Aristurtle

I used to have a pet turtle and yes, I named him Aristurtle. This was a couple of year ago. I actually found him on the road so I decided to pick him up and get him out of harm's way. He used to be tiny too.. about 3 inches in diameter and weighs almost a pound. I feed him a cabbage leaf and a carrot which I think he enjoys since he runs out every week. I placed him in a box which I keep near the sink.

Every now and then, I would place him in the sink and let the tap water run until there's enough water for him to just wade through. I kept him for about 5 months until I decided it was time for him to be really free. During which time, he had grown to be around 6-7 inches and weight about 5 pounds. Yes, he'd grown quite a bit.

There was a pond in the subdivision where I used to live. I used to run around there and see some other wildlife like snakes and sometimes, fish. I thought he'd be perfect over there. So one day, I brought him to the pond and got him out of his box. The moment he saw the pond, he just run towards it. And I mean really run. I always thought turtles crawl. But he was really quick. He just edged towards the water and went in. It was a good 5 feet between us and the water.

Once he got in, he disappeared for quite awhile but surfaced a few meters from land. I think he was looking at me. At least that's what I led myself to believe. In some ways, I miss the guy. He was fun to watch as he munch on his carrots. But I believe he is much happier out there in that pond.

Nothing beats true freedom.