Hope is the Thing With Feathers

Chapter 9

It was a somber day when the doors at The Roost closed for the final time. Blathers had joined Brewster for one last cup of coffee which they enjoyed standing, since all the tables had been moved out. Then, the lights were turned out and the doors were closed and locked. There seemed to be no remnants left of the coffee shop that Blathers had frequented.

In the days passing, Blathers looked on the bright side. He was advancing in his career, he enjoyed his weekend visits home for a meal, and every once in a while, Brewster would stop by his apartment and bring some coffee with him. That constancy was gone though. Everything was changing, and Blathers was doing his best to adjust.

It was a Thursday afternoon that Professor Cornelius drew Blathers away after one of his classes. The older owl led his pupil down to his office and instructed him to take a seat.

"I do not understand. Is something wrong, sir?" Blathers asked.

"Not at all," Cornelius said as he took a seat in his desk. "Quite the opposite in fact. I have a job position open that you might be willing to take."

"Pardon?!"

"You still intend on becoming a curator, yes?"

"Yes!" Blathers exclaimed.

"Do you want the good or bad news first?" Professor Cornelius asked.

"Uh, the bad, I suppose," Blathers murmured.

"I am telling you now to give up on attaining a position at the Farway Museum," Cornelius said. "The curators there have no plans to retire anytime soon, not for at least ten years or so. If this is your continued goal, you will be jobless when you graduate."

"Then, what is the job you had in mind?" Blathers asked, feeling his heart sink. He did not want to give up on another position, not when he had already given up his dream of becoming an archaeologist. 

"There is a quaint town only an hour bus ride from here by the name of Animal Village. I have word from the mayor there that they are in need of a curator," Cornelius said. "It would be a change, for sure. It's not the city life you are used to, and the museum is not quite as grand, but I'm sure you could make a life for yourself there."

"But...what about my degree?" Blathers asked. "I'm only halfway through."

"They are perfectly happy with your master's. But I suppose this is a decision that is up to you. I can't guarantee the position will still be open when you graduate. But I urge you to think about this," Cornelius said.

"How much time before I give you my answer?"

"I'd like to know in two weeks' time. That's when I promised to get back to Mayor Tortimer," Cornelius said. "Think about it, then. Have a good rest of your day."

It was hard to do just that when Blathers was weighing his options in his head. Here he was, offered and guaranteed a job, but it was not the one he had originally desired. Leaving the city life behind for the quaint country would be a change, not to mention that Blathers would have to abandon his studies. As he arrived to the library, the first thing he did was write a letter up to Brewster detailing his problems. 

When the sky had grown dark and classes were finishing for the night, Blathers made a quick detour to the post office to deliver his letter, then took the familiar route to his childhood home.

His mother was quite surprised to see him standing outside the door. She was saddened to tell Blathers that she and his father had just finished dinner, but Blathers said it was no matter. He was only here to talk.

Under the dim glow of the kitchen's light, Blathers sat across from the kitchen table with his parents and began to detail his dilemma. His father sat back and grunted every now and then while his mother leaned forward to listen intentionally.