areallivehuman
Posts: 277
Joined: 1/16/2010
Status: offline
|
Today at work was discovered a hummingbird, in the middle of the aisle, laying in a puddle by the wash bay. You could see it was still breathing, but unable to fly, a tiny thing, barely bigger than my thumb. We set it in a shallow box, filled with napkins. A quick trip to the break room garnered a packet of sugar, which was diluted and put in a cut down paper cup. Charlie dipped his finger in it and dang if that bird didn't almost nuzzle his finger. We set the box out in the sun of a hazy, humid workday. Lo and behold, an hour later, we watched as he buzzed off, looking none the worse for wear.
A happy ending, but it brought to mind some melancholy. For I remember another hot August afternoon, long ago, yet not long enough. It was a similar day, hot, 90 some degrees, near 100% humidity. The woman is in the house, preparing dinner, badly drunk. The boys and I can here her cursing and screaming in the kitchen, at nothing in particular and the world in general. You can tell it is going to be a bad night.
The boys are kicking around a Nerf ball, when suddenly, as we are all following the high arc of a great kick, we see the ball collide with a hummingbird, which crashes to the ground. The youngest is there immediately, and is already cradling the bird as I approach. You could see it's heart beating a mile a minute, and its' wings looked undamaged. "Can we bring him inside, for Mom to take care of ?", he asks. This would mean more drama than is healthy, as well as certain death for the bird, so I convince him that the bird has just been knocked unconscious, and will awake on its own soon.
I place the bird in the fork of a tree, and we wait. Supper will be late tonight, you can tell from the sounds in the house. It's too hot to be inside, and the sun has begun its slow slide. We go t check on the bird again, it appears to not be moving at all. I go to pick it up, and just as I reach for it, it sits up, his wings begin their too fast for the eye to see flapping, and away he goes.
I'll not share the rest of that evening with you, suffice it to say that the birds resurrection was the best part of the evening. I didn't eat, and though I refused to engage, the night got ugly fast. So ugly, that the police ended up in the driveway, called by the kids and their father, shortly after the woman finally, thankfully, passed out. It was the last night those boys spent under my roof.
This morn, I saw a post by the oldest boy on Facebook. His oldest stepson has decided to go and live with his father. The mother is understandably upset. And then, the hummingbird at work today.
Life is just too weird sometimes.
|
Of hummingbirds and children - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread