Bohemian Avenue #13
When I came to the door this morning to let in some fresh air, I was greeted with a lovely melody. A young girl's voice was humming and articulating the notes to something I hadn't heard before. My sparrow girl was already sitting in one of the lawn chairs I had set up with a TV tray between them. I watched her singing as she swung her legs.
I took the moment to take a good look at her, because it was hard to believe she was real at times. She was petite and well formed with straight brown hair that barely reached her shoulders. Her skin was tanned and almost blended with the cotton shorts she wore and made her t-shirt look very white. She was barefoot and picked at tufts of the grass with her toes. When she noticed me at the door, she stopped singing.
"I'll be right out with breakfast," I called.
She stood as I came out with a pot of tea and two teacups on a tray with a plate of toast with butter and other things.
"Hi," she said.
That was the first time I had heard her speak. I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so.
I poured her a cup of tea. She put her mouth to the lip of the cup and pulled back almost spilling.
"Yes, it's hot. I sometimes blow on my tea to cool it off a little," I offered.
She blew on her tea driving a few drops over the lip on the opposite side. I smiled and lightly laughed. She met my eyes and smiled.
I put peanut butter on a piece of toast and gave it to her. Putting her teacup down, she took it in both hands and took a tiny bite. She immediately took a bigger one.
Our breakfast tea was underway. We ate toast and drank our tea. She drank hers carefully even though it had cooled. She seemed to be thinking intently. When she sprang up, I didn't know what to think. I hoped she wasn't leaving, but she had gone to the bird feeder and was putting millet on her peanut butter toast. She seemed pleased with the result.
I laughed as she returned with her toast speckled with the seed. Her eyes were shining as she gave me a shy little smile. When she was seated again, I said, "I liked your singing."
She hummed a little in reply. After a moment when she had swallowed another sip of tea, she told me how she watched a little girl dress her cat in doll's clothes and received a scratch for her trouble.
I said I thought the girl was a little cruel to the cat, but she said the cat deserved the humiliation for all the trouble she gives the neighborhood birds.
Our conversation continued for almost an hour until she said, "Goodbye, sir" and was gone in the familiar flutter of feathers.
The sunlight seemed to fade somehow. The moment had a slight feel of loneliness, but we had shared a lovely breakfast together. That was my memory to savor.
My sparrow girl is real isn't she?
I need her to be.
I took the moment to take a good look at her, because it was hard to believe she was real at times. She was petite and well formed with straight brown hair that barely reached her shoulders. Her skin was tanned and almost blended with the cotton shorts she wore and made her t-shirt look very white. She was barefoot and picked at tufts of the grass with her toes. When she noticed me at the door, she stopped singing.
"I'll be right out with breakfast," I called.
She stood as I came out with a pot of tea and two teacups on a tray with a plate of toast with butter and other things.
"Hi," she said.
That was the first time I had heard her speak. I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so.
I poured her a cup of tea. She put her mouth to the lip of the cup and pulled back almost spilling.
"Yes, it's hot. I sometimes blow on my tea to cool it off a little," I offered.
She blew on her tea driving a few drops over the lip on the opposite side. I smiled and lightly laughed. She met my eyes and smiled.
I put peanut butter on a piece of toast and gave it to her. Putting her teacup down, she took it in both hands and took a tiny bite. She immediately took a bigger one.
Our breakfast tea was underway. We ate toast and drank our tea. She drank hers carefully even though it had cooled. She seemed to be thinking intently. When she sprang up, I didn't know what to think. I hoped she wasn't leaving, but she had gone to the bird feeder and was putting millet on her peanut butter toast. She seemed pleased with the result.
I laughed as she returned with her toast speckled with the seed. Her eyes were shining as she gave me a shy little smile. When she was seated again, I said, "I liked your singing."
She hummed a little in reply. After a moment when she had swallowed another sip of tea, she told me how she watched a little girl dress her cat in doll's clothes and received a scratch for her trouble.
I said I thought the girl was a little cruel to the cat, but she said the cat deserved the humiliation for all the trouble she gives the neighborhood birds.
Our conversation continued for almost an hour until she said, "Goodbye, sir" and was gone in the familiar flutter of feathers.
The sunlight seemed to fade somehow. The moment had a slight feel of loneliness, but we had shared a lovely breakfast together. That was my memory to savor.
My sparrow girl is real isn't she?
I need her to be.
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posted by praiseage at 11:28 AM
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