Flight

Chapter Six - Always There

For a few weeks I feel nothing close to being human and I enjoyed my life as a bird. How I changed so fast in a couple of weeks. I must’ve really loved flying. But today it is different.

After finishing the show, I sneak away from the group and slowly fly low back to the city.

“Going back for a little tour again I see?” Kevin asks, surprising me and stopping my flight.

“Yep, just a little,” I reply while I laugh nervously that sounded like a whispered 'ha-ha.

He stares at me for a while like he usually does and finally says, “Okay, but come back early, though. I don’t know if Mr. Columbus already told you that we’ll be migrating tonight. I might as well remind you.”

“Oh...” I did not know anything about migrating! He winked and then goes. “Right, okay then! Be back soon,” I say just before he was out of sight.

And then I left as fast as I could. All I can think about is meeting or seeing my family again before we would go and migrate. Twilight has come and became a little bit gloomy as well. It is not a good time to go touring at the city because of the coldness and dampness of the atmosphere. Not a moment later, I am back at the city.  It all comes back to me. I am feeling teary-eyed, even though I don’t know if birds cry. Or is it just drizzling right now? Suddenly, my wings feel heavy and it’s like I forgot everything about flying. A familiar scent picks up from my nose-bird-beak. Suddenly, I remember my accident and feel my wing snap! I almost fell and I do my best to regain my balance. I’m fine, nothing is broken. I’m just really not in my best mood to fly. I’m confused and angry at myself. Setting my feelings aside, I am back outside my room in the hospital by the window looking around as I hover. There was no one inside the room and my heart sinks.

I left the room and looked around the other hospital windows. I feel envy as I see a mother not leaving the side of her child, even though she is looking so tired, sleeping on her chair while she rest her head and arms on the bed. I went up and down different rooms but still there was no sign of my friends or family. For a second I am thinking that they really did left me. Maybe they already found my dead body and held a party for me. I looked different anyway, and I was sick. Hazel is angry at me. And most of all, I was a big trouble for them.

Taking my last chances, I go to the nurses’ station where I know patient room assignments can be seen there. Using my bird’s eye vision, I look for my name. Seeing a name ‘Abby’, I almost jumped out of joy, but I can’t because birds especially doves or pigeons don’t jump in place because of excitement. I fly to the room written below my name. As I arrived by the window of the room, I’ve never felt any better. Now I feel worse than before. It was another person but only with the same first name as mine. And I am left hanging and got nowhere to go.

Losing hope, I leave. I wanted to be a bird but I don’t want to migrate and leave where I am born. I’ve been here like forever. But since I have no choice now, I need to go back to the island. Half-way going to the ocean, I stop in mid-air. I remember that I have not yet visited our condominium. My heart lifts-up. I closed my eyes as I imagine myself in my room, my body asleep in bed but healthy. My mother comes in the room with a basin and soft towel in her hand. She gives me a sponge bath and sits by my side. Tears fall down her cheeks and Hazel enters the room. She comforts my mother. I don’t know what she was doing there, maybe I miss her too. It feels so real I can almost touch them. My father takes care of my stargazer lilies which he put on my bedside table, looking so lush than before. He had taken care of the plants very well, a perfect score Pa. They were taking turns in looking after me. Then, random people whom I don’t know enter the room to see me as well. And I don’t know how they were included in my imagination.

Then, I heard an old lady say, “Don’t worry, she’ll wake up soon,” and gives my mother a hug. Ma almost cried on her shoulders. I can see her shoulders go up and down, and she is doing her best not to burst into tears. Pa holds her hand. It hurts seeing them like this. I don’t know why I even imagined this.

I opened my eyes and realize that it’s dark. Everyone at the island must be preparing already for the migration. Should I go back to the island while I still can? Or try to take a look for the last time at our condo. What if I looked there and my family is not there anyway? I’ll be left alone on the island and would have nowhere to go until they return the next season. I declare that this is the most very hardest decision—I’m not exaggerating—I’ve ever made. Finally I made up my mind.