A Rock Solid Alternative

(I’m the manager and am back in the aquatics department writing up the weekly order of fish when a woman and her two young kids approach me:)

Customer: “How long do these fish live?” *she gestures to a tank full of assorted community fish*

Me: “Usually a few years, ma’am, sometimes longer or shorter, depending on the fish.”

Customer: “And these?” *holds up the betta cup she brought over*

Me: “Bettas generally live up to three years. It’s possible for them to live longer, but it’s uncommon.”

Customer: “How old is this one?”

Me: “I don’t have an exact age, but it’s approximately a year. Baby bettas are very plain, so we don’t sell them because you won’t know what color you’re getting.”

Customer: “How long will this one live, then?”

Me: “Given the average lifespan, about 1 to 2 years.”

Customer: “That’s too short. What do you have that doesn’t die.”

Me: “…Excuse me, ma’am?”

Customer: “I want a pet that doesn’t die. What do you have that doesn’t die?”

Me: “Rocks.”