Tropical Fish from My Memory
回憶裡的熱帶魚 

May 31, 2026

In my grandparents' living room, the ceiling was decorated with colorful wooden hangings of tropical fish. These ornaments featured bright, vivid hand-painted patterns and colors. 

When I was little, I often climbed onto the nearby cabinet to crane my neck and examine every single pattern on them. Sometimes, I would even bury my face among  those colorful fish, pretending that I was swimming alongside them.

Last year, my grandparents passed away one after another. Seeing the living room layout now felt so empty and unfamiliar. All the cabinets that used to display countless collections and family photos were removed—including those tropical fish that always seemed to be floating on them.

I actually don't know where the school of fish went, but I believe they missed grandpa and grandma so much that they all swam off to find them.

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阿公阿媽家的客廳天花板上吊著五彩繽紛的熱帶魚木頭掛飾，有著很鮮明的手工繪製花紋和色彩，

小時候的我常常會踩在旁邊的櫃子上，伸長脖子地想仔細看看每一隻身上的花紋，甚至把臉埋在他們之間，想像自己和他們一起悠游。

去年阿公阿媽相繼離世，看到客廳的格局也變得空蕩蕩的、變得不再熟悉，本來放著很多收藏品、相框的櫃子也都撤掉了，包含那群一直漂浮在櫃子上的熱帶魚們。其實我不知道魚群去了哪裡，但我相信他們是太想念阿公阿媽，所以大家一起游去找他們了。

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