Bird of the Day

This is a true(ish) story of when I was younger and had found a small bird.

Bird of the Day

“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”

My eyes snap open.

“Chirp! Chi…”

I hit my alarm clock, sit up, and look around. I was in my bed, set to the back of the garish, almost empty room. Light streamed in through the window above me.

I slid back down into my warm blankets, and looked at the gray alarm clock on my nightstand. It read 6:45.

I sigh, “Time to get up.”

I reluctantly slip out of bed and lumber across the room, to my dresser. Only half awake, I pull on some clothes, grab my bag, and head down stairs.

I’m  halfway down, when a wretched smell reaches my nose.

“Oh, God what is that.” I yell, running down the stairs.

“Samuel, look I made eggs.” my sister says holding out a plate of something that vaguely resembles a dead toad.

“Oh, great Summer, but I need to leave right now so, I’ll just have this apple”, I say picking up an apple and backing towards the door, “You can have it… Ok?”

“Ok, thanks,” Summer says happily, “It looks really good.”

“Yeah,” I push through the screen door into the garage, where the smell of a hundred different flowers fills my nostrils. My mother is a huge gardener and she  brought all of her flowers out to plant them for spring. I was glad for the good smell, especially after the egg incident.

I pull on my shoes and before leaving, I grab a handful of  bird seed.

* * * * *

“Crunch! Crunch!”

I walk along the street, munching on my apple, towards the bus stop. Loose stones rolling away as I step on them.

“Chomp!”

“Well, there goes the rest of it.” I say as I whip the apple into the thick forest.

It spun as it sailed through the trees, before smashing against a large maple  about ten meters away.  Birds flew from the tree, spooked by the noise.

“Oops, sorry.”

I continue along the street for a bit…

“Chi Chi Chirp, Chi Chi Chirp.”

I spin around.

“Chi Chi Chirp, Chi Chi Chirp.”

There in front of me was a tiny Chickadee. I smile. This is Icarus, I always bring seeds for him because it’s hard for him to catch his prey (small flying insects) as he has a wing defect. This is why I call him Icarus.

There is a Greek myth about Daedalus and his  son Icarus. They were trapped on an island and Daedalus, the great inventor, made two pairs of wings. Before they left he told Icarus to not fly too close to the sun, as the heat will melt the wax holding the wings together. They put on their wings and jumped  off a tower into the wind. Icarus, drunk with the power of flight, flew higher and higher, until the wax melted from the sun and he fell back to earth.

“Chirp!” Icarus squawks interrupting my thoughts.

“Oh, yeah here’s your food,”  I say as I place a few seeds down, “You deserve them.”

Icarus starts to snap at the seeds. After a little bit he finishes. He peers at me.

“Ok, you can have a few more, my treat,” I say smiling at my own horrible joke.

Icarus c***s his head slightly, then flies onto  my open hand. This is the first time he has ever done this, and I really never expected him to, because he’s very timid and it took him a while to even eat the seeds I gave him.

“Ouch!”, I yell, “ careful with those talons.”

“Chirp!”, He regards me with his beady, black eyes.

He continues to eat the seeds. Slowly I reach down, careful not to startle him, rest my hand on his warm, feathery back. He flinched a little, but otherwise seems fine with it. I start to stroke his soft, gray feathers. He turns towards me and let out a small chirp of affection.

“Honk!”

“Come on Samuel, stop bird watching and get on the bus!”

I whirl around, there behind me is a bus full of my peers, with very distraught driver, sticking their head out the window. I blush.

“How long have you been there?” I ask timidly.

“Long enough,” she retortes, “Now get in here.”

* * * * *

I stare out the window of the bus at the sunny spring day, feeling no reason to enjoy it. I had never felt more embarrassed in my life. “Chi Chi Chirp!”

I look up, at the open window sat an old bird friend of mine.

“Icarus, what are you doing.” I gasp, looking up at him in plain sight of everyone, “You’ll get seen.”

Icarus regards me calmly, not knowing or not caring that he could get me in trouble. A bit later I get off the bus and he follows.

For the rest of the day he followed me around (not in the school of course.) Whenever I looked out the window he would be there, in a tree or by the window. After that day he never followed me to school, but I still saw him and gave him seeds, talked to him and I actually gave him a “necklace” so I could always know it was him. This happened for a while until one day he stopped. It was a week later when I found his body. It was under a fallen tree. The necklace still on him, I gave him a proper funeral in the woods in back of my house. He remains there now. It was sad that he died, but it is the circle of life, and I’m glad that he was here. He left some memories that I’m sure that I will never forget. He was a great companion and he gave one of my best, most treasured memories and I loved him.

THE END   

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

An English professor might gig you on a few small things, but I find your story easy to read/understand, and quite enjoyable. Perhaps there's some truth to it? Many in this world would never notice a little bird, much less develop feelings for it. You're not one of those, nor am I.