The octopus swam dragging his tentacles, the sand and the pebbles of the backdrop behind him were lifted by his passage and some bubbles rose up towards the surface.
His movement, generally light and flexuous, appeared heavy like if he was bringing a rock with him. The sea animal swam head down, without paying attention to what he had around him.
<<There you are! I’ve finally found you!>> exclaimed an happy voice. The octopus stopped his slow and sad march and looked up. The sand and pebbles behind him floated and fell on the ground soundless.
<<Where have you been Otto? I have been looking for you everywhere>> Trop said. The sea eel flitted fast around the octopus and then stopped in front of him, he smiled.
<<Hi Trop>> greeted sadly Otto. Trop furrowed his serpentine forehead.
<<Is something wrong Otto?>> asked worried the sea eel. Otto shook his rounded and soft head then started swimming again. Otto sighed and some bubbles escaped from his mouth, Trop followed them with his gaze then started zigzagging behind his friend.
<<Did something happen to you?>> Trop asked again.
Otto did not seem to hear him, the octopus kept swimming head down. Trop saw him dragging his tentacles, he was confused and more and more worried. It was clear that something was bothering his friend and he wanted to know what.
Trop whipped with his tail, a vortex of bubbles followed him, and reached Otto.
<<What happened?>> he asked with more insistence. Otto lifted his gaze.
<<Nothing>> the octopus answered and then lowered his gaze again. Trop grimaced.
<<You’re lying>> claimed the sea eel, he swam around his friend. <<Look, I will electrify you if you don’t tell me the truth>> Trop rose up his tail and left a small electric shock come out. He would have never hurt his friend, he just wanted to convince him to speak with him.
However, his threat didn’t work. Otto sighed again, other bubbles came out of his mouth and rose up towards the surface. Trop clenched his jaw and swam in front of his friend.
<<Come on Otto>> he encouraged <<What’s up? Are you sick? Are you in pain? Your tentacles? Your head maybe?>>. Trop spoke fast, he zigzagged checking all the mentioned parts of his cephalopod friend.
<<I can’t have an headache because I don’t have a head>> Otto murmured sadly, he stopped his march again and embraced himself with his tentacles. Trop stopped checking his friend’s body and came back to look in his friend’s eyes.
<<What does it mean?>> he demanded confused inclining his little head.
<<I’m brainless, I’m stupid>> he answered without looking up, lips compressed.
<<Who told you this?>> asked Trop surprised.
Otto hesitated for a moment. <<Phin>> then answered.
<<That presumptuous dolphin!>> blurted out Trop, he whipped his tail and a little electric shock came out. Trop swam around his friend angry and nervous.
Phin was a dolphin with a giant ego that made him swelling more than a blowfish. He never missed the opportunity to boast about his qualities. That is because humans considered those of his species as the smartest and the most beautiful animals of the sea. What did humans know about the sea? They didn’t live in the water, they didn’t have any idea of what there was under the surface. They thought to know but actually, they didn’t. The one thing humans were capable of was to ruin their home, their habitat.
Trop puffed and so created a little vortex of crackling bubbles.
<<Otto, you shouldn’t listen to that swellhead>> he said coming closer to Otto. <<It’s not true that you don’t have a brain>> he claimed.
<<He’s said that I have a big but empty head>> murmured Otto heartbroken.
Trop snarled and moved nervously. He would have really wanted to electrify that swelled dolphin and see if he had something else to say with his squeaky and unbearable voice.
<<It’s not true>> he declared <<You know that’s not true>>.
<<Yes, instead>> replied Otto intertwining his tentacles.
<<No, it’s not>> repeated Trop sure.
Otto was visibly heartbroken and Trop was feeling miserable for that, he didn’t want to see his friend to be so sick. Phin’s words had hurt him and that made Trop furious.
Only a few know how powerful the words can be, they can inflict more pain than a fishhook in the mouth or a spear in a side. They leave invisible wounds, hard to cure.
Trop took a breath and with that he left all his anger and frustration go away, he couldn’t help his friend in that state of mind. He relaxed, he stopped whipping the water with his tail and came back to swim flexuously.
<<Otto>> he called. The octopus looked up, his eyes dark and sad. <<Don’t give weight to Phin’s words, don’t give weight to anyone who don’t know who you are>> Trop said sweetly but firmly.
Otto didn’t seem convinced. Trop pursed his lips, he had to find a way to cheer up his friend’s mood. He looked away, then his gaze fell on a red coral in the distance and he had an idea.
<<You know, the other day a group of carps has called me invertebrate coward>> he revealed.
<<Really?>> Otto asked curious.
<<Yeah>> the sea eel confirmed.
<<But you have vertebrates>> pointed out the octopus.
<<Yes, many thinks that because I am flexuous I do not have a skeleton. Isn’t it crazy?>> Trop exclaimed with a smile. Otto nodded. <<They challenged me to go through two rocks covered by many pointed corals and if I refused that meant, I was an invertebrate coward>> he explained.
<<Then, what did you do?>> asked the octopus.
<<I showed them that they were wrong, thanks my sinuosity I could pass through the corals without getting hurt>> he told. <<You have to do the same, do not let people like Phin to make you sad, show them that they are wrong about you>> he encouraged.
<<How?>> Otto asked <<How can I show them they are wrong? That I am not brainless?>>.
<<Do you camouflage yourself when you don’t need it?>> Trop claimed.
<<What does this has to do with my brain?>> demanded Otto confused.
<<Answer me>> replied Trop.
<<No, I camouflage myself only when I need it>> responded Otto.
<<What else can you do, beside camouflaging?>> Asked again the sea eel. The octopus inclined his big and soft head, lightly confused.
<<Come on, tell me what else you can do>> Trop encouraged, he smiled at his friend. Trop darted impatiently. Otto thought about the answer for a moment, he looked down at his tentacles, he moved a couple of them. One of his tentacle behind him rose up to his head, it seemed he was scratching the back of his head.
<<I can build a shelter>> finally answered, he looked at the sea eel with his big black eyes <<I can grab things, I can throw the shells and the rocks I find on the backdrop>> he continued <<And I can orient myself and if I want I can lose one of my tentacle to mislead my enemy>> he concluded.
<<That’s it! That shows that they are wrong!>> exclaimed Trop excited.
<<That I can lose my tentacles?>> asked Otto disoriented.
<<No!>> replied Trop <<What you do and who you are, that’s what show that Phin and those like him are wrong. Camouflaging yourself, orienting yourself, choosing what to grab, understanding how to build a shelter, all of these things requires intellect>> he explained. <<Those who knows you, acknowledge that>> he added.
Otto nodded thoughtful, he furrowed his large forehead while thinking about his friend’s words.
Trop waited patiently smiling. His friend was one of the smartest creature of the entire ocean, those of his species had three heart and this meant that he was three times more sensitive.
<<You right>> claimed the octopus, he jumped and the sand and the pebbles around him rose up. <<Phin is an idiot>> he declared.
<<Well said!>> Trop exclaimed happy, he spinned excited. Otto was finally smiling and that made the sea eel’s heart full of joy, he had been able to light up his friend, to make him smile again.
<<Thank you>> said Otto grateful.
<<You’re welcome Otto, that’s what friends do>> Trop replied with a big happy smile on his serpentine face. <<Let’s get something to eat!>> he suggested.
<<I think it’s a really good idea>> Otto commented smiling.
The octopus and the seal eel started swimming along the backdrop, side by side.