What really matters..

Hi Guys. This is my first ever short story. Well its not that short. But do read it and gimme your true comments. I myself know that it is not up to standard, but i will try to come out with better ones as time goes by.

"Oh mom.. Look.. Isn't this bag just lovely?", exclaimed Susan in her phoniest of accents. Somehow Susan thought that having an accent went along perfectly with her job as one of the highest-flying marketing executives around. Well it definitely matched her paycheck, which was a healthy 5-figure sum monthly. "How much is it?", she asked the salesgirl who seemed very experienced in handling big-spending customers like Susan Tong. "Just give me a minute, Madam. I will check it out for you," she said bringing the bag along to the cashier console. By this time, Susan's mom was drifting into her own world of thoughts. Mrs Sharon Tong, still found it hard to adjust to life. It was just like yesterday, that she spent the night havin dinner with her husband Mark Tong. Now it was 8 months on since the death of her beloved husband. 32 lovely years of marriage, she often puts it. In many ways, Mark was the perfect man for her, and Mrs Tong still found it hard to accept that it has been 8 months since she scattered the ashes of her dead husband into the lapping waves of the sea.

Marty, was special. He knew it, and his family members reminded him of it. Well, no doubt Marty was just a fish. But he was a special kinda fish, his whole family was, they would say. Marty did not really understand what prime fish was, but that was how he was referred to in the sea kingdom and somehow that made him feel special, and in a totally unrelated way, smart too.. I'm destined for greater things, he always used to say as he swam around in the sea, swimming into corals and taunting other fish. He seemed to believe it too, as he waited for his defining moment. The one that would really cement his status as a "Special Fish". That day was no different too. He was swimming around with the same air of confidence, as everyday. And then he noticed it. Darkness seemed to engulf the part of the sea he was in, something was definitely descending into the waters. Didn't seem dangerous, but Marty had a feeling. A feeling that this might be his moment after all.

Immediately after Mr Tong's Death, it was unanimously decided that he would be cremated and his ashes scattered into the Yangtze River. That was what he had planned with his wife several years ago. Mr Tong, was a very meticulous man. Simple, but meticulous. "Have enough to eat well, save enough to have 1 holiday a year, and that would make your life a wonderful one," He often used to tell his daughter Susan. But his words, could not have gone unheard ever more spectacularly. Susan was the polar opposite of her parents. Growing up, she was a very determined and competitive girl. As she entered adulthood, she became even more so. Money, Fame and success was all one needed to have a happy life, or so she thought. But she never could define success. That never mattered though. She found ways to live the high life, and defined that as one more piece of the jigsaw puzzle of success.

"Definitely not! I will never agree to it. Your father would never want that and you know it!", shouted Mrs Tong amidst her grief. Susan's idea of scattering her father's ashes at a neighbouring country's beach resort not only seemed preposterous to Sharon but also smacked as a grave act of filial impiety. It was always only going to be Yangtze river and that was what Sharon wanted to also. But Susan had her own pragmatic reasons for choosing the beach resort. It was definitely cheaper, and it could serve as a idyllic getaway for the two of them after dealing with the pressures and stress of her dad's funeral. Besides, Susan wanted to explore the island in her bid to market her company's latest products in that part of the world. It was like killing 3 birds with one stone, and it very much appealed to Susan. "Oh come on Mom, the sea at the resort will eventually connect with the Yangtze river, and besides wads in the place anyway? Its the symbolic action that matters." Eventually Susan, the pragmatist won the argument, and they were soon in the boat that took them into the middle of the sea. Mrs Tong took one huge breath before she opened the urn, and scattered the contents into the sea. She made a mental note to keep just a little bit with her. Remnants of the one person who completed her life.

Swimming gracefully, yet powerfully Marty approached the strange looking objects that were floating into the sea. "This must be the special food, that is gonna change my life," thought Marty as he took a few mouthfuls. "Damn, this doesn't taste special. It doesnt even taste horrible. It tastes normal. I'm pretty sure this is not how the "special food" is supposed to taste like," Marty wondered to himself as he continued gobbling up whatever remained of the powdery-like substance. "Marty!!! WATCH OUT!!", his best friend exclaimed. But it was all too late, before Marty could react, he was caught in the net that was cast by the boat above. Together with many of his family members swimming in the vicinity. They were all caught and hauled up into the small fishing boat. Marty was gasping for air, as he heard the humans talking. "Excellent catch! Now this is what i call prime fish. They will surely fetch a good price at the market. Now i can finally buy my kids the textbooks that they have been asking for," the excited fisherman told himself grinning widely with true satisfaction. Marty too was satisfied. He finally knew what the meaning of prime fish meant, as he gasped for his final few breaths.

Crazy croco they called him in the reptile farm. This particular crocodile had a nasty temper, and would randomly attack its keepers. Almost all of the keepers couldn't wait for it to grow up. "We feed him well, yet he behaves like sucha bitch", the keepers whined as they threw the prime fish into the enclosed area where Crazy was lazing around. But Crazy knew better. He knew that although life would be harder in the wild, being in a reptile farm was almost like a terminal illness. You just wait for your time. He tried telling this to all the other crocodiles, in a bid to start a revolt, but was rebuffed further enhancing his reputation as Crazy. "Just eat your food and be happy, Crazy!", he was often told. Only one of the keepers there, Salman, was nice to Crazy. Personally he was against the reptile farm idea, but as an ex-convict he could not find jobs anywhere else. As a result, he swallowed his values, and tried to redeem himself by being nice to the reptiles. "Who would complain of being cruel to this ugly reptiles? They make exotic and expensive meat, their leather can be sold at a a high price, they breed like crazy and no one is ever gonna accuse you of being cruel to a ugly crocodile whose relative killed that lovely guy Steve Irwin," lectured Mr Ang, the owner of the reptile farm. "Err, it wasn't the crocodile that killed Steve, it was a stingray," corrected Salman. "Does it matter, all same family! And if stingrays gave me a high profit margin i will create a stingray farm too," exclaimed Mr Ang showing himself as the ultra entrepreneur of the 21st century.

"What?? 18k for such a small bag? You must be crazy, Susan!," shrieked Mrs Tong in a voice that startled the salesgirl as well as a few other shoppers around. "Sshh ma.. Don't embarass me. Its only 18k, not as if its 180k you know. Besides this is authentic crocodile leather made from locally-bred crocodiles, has a wonderful finish and it feels so comfortable too. And to top it all off, they only have two such pieces in Singapore. I'm taking it mother. It is a very reasonable price." Susan explained to her mother the merit of buying the bag in a matter-of-factly manner. Withing minutes, she finished the payment and walked out of the store holding her mother's hands and feeling so proud of her latest acquisition.

She was feeling even prouder of herself at night, as she managed to pull off the unthinkable in such a perfect manner, that her mom was totally acceptable to it. Or so she thought.

Mrs Tong, tried to close her eyes to sleep, but she only managed to find tears welling up. Images of her husband breathing his last breath, as he collapsed due to a heart attack was replaying in her heart. But that was not the reason for her tears. What her daughter told her earlier was. Susan explained the reasons for her decision, "Ma, i'm not doing so well in work anymore, and its very difficult to maintain such a big house. The property market is very good now. The best time to sell. I could move into a condominium that i will be sharing with Jason. But don't worry ma. I have not forgotten you. How could i? You have given me such a good life. I know you are feeling so lonely without dad. And that is why, i have arranged for you to be housed at the Home. Its not like a old folks home. The place is fully luxurious, and you will have all facilities that you need. Its very hi-tech. And you will have so much of friends. Besides, i'm never at home, and im so worried about your health. With you at the Home, receiving 24-hour worldclass attention. I will be so relieved. And don't worry, you don't have to pay a single cent. I'll fork out for it out of the section that Pa left for me, asking to take care of you. So you don't have to worry about anything." As soon as Susan finished, Mrs Tong went silent. And as they say silence is acceptance. Or so Susan assumed and that was it, in 3 days, Mrs Tong will be shifted to the Home. To live out the remaining days of her life.