Friday Jun 25, 2010

Aldo Safe & Sound

As we come to learn: nature takes no prisoners.

I’m walking back up the road from my mailbox check. It’s hot. This is the third week since my abscessed tooth exploded. The excruciating pain that had lasted nearly two weeks cannot be described. No narcotic painkiller. My brain is still mush.

As I approach my cabin under the fruit orchard trees, I see a small patch of bright aqua near the door. A young parakeet. We look at one another. He (blue nostril area indicates a male) flies up onto my finger. The high desert is a dangerous place for this little fellow. It looks as if he’s been through some hard days, but otherwise seems healthy.

I bring him into the cabin, which now fortunately has air conditioning. Sweetie Boy, my cockatiel, immediately perks up with a few sounds of—what’s this?

Fortunately, I have a small birdcage in the attic. I fill the water cup and then add smaller seeds from Sweetie Boy’s food in the other. My little visitor, with a bit encouragement, enters the cage where he falls asleep. I make a call to a neighbor to see if she knows of a bird rescue adoption outfit.

Meanwhile, I call my sister and tell her the story. She listens intently and then says: “Do you know what day this is?”

I’m puzzled.

“It’s two years today,” she says, “since Mommie died.”

I’m floored. How could I forget this date? And my compassionate mother Adele certainly loved birds.

I tell my sister that I trust I can find the bird a good home. I say, “He’s a boy. Can we still call him Adele?”

My sister says: “How about Aldo?”

“Perfect,” I say, knowing deeply that Aldo and Adele have made me feel much better. We are all God’s eyes and ears on earth.