Guppies and No Phone

We were staying at my in-laws’ house. I had this very large tank with three guppies and some plants, and I loved watching the fish swim around. It was my main solace, because we were absolutely ruined financially–no phone, no home, nothing. I could just barely afford fish food for my guppies.

Then my kids were riding on this merry-go-round. The outer ring was carrousel horses, like normal, but they were going backward. Inner rings got progressively faster and wilder, ending with a very rapidly spinning “scrambler” sort of ride. The kids wanted a second turn but I couldn’t afford it. I tried to explain, but the guy in charge of the ride kept trying to pressure me into buying a second turn: “Come on, now, ya don’t want to disappoint the kiddies!” But I was just flat broke, and for some reason I was ashamed to explain that to the man.