20/04/2025
"The Goldfish Keeper"
In a quiet alley in the heart of an old town, where the sun filtered through narrow slits between rusted tin roofs and crumbling stone walls, lived an old man named Mang Elias. To most, he was just the "goldfish man" — a figure of routine who set up his modest stall every morning with bags and jars of gently gliding goldfish. But to those who cared to look a little closer, Mang Elias was more than that. He was a keeper of stories, a weaver of memories, and a gentle guardian of fragile dreams.
Mang Elias had been selling goldfish for nearly five decades. What began as a small venture to help his ailing wife, Rosa, after he lost his factory job, had turned into a quiet ritual that gave him purpose. He never made much profit — just enough to buy a simple meal, fresh water for the fish, and the occasional cigar that hung from the side of his mouth like a stubborn smile.
Each fish, in his eyes, carried a little wish. Children believed it too. They would run up to him after school, their coins jingling in their pockets, wide-eyed and hopeful.
"Manong Elias," they'd say, "I want the fastest one! I’ll win the next school contest for sure!"
He’d chuckle, his calloused hands steady as he dipped a net into the tank and gently scooped a wriggling, golden swimmer. He spoke to each fish softly, like he was preparing them for their next big adventure. He always said, "This one’s got a brave heart. Take good care of it, and it'll bring you luck."
But what the children didn’t know was that Mang Elias never just sold fish. He gave them hope wrapped in plastic and tied with a rubber band.
His tiny corner stall was a makeshift miracle — a simple wire rack holding clear bags that caught sunlight like stained glass. Inside each one, the goldfish glimmered like flickering stars. Around them, rows of glass jars rested on a wooden table, housing fish that danced in slow, meditative circles. It was a place of peace in a town often too busy to pause.
Every morning, Mang Elias would rise before dawn, light a small lamp, and feed his fish with the same tenderness he once gave Rosa, whose absence still echoed in the silence of their home. She had passed fifteen years ago, and though the pain had dulled, it never left. The goldfish, in some strange way, had filled that space — delicate, quiet companions that kept him anchored.
One day, a young man returned to Calle Esperanza. He was in his early thirties, wearing a pressed shirt and carrying a small box.
He stood by Mang Elias’ stall for a long moment before saying, “Manong… do you remember me? I used to come here every week when I was a kid.”
Mang Elias squinted, then broke into a grin. “Ah! You're the one who named your goldfish ‘Rocket,’ yes? Always said he’d grow wings one day.”
The man laughed, eyes glistening. “Rocket died after a year… but I kept buying more. You told me each fish had a heart that never gave up.”
He handed the old man the box. “I run a design studio now. I made this for you.”
Inside was a small, beautifully carved wooden sign. It read: “Mang Elias — Keeper of Goldfish, Giver of Dreams.”
For the first time in years, Mang Elias was speechless. He took the sign in his trembling hands and nodded, tears tracing the wrinkles on his cheeks.
That evening, under the golden rays filtering through smoke and silence, Mang Elias hung the sign proudly above his stall. He lit a cigar, sat back, and watched his little fish swim in circles — unaware of the magic they carried, unaware of the man whose quiet devotion had touched a hundred lives.
In Calle Esperanza, where time moved slowly and kindness bloomed in the most unexpected places, the old goldfish keeper’s legacy swam on — heart by golden heart.
"A Promise in Every Bag"
That night, after the young man left, Mang Elias sat on the rickety stool behind his stall and stared at the wooden sign now gently swaying above him. Keeper of Goldfish, Giver of Dreams — the words felt far too grand for a man who barely made enough to buy rice. Yet, the moment he saw those words, something inside him stirred. Maybe… just maybe… he had made more of a difference than he’d ever realized.
He remembered how Rosa used to tell him, “It’s not the size of your gift, Elias, it’s how deeply it touches someone’s life.”
For the first time in years, he believed her again.
The next morning, Mang Elias noticed something different.
More children came. More parents, too. Not just from the neighborhood — from other barangays, even the city. Word had spread about the old man who whispered to goldfish and gave away courage disguised as fins and scales.
A young girl, no more than six, stood silently in front of his table. She clutched a wrinkled photo of her father, a soldier who had died in the south. Her mother watched nearby, eyes rimmed red from quiet grief.
“Manong,” the girl said, barely above a whisper, “Mama said Papa went to heaven. But I still feel scared. Do your fish go to heaven too?”
Mang Elias blinked, his throat tightening. He crouched beside her, pulled out a small jar, and gently tapped the glass. A golden fish twirled inside like a ribbon in water.
“This one,” he said softly, “has known loss too. But she keeps swimming forward. She’s brave… just like your Papa. Would you take care of her for him?”
The girl smiled through her tears and nodded.
From that day on, Mang Elias gave not just fish, but meaning. To a boy battling leukemia, he gave a fish “born with strong bones.” To a teenage girl abandoned by her parents, a fish “who never stopped waiting for someone to come back.” And to the quiet young teacher who stopped by every Friday, always too shy to speak, he handed a fish and said, “This one sings songs even when no one listens.”
He never charged much. Sometimes he didn’t charge at all. When people offered more, he’d smile and say, “I’m not selling fish. I’m giving futures. You can’t put a price on those.”
One rainy evening, long after the children had gone home and the lanterns had been extinguished, Mang Elias fell asleep at his stall. In his dreams, he saw Rosa, standing beside a pond filled with glowing fish. She was smiling, her hair dancing in the breeze, and she whispered: “You kept your promise, Elias. You kept hope alive.”
When he awoke, he was surrounded — not by fish, but by people. Dozens of them, young and old, some holding jars, others holding signs. One said: “You helped me believe in myself.” Another: “Your fish saw me through the hardest days.”
And one — held high by a boy who had once been too sick to walk — read: “You saved me.”
That was the day the mayor arrived, unannounced. He offered Mang Elias a certificate of honor, a small pension, and a permanent space in the town plaza. But the old man, ever humble, shook his head.
“All I need is here,” he said, tapping his heart. “And in there.” He pointed to the rows of fish, still swimming with quiet determination.
When Mang Elias finally passed, years later, he left no riches. No bank accounts. Just a weathered stall, a wooden sign, and hundreds of goldfish swimming in homes across the region.
But more than that, he left behind something far greater — a ripple in the hearts of those who had once been broken, afraid, or alone. He had shown them that hope could come in small packages, that courage could swim in circles, and that sometimes, the simplest acts — like handing a child a goldfish — could change a life forever.
Every year, on his birthday, people gather at Calle Esperanza. They release golden fish into the nearby river and whisper their dreams to the water. And somewhere, in the soft rush of current and the shimmer of sunlight on scales, the legacy of Mang Elias swims on.
The goldfish keeper. The dream giver. The quiet miracle of Calle Esperanza.
Ctto Joel Lopez
