey," a voice said over the phone, a voice that didn't sound like John.

"Hey," I replied, "Who is this?"

"This is John's… friend.  Alec.  John wants me to tell you that he's going to be late to dinner."

"Why doesn't John tell me himself?"

"He's stuck in a fish tank."

So sure I was that I had misheard it, I asked, "Could you put John on, please?"

Alec replied, "John's stuck in a terrarium.  He can't get out.  I'm going to call the fire department right after we hang up, but he wanted me to call you, first."

"John's stuck inside of a tank?  That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

Alec lost his patience with me and yelled into the phone, "Fine!  Don't believe me.  You can come by and see for yourself.  288 Claymore Lane, Buxton.  I've got to go."  He hung up.

The address was less than 10 minutes away, so I drove there and knocked on the front door.  A guy with blue hair opened the door.  "Shit," he said, "I hoped you were the fire department."

He turned around and walked into the house without introducing himself, but I could tell by his voice that he was Alec.  I followed him into a living room, where, on a green shag carpet, sat a small glass terrarium, and within was John, smooshed inside in such a way that seemed to defy logic and physical possibility.  He was able to fidget, but not much else.

I knelt alongside the tank and asked him, "How did you do this?"

He said, "It was a dare.  Can you help Alec tip me over?"

I turned to Alec, who said, "Might as well, now that you're here.  I couldn't do it myself."

I surrounded the tank with pillows, as I didn't want the falling tank to shatter with John inside.  Alec and I almost succeeded in flipping it upside-down when heavy knocking came from the front door.

It was the fire department.  After we explained the situation, they went to work on the tank.  They had a tool that scored the surface of the glass and made it easy to pop out and remove entire sections.  Instructing John to stay calm and still the whole time, they had him loose very quickly, and told him, memorably, to not be as stupid in the future.

They left and John, soaking wet and sticky with sweat, asked me, "Ready to go?  Alec can stay here and clean up."

Alec grumbled and left the room.  I told John, "I think we'd better postpone.  This has all just been a little too much."

"But I'm slippery, now," John said.

Unsure how that addressed my prior statement, I said, "Why don't you call me and we'll arrange something else?"

"I don't want to play video games with Alec all night.  Just come on.  Let's go."

"You should probably at least shower.  You might have tiny bits of glass in your hair."

He thought for a moment then said, "Good idea."

While he was in the shower, I slipped out of there.  I didn't hear from him, but even now, a couple of years later, the image of him in that tank makes me smile.