The author: Yota Prokopi was born in Athens, lives in Europe and she considers herself a world citizen. She loves investigating how language functions in the brain, translation and writing stories.

The translator: Christopher Luke Kourpas is an English Cypriot raised in Larnaca and Nottingham. "Fish Talk" is his first significant project in terms of translation.

The fish tank â Fish talks

Index

  The Tank

 The Village

 The High Dive

The Tank

A ray of sunlight tricked and slipped its way through the grey multi-storeys and rushed into Mr Pensatoreâs fifth floor window and lit up the lawyerâs office. After a few moments the ray, after it had warmed the office and the water in the fish tank on the little table in front of the window, left in search of other windows. Before another ray of sunlight could reach the office, a set of keys could be heard unlocking the door of the empty office and the lawyer came into the room, shutting the door behind him. He went to switch on the light but before he pressed the button he looked at the window and realised he didnât need any more light than what was coming through the window. He went to his desk, put down his briefcase and knelt in front of the fish tank to look for his little fish. They were nowhere to be seen. He looked behind the shipwreck where they kept their eggs and they werenât there either, so he tapped his finger on the tank, a sign of worry beginning to creep onto his face. âWhere could they be?â he asked himself. He lifted the other hand and tapped with two fingers. Thankfully his beloved fish appeared at the door of the tower and the lawyer smiled at them. They went straight to his finger to say hello and then rushed back to their eggs.

âSo my dear little fish, said Mr Pensatore as he stood up and the little fish looked upwards at him, I understand that todayâs the most important day of your life! Youâve been swimming together in the tank for three whole years, since you were little, and at long last the day has come where you become parents. I realise you must be really anxious so Iâm going to treat you today,â he said dropping food into the tank.

He continued to speak while they ate, âYou know, Iâve never told you this but when I bought this tank I wanted to fill it with lots and lots of fish. But when I chose you and brought you here, first Artles and then you Bravado, I knew that you two would be enough for company and I forgot about bringing in any other fish. Ahâ¦â Mr Pensatore sighed and sat at his desk to look at his cases.

In the tankâ¦

âLook Bravado, poor Mr Pensatore is sad againâ¦ I think heâs crying.â

âHmmâ¦humansâ¦letâs check on the kids, itâs important weâre there when they hatch, I want to be one of the first faces they see.â

âStop worrying, there are only three faces here anyway!â

âI want my kids to know that Iâll never leave them unprotectedâ¦ that Iâll always be by their side and thatâ¦â

âBravado, look!â

âEh? What? Where? What happened?â

âOur first eggâs hatching!â

âQuick! Hurry! We might need to do something! We have to be there! said the excited father and ran to the egg that was moving determinedly. â

âBravado, come back. They know very well what to do. They donât need you getting in the way.â

âThey donât need meâ¦ said Bravado, with the same sad look as Mr Pensatore, but how can they not need me when theyâre so small and vulnerableâ¦ youâre saying it like that to get on my nerves arenât you?â

âNo Bravadoâ¦ honestly, donât you remember how we hatched?â

âYou know I was in a fish bowl on my ownâ¦ all alone, until I found you here thanks to Mr Pensatore.â

âYes my dear but even when you were on your own you were fine!â

âYes, sure. So thatâs why I thought that my parents where the parrot and hamster in the cages across from me! Well THEY WERE the first faces I sawâ¦â

âYes, yes but our children have us, now lookâ¦over thereâ¦ another egg is moving.â

âAnd the one behind it too, do you see it?â

âDo you think theyâll all hatch at the same time?â

âWell letâs just hope these three hatch before some crazy client shows up that makes the tank shake with their annoyingly loud voice.â

âShh stop talking and look! The first oneâs coming!â

âCome on! Letâs help!â

Bravado rushed over to the new-born and sweet talked him out of his shell and into his welcoming arms. Artles looked at Mr Pensatore. He was deep in thought and hadnât realised what was happening. The two fish loved Mr Pensatore dearly because he always spoke to them about the curiosities of life. They may have never been out into the world but through the lawyerâs words their every query had an answer. And so they hated to see him sad. Artles saw Bravado had his hands full with a new born and was encouraging a second one, so she swam up to the surface and tapped her fin against the glass. The lawyer looked over distractedly and rushed to the tank as he realised that she was trying to get his attention. He didnât take his eyes off her and as he stood over the tank he saw that she was looking at something, so he followed a stream of bubbles leading to Bravadoâs arms. He already had two little ones in his arms and the third had just hatched. The proud father showed off his children and the lawyer began to well up.

âDo you know what? Iâm going to take the rest of the day off. Iâm going to sit here next to you. Iâm going to share your happiness! True friends are there when their friends are happy and are happy with them. They donât just want good things for them, they want to be there during the good things too!â

He sat on the brown leather armchair closest to the fish tank and silently watched the two parents as they taught their children to swim and here and there they stole a glance at the ones still sleeping. It was midday now and Mr Pensatore felt lucky not to have been disturbed, not even his secretary had knocked on the door. He thought that today had proven that there was room for happiness in this world too, not just the sadness he saw in the courtrooms. As he sat enjoying this thought, someone knocked on the door. He stole one more glance at how many eggs were still sitting unhatched. Four little ones were swimming around their mother, one was in its fatherâs arms and two were on the way. Another one had already popped its head out of the egg and was looking at his father who was speaking to him.

âWell little fish, looks like itâs time for a visitor!â said the lawyer and he went to open the door.

âLetâs hope this client wonât be someone accused of illegal fishing and end up terrifying the babies with their stories!â whispered Bravado to Artles.

âDonât be such a pessimist! And anyway our children are too young to understand humans.â

All the fish looked over at the door, curiously wondering who would appear.

âHello! Well, good afternoon I supposeâ¦ â said a high pitched voice coming from a slender woman in a grey skirt and black jacket standing at the door.

âHelloâ¦â said Mr Pensatore awkwardly as he noticed the woman was still wearing sunglasses and her chin was shaking as she held back tears.

âCould I trouble you with the matter of my divorce?â

âOhâ¦â said the lawyer still distracted by the sunglasses, âOf course, please step into my office. âAs she walked into the office Mr Pensatore shut the door behind her.

âMy nameâs Ticker Lont and Iâm a designer. My husband decided to leave me so I was wondering if you could handle my divorce.â

âI understand. Please, take a seat.â The lawyer motioned towards the armchair that was furthest from the fish tank but she ignored him and sat where he was sitting before. As he couldnât sit next to his precious little fish he sat at his desk. He reached over to a box for a fresh piece of paper and got his pen to note down any important information about the womanâs case.

âSo, Mrs Lont, did you say youâre a designer?â asked Mrs Pensatore as he secretly tried to glance at the fish tank to see if the last egg had hatched.

âYes, I design circus puppets. I have a workshop in the village where I grew up, not far from here. Iâm planning to go back there after we finish. You see Mr Pensatore I only came to the city for my husband, but now heâs left me I have no reason to stay. You should understand that...â she paused âWhat?â Mrs Lont had caught the lawyer looking at the fish tank and automatically looked over too.

âOhâ¦what a pretty fish tankâ¦and what beautiful fish!â said Mrs Lont as she took off her sunglasses. âYouâve just become a father!â

âSorry for being distractedâ¦These fish have been my company for three years and today is an amazing day for them.â

âOh no, please donât apologise. I should be apologising to the fish for not noticing them when I came in. Theyâre so impressive they donât deserve to be ignored by anyone! Iâve been so sad since my husband left me that I donât notice much around me.â Mrs Lont looked at the lawyer and he frowned when he saw her red teary eyes.

âDo you have fish Mrs Lont?â he asked her to take her mind off the divorce.

âYes! In the village I have a small lake near my house and while I lived there I used to catch fish in the sea and take them to the lake. But at some point the lake got so full I had to stop bringing new fish because I didnât have time to feed them all!

In the tankâ¦

âLook Bravado, a smile has wiped away the ladyâs tears. She mustâve loved her fish a lot!â said Artles looking at Mrs Lont.

âMaybe if sheâd loved her husband like she loved her fish, he wouldnât have left her,â said Bravado, proud of thinking of such a clever comment.

âDonât forget that some fish...I meanâ¦humansâ¦are selfish!â Artles had rushed to tell him off but sheâd mixed up her words so her comment went unanswered.

In the officeâ¦

âSo tell me, how did you end up designing puppets?â asked Mr Pensatore, âI doubt Iâve ever met a puppet designer before.â

âWellâ¦I like the way they look and theyâveâ¦enchanted meâ¦ever since I can remember! Where there are puppets there are always people laughing. And I love making people happy so I saw puppets as a way of doing that. Hang on; Iâve got one in my bag.â Mrs Lont looked into her bag and pulled out a long box. She opened the top and out poked a little piece of tissue paper. She unwrapped it and a puppet with gold clothes, a purple hat and pointy red shoes greeted Mr Pensatore.

âDid you make this little guy?â

âYes! Heâs the only one I brought with me from the village. Heâs the last one I made and I brought him here to the city to buy him some new fabrics and make him some new clothes. But because of the situation with my husband I havenât been in the mood and heâs been in his box until today. Today I took him out into the city for the first time. I took him with me to make sure the fabrics I buy match the colour of the wood heâs made of.â

âCan you stand him up so I can see him a little better?â

âOf courseâ¦here you goâ¦â she said unfolding the puppet and holding him up by the wood attached by strings to various parts of his body.

âThere are so many strings! Iâve always wondered how puppeteers manage to move them so well!â

âItâs actually not that hard. Look, this piece of wood breaks down into three smaller pieces and they eventually re-join and each piece controls different strings. Watch, the right piece controls the right side, the left one the left side and the one in the middle controls the body and the head. Remarkable isnât it?â

âItâs like magicâ¦â whispered Mr Pensatore who had was now so mesmerised by the puppet he had forgotten about the last little egg. And he wasnât the only one engrossed in the puppet.

In the tankâ¦

âBravado!â exclaimed Artles.

âYes my dear?â he replied.

âLook at our little one!â

âYes, I can see. Youâre teaching them to swim, theyâre doing really well.â

âNot themâ¦thereâ¦the last one has hatched,â Bravado turned his gaze to the egg and shook his head in surprise when he saw the egg was empty.

âButâ¦Where is he?â he asked Artles.

âDonât move,â she told him, âheâs on your tail.â

âOn my tail?â said Bravado and he arched his body to see.

The little one was also entranced by the puppet. He wasnât paying attention to anything else. He hadnât even noticed his mother. He stood still, staring at the puppet. Mr Pensatore was holding it now and Mrs Lont was trying to show him how to move it.

âLook Artlesâ¦â

The little one was moving his fins, his body, his tail and his face, exactly like the puppet. He was copying it so precisely that Bravado looked above him to see if he had puppet strings as well.

âOh! Look! Look at that little fish Mr Pensatore!â

âYes, theyâve all hatched now,â said the lawyer not taking his attention away from the puppet.

âStop moving the puppet and look.â

âOK, OK, Iâve stopped.â

âShhâ¦. Look at the little fish in the tank.â

âI see it. Itâs not moving. Whatâs so special about that Mrs Lont? Didnât the fish in your lake ever stand still?â

âKeep your eyes on him and move the puppets hand.â

âAlright.â said the lawyer and pulled the corresponding string.

The little fish immediately moved his fin.

âDid you see that!? Move it again!â

But before Mr Pensatore could move the puppet again Bravado ran over and took the little fish in his arms, saying to Artles:

âI promised our little ones while they were still in their eggs, that Iâd never leave them unprotected. And Iâm not going to let these humans make fun them either.â

âBut Bravado you know very well that Mr Pensatore would never ever harm any of our children!â

âYes but you saw for yourself Artles,â he whispered as he ushered the little ones towards her, âthis little one is special.â

âDo you mean in an artistic way?â

âShh, donât speak too loud, he mustnât know and neither should his brothers and sisters.â

âFine honeyâ¦if you say so.â

âBut Iâm telling you Mr Pensatore! That little fish was copying the puppetâs movements!â

âIâm sure you mustâve been confused. Maybe the reflection of the puppet on the tank tricked you and you thought it was the fish that was moving. And youâre quite upset today which doesnât help either.â

âWellâ¦OKâ¦Iâm going to go now and Iâll book another appointment with you about my divorce, but Iâm going to leave my puppet here so please, investigate it for yourself, and keep an eye on that playful little fish.â said Mrs Lont tying her belt around her coat and walking towards the door. âGoodbye Mr Pensatore!â

âGoodbye Mrs Lont, Iâll expect your call! Oh how rude of me, I didnât even open the door for her, he said to himself as the door closed and he was left in silence looking from the puppet to the fish. âAhâ¦ Iâll not give any more thought to this today, itâs been a long day for the fish, Iâll let them rest and maybe look into it tomorrow,â he said and wrapped the strings around the puppet and left it on his desk. He looked at the clock and as it was already midday he left for home so the fish could have some time to themselves.

In the tankâ¦

âAh my dear, arenât our little ones beautiful?â

âTheyâve all got something unique! What do you think? Shall we name them?â

âGood idea. Seven little names for seven little fish!â

âThe blue one with the white fins should be Cloud because his little hands look like clouds.â

âAnd the green one with the orange tail should be called Star because in the dark his tail shines like a star.â

âOK, five more to go!â counted Artles.

âThe gold one with the red outline around his eyes should be Scarlet.â

âAnd the all black one should be Secret because he looks mysterious.â

âAnd then itâsâ¦ which oneâs next?â

âThat one! The purple one with deep purple stripes.â

âThey definitely copied all of our colours!â

âAny colours Iâm missing you seem to have!â

âWeâre multi-coloured and beautiful!â

âSo my beautiful manâ¦what should we call the purple one?â

âSilky. Letâs call her Silky because she looks so smooth.â

âAnd next is the silver one over there?â

âYes the silver one! She looks like a spider princess. Letâs call her Web.â

âThatâs six little names for six little fish. Weâve got one more.â

Bravado and Artles looked at each other.

âThat little guyâs colours make him look like heâs wearing a costume! Half silver, half red with blue fins. Would you look at that? His one side is silver and the otherâs red. Andâ¦ he keeps staring at the puppet on the desk instead of playing with his brothers and sisters. Also heâs got a few black scales which look like buttons on a shirt. He looks like heâs borrowed some clothes from Mr Pensatore.â

âMaybe he likes to experiment with different looks! Or maybe he wants to be a toy like the puppet!â

Bravado sighed. He looked at the little fish sitting alone in the corner of the tank waiting for the puppet to move. Eventually he looked at Artles.

âSo, what do you think we should name him?â

âWell as he likes to playâ¦â

âLetâs call himâ¦Toy!â

âToy! Itâs pretty and it suits him. Toy it is!â

Mr Pensatore left the office and the sun left through the window. It wasnât yet dark though and all the little fish were playing with their parents except for Toy who was hiding behind the castle in a small tower, looking up at the sky. It looked as if he was anxiously waiting for something but the sun went down and his view didnât change.

âBravado my dear weâve been so busy playing with our little ones that weâve forgotten about Toy!â

âThatâs true, I havenât seen him for a while now, but donât worry, Iâm sure heâs just asleep behind one of the plants. â

âIâm going to go and find him; itâs a shame for him to be on his own. You keep an eye on the rest of them, OK?â

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