One afternoon, while cleaning a large fish pond, I noticed a strange odour. Looking around, I saw a buxom lady in her early forties approaching, followed by an elderly lady using a walker. The smell grew stronger as she neared, and I saw many grey hairs on her clothes.
"What happened? Why are there so many hairs on your clothes?" I asked.
"Dog hair," she replied. "I have four dogs."
Pointing to the elderly lady, I inquired, "Is she your mum?"
"Yes," she said.
After about half an hour, the lady called me over to buy two gold tench. During the transaction, I asked, "How old is your mum?"
Instead of answering, she turned to her mother and asked, "How old are you, Mum?"
"Se-ven-ty eigh—t!" her mother enunciated slowly.
"Seventy-eight. You're in good health," I remarked. Both mother and daughter smiled.
"Does your mum live with you?" I continued.
"No, I live with Mum and look after her," she corrected gently.
"You have dogs, fish, and you care for your mum. That must be a lot of work," I said.
"Besides the dogs and fish, I also have two cats," she added.
"How much do you spend on your pets each day?" I asked out of curiosity.
"The money doesn't matter. I just love them," she stated simply.
"You really love your dogs, cats, and fish," I observed.
"And Mum!" she exclaimed, her face breaking into a sweet, youthful smile. "Mum comes first!"