The Turtle Paddly

The whole family was waiting when I arrived. Paddly, the turtle was laying in a big terrarium with sand, and a lamp that spread a strong, constant light over him. The owner lifted him up and I took him gently, I had never before in my life touched a turtle.
He was also my first turtle client.
But I think he became more afraid of me; Paddly went back in to his “own” house, his shell. I took him back to his terrarium, all of a sudden Paddly sent me a feeling of tiredness and sadness, he was missing something in his life.
Suddenly, could I see a small creek with sand on the sides but mostly clay, and also leaves, and tree roots that are growing down into the water. One man with rolled up trousers has his hands down into the water. He is picking up turtles and throwing them into a little boat made out of wood. In the next sequence images of the turtles are in a box, everything turns pitch black, the oxygen is reduced and the dryness is terrible! That is how Paddly is feeling at this moment, he longs for moisture and leaves and to be able to swim a little. But here in his real life, there is only sand.
I told this to the family and they said he was a dessert turtle I was wrong!
I felt like I had failed and left the family with a sad heart that I hadn't been able to help them.

Months later I received an e mail from the wife, I couldn't get your message from Paddly out of my mind so I started to do some research. Finally I met a guy that worked with turtles-- and I had Paddly with me to show him. The first thing this guy says when he sees Paddly is, "What a beautiful swamp turtle."
You see, Paddly got in the wrong box when he went through customs.
Now he is living with moist and even a little swimming pool and he seems "happier" than ever. I guess he wants a wife too.