Birdie passed away in my cupped hands last night around 7.30pm. She's been with us since 1997, when we were living at teckwhye. When she just arrived, she was still a young chick, unable to feed herself properly. We had to open her beak and put mashed food in, like an adult bird. At that time, we didn't have a proper cage for her to live in too, and she took her place in our household on the handle of a bicycle which we have outgrown. She would hop onto the back wheel, then the seat, and finally onto the handlebar. The bicycle was in the service balcony, where she could watch everyone in the kitchen and also move about freely. Then she learnt how to bathe in a little tub we put in the bathroom, and it became a performance for guests to watch when they came to our house; Birdie hopping to the toilet and taking a bath. One day, we found a cage for her, put a branch in it for her to perch on and food and water dishes. We placed the cage by the small balcony window so she could watch the world as it went by. By then we have often brought her downstairs for walks. She always knew how to climb the stairs and go home to our second storey house. Once she hopped behind a stranger living on the third storey and nearly went the third storey with him. At night, there were often many flying ants around the lift lobby, and we would walk there with her to catch her own dessert. When one day she grew afraid of the grass, we brought her downstairs in her cage to let her sun her feathers. I remember bringing her to school on the motorbike one day for show-and-tell in a toy basket. She perched on the blackboard chalk-holder as I told the class about her. I also brought her to the beach once. I let her out, but something frightened her and she flew away from me. I ran a long distance behind her, never letting her out of sight, but in my heart I was so afraid I would never find her again. She finally crashed into a man's hand, who returned Birdie to me. Birdie was never a strong flier, because when she was young she fell from her nest. She even flew out of our house window once and I was so, so terrified.
Then we moved to our present house. She had even fewer chance to go for walks, since the area was new to her. She only walked around in our house then, pecking at things she took interest in. We called her the 'superbuyer', playing on the word 'supervisor', because she seemed to be inspecting our house. We all grew older. One day after my math paper in jc, I felt too stressed and sought comfort in Birdie. It was very calming to just sit and watch Birdie. I would sit there until she got used to my presence and began falling asleep. She looks so adorable when she does that. One day when I was still in school, my sister smsed me and told me that Birdie laid an egg. We were all so surprised because up till then, we had thought that she was a male. But we were all still suspicious as to whether Birdie was really the one who laid that greenish egg. We thought maybe some bird flew in through out window and laid an egg before escaping. But another egg appeared a few weeks later, and another and another, until it is impossible to assume that some other bird laid the egg. Soon, egg-laying became tortuous for Birdie, and she grew weak. It's probably the same concept as humans, as older females will have tougher pregnancies. We often saw her sitting on the newspaper, her legs no longer able to support her. She would also look like she was gasping for air.
Then she lost her voice. She couldn't call. But she would suddenly recover only to lose her voice again. For her last days, she couldn't make a sound.
I came back to an empty house just now. It was totally empty. It used to be there would at least be Birdie to keep the only person at home company. Like, even though none of my parents or sister were around, I could count on Birdie for company. It feels so sad to find an empty spot instead of Birdie on her cage in the balcony. Can't help but let the tears fall. I miss Birdie.
May she rest in peace.
Then we moved to our present house. She had even fewer chance to go for walks, since the area was new to her. She only walked around in our house then, pecking at things she took interest in. We called her the 'superbuyer', playing on the word 'supervisor', because she seemed to be inspecting our house. We all grew older. One day after my math paper in jc, I felt too stressed and sought comfort in Birdie. It was very calming to just sit and watch Birdie. I would sit there until she got used to my presence and began falling asleep. She looks so adorable when she does that. One day when I was still in school, my sister smsed me and told me that Birdie laid an egg. We were all so surprised because up till then, we had thought that she was a male. But we were all still suspicious as to whether Birdie was really the one who laid that greenish egg. We thought maybe some bird flew in through out window and laid an egg before escaping. But another egg appeared a few weeks later, and another and another, until it is impossible to assume that some other bird laid the egg. Soon, egg-laying became tortuous for Birdie, and she grew weak. It's probably the same concept as humans, as older females will have tougher pregnancies. We often saw her sitting on the newspaper, her legs no longer able to support her. She would also look like she was gasping for air.
Then she lost her voice. She couldn't call. But she would suddenly recover only to lose her voice again. For her last days, she couldn't make a sound.
I came back to an empty house just now. It was totally empty. It used to be there would at least be Birdie to keep the only person at home company. Like, even though none of my parents or sister were around, I could count on Birdie for company. It feels so sad to find an empty spot instead of Birdie on her cage in the balcony. Can't help but let the tears fall. I miss Birdie.
May she rest in peace.
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