Stephanie Langson

I'm Alex, a grand eclectus parrot and one of the main characters in The Ingathering: A Tale of Two Species. Stephanie asked us to write a short-story line for her website. She's busy cleaning out her paper files. This could have been done months ago, but I'm not one to criticize.

 

I'm Annie, a Solomon Island eclectus parrot. Alex and I live with Robert and Sarah. But it wasn't always like this, and my name wasn't always Annie either. We all met through the avian sanctuary.  

  

Annie and I will use the hunt and peck method on the keyboard. It's easy; we've been doing it for millions of years.

 

Robert adopted me first. When he brought Annie home, she came with a problem—biting.  

 

"Alex! Why would you write that?"

 

"It's in the story."

 

"This is supposed to be brief. The world doesn't have to know everything, especially something bad about me."

 

I don't bite anymore. I was scared; that's all.

 

Annie was a neglected, abused, abandoned bird who lived in a cage her whole life.

 

"What a blabber mouth! Alex, write something about yourself."

 

After my mom and dad lost the ranch, they couldn't keep me and left me at the avian sanctuary where Sarah works. That's where I met Imaknowalot, Trustee of the Bird Kingdom and Spiritual Guide. Ima helped me through the despair of being given away and encouraged me to go home with Robert.

 

She helped me too.

 

"Annie, I'm writing about myself."

 

"Sorry."

 

I love Robert, but, when it came to Sarah, he was slow. That's why I destroyed his library books.

 

I am Robert. I wasn't slow. I was cautious, afraid of making another mistake. One divorce was one too many.

 

"And destroying my library books, Alex, was unnecessary."

 

"You read for hours and even took the books to bed."

 

"It's not unusual for the male of my species to read."

 

"You missed the season. Spring came and went. I was helping you."  

 

"The library suspended my card for six months, fined me for the ruined books, flagged my name, put me on the Least-Wanted List, and insisted I volunteer in their literacy program. You were not helping me."

 

Alex was worried that Robert would choose the wrong mate.

 

"Thank you, Annie."

 

He slept with one eye open should the Shellie woman come back. I told him—

 

"Annie! Enough on the Shellie subject. I did eventually close my other eye."

 

"I was getting to that."

 

Undaunted by the book boondoggle, I continued to help Robert. That's why I asked him to send Sarah flowers with a note when she went to Kansas to visit her mother.

 

I am Sarah. The note was signed, "Love Alex." But I knew that Robert would never have acquiesced to Alex's wishes if Robert didn't love me. When he picked me up at the airport, he told me so and gave me a black onyx and diamond tipped bracelet. It was one of his mother's favorites.

 

Annie here: After Sarah returned, she and Alex resumed my flying lessons. You see, I never learned to fly.

 

Annie was a neglected, abused, abandoned bird who lived in a cage her whole life.

 

"Alex! You already wrote that."

 

"It bears repeating."

 

I became a good flyer and a good singer. Singing is my special gift.  

 

Alex here: Math is my special gift. Ima introduced me to it.

 

I am Ima. I didn't realize, at the time, how adept my pupil would become. Even when numbers are not indicated, Alex applies them. It's a challenge.

 

I am good at math. I am also hungry, and I saw Sarah bring in strawberries; so, we shall meet again in the book.