There comes a time in a man's life where you just need to save a lobster. You may not think this is a rite of passage, but there are moments when duty calls. Here, we take a look at such a story and the adventure of Qui-Gon.
It All Started With A Trip To The Seafood Market
When a university student stumbled upon a lobster he didn’t think “dinner.” He thought, “probable new friend that I’ll go on an adventure with.” Well, that’s exactly what happened. Prepare yourself for the journey someone took to try and save their beloved lobster.
This particular student had been enjoying the delicacies of the sea; maybe a little too much depending on the nay-sayers. Since going off to university, he had eaten fish five or six times a week. However, as we all know, good fish costs a lot of money, which means that the only way he could afford such a diet was by preparing the majority of his food on his own.
For anyone interested, £15 worth of salmon can feed you for up to two weeks. So, not only did the student devour a healthy dose of salmon, but he also bonded with the local fishmonger. He wrote, “Every single trip, he will have some wild caught, exotic, fancy, or otherwise intriguing catch. There will be a little barter and I’ll probably buy it.”
The Hunt For Red October
Wednesday rolled around, and he was on the hunt for Red October, I mean his supply of fish. As he was looking for some coley, the fishmonger told him that they had a special item in the back (It pays to be friends with a fishmonger).
Naturally, the student headed to the back to check out the special. As the author wrote, “He brought back this little fella, beautifully blue with just one antenna, and he put it on the table. It wiggled that little antenna at me, and in that moment, I decided that the lobster in front of me was special.”
Well, cue “Puppy Love” because the student realized at that moment that an emotional connection had been formed with the lobster. Now, as anyone would do in this situation, he tore free from his exam season to look into different tanks, lobster information and tried to figure out ways to smuggle lobsters into his room.
He eventually came to the soul-crushing realization that there was no way to keep the little guy. But, that doesn’t mean he gave up on his quest. He tried to find friends and family who may have had tanks or someone who would graciously accept a lobster pet. Nothing.
But the student wasn’t going to let that lobster suffer…
A Fate Better Than Death
The student went back and purchased the little fella from the fishmonger. A tough decision was made: either find a home for the lobster or stab him in the face in the nicest way possible. The knife was a lot more merciful than letting him boil to death in a pot. The student knew this as well and after reading up on what lobsters feel when they’re in the pot, he decided that the knife was the best way to go.
Thursday came around and the student’s girlfriend was confused but ultimately seemed to be accepting of the fact that a pet lobster was on the way.
Before the student went back to the fishmonger, he headed to the supermarket. Just because the lobster was facing a death sentence didn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve a nice final meal. So, the student headed over to the supermarket for supplies. He picked up some materials needed to transport the lobster but also to prepare the fixings for a final meal.
After doing some research on what a lobster likes to eat (take notes, kids) the student grabbed salmon, cod, prawns, broccoli, and carrots as well as sea salt, ice, tea towels to transport the lobster.
A New Home For Qui-Gon
The student headed back to the fishmonger and specified that they were going to “cook it themselves.” On that note, the monger gave him some seaweed so the lobster could keep comfortable and hydrated.
Now, there comes a time in a person’s life when they need to name a lobster that’s special to them. The student named the lobster Qui-Gon “because there’s always a bigger lobster.”
Qui-Gon was then placed into a plastic drawer along with his seaweed and food. The student was even kind enough to play some underwater sounds on his phone. He also took the time to post photos on Facebook and on pet sites either looking for a home or a tank.
In case you were wondering, there was a third plan for little Qui-Gon. The student was planning to house him at their parent’s house, and yes, everyone knew that he had taken a lobster as a pet.
The student came down with a 24-hour bug, and with it being Thursday, they needed to get back to town on Friday to make it back for Comic-Con. But duty called, and he knew that Qui-Gon needed the ocean, not a tank.
Getting Adjusted To Their Lives Together
Despite the obstacles, the student and Qui-Gon had a nice day. The student devised a plan to get him back to the sea. He was too ill to make the six-hour journey to Skegness, but he was well enough to drive an hour and a half back to his hometown, and his friend would give them a drive to Southend the following evening.
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon was placed in a box filled with ice. The student placed the first teatowel over the ice and then put him back in the box with some food and seaweed. The second teatowel then went over the box to protect Qui-Gon from the sun. The student also made artificial saltwater to the correct concentrations for Qui-Gon.
No great adventure comes without obstacles, and on the way to the student’s home, they were met with lots of train and bus delays. They met lots of new friends.
Things were going well for them. Qui-Gon seemed to be enjoying himself. He wasn’t thrashing his tail (a lobster’s distress sign). He was a happy lobster.
So, the student woke up around 7 a.m. and checked on Qui-Gon. The guy still seemed fine but he got another little splash of water before the student went to Comic-Con.
As he got back home, a friend informed the student that a fish center could take Qui-Gon. The center was about 30 miles away and they could keep him in suitable conditions. The student agreed so long as Quin-Gon would be released in Cornwall, where he came from.
And So The Story Ends
When the student got home, Qui-Gon was unresponsive. The student tried to get Qui-Gon to react; he brushed his eyes, unclipped his claws, etc. But, Qui-Gon had departed.
“I’m legitimately upset. A fully grown, six foot, bearded man, may have cried over a lobster,” he writes.
However, Quo-Gon ate the salmon and cod and displayed no signs that he had thrashed or tried to escape, or was otherwise stressed. It seemed that he passed away because of the cold of the fridge. We all hope that Qui-Gon was asleep when it went down, but no promises.
The student wrapped Qui-Gon in the seaweed so it would be like home, went to the nearest lake, and eased him into the water.
The student spent four days with his “life revolving around looking up information, caring for, seeking help for, and transporting, a lobster.”
While he admits that he does not like animals or pets, Qui-Gon was a “special fella.”
