Arrival

I walked along the path, somewhat aimlessly. I had thought that things would be different this time around, but it turned out to be so much harder. Everyone was away or busy. I didn't want to stay in the hotel room, or spend another afternoon in a cafe by myself again. I wanted to be outside and around color. I didn't have any other ideas, so I ended up here.

There was another drought like last year, but most everything was nonetheless blooming and lush. As usual, I took pictures of every flower and wondered if I had ever seen this species or that one before. And I longed for the days when I had my own garden and wondered if I would ever have one again.

I stopped before a shrub and before I could look at the label to see what it was, a bird alit on one of the branches and looked at me. It was rainbow colored and I thought it could be a lorikeet. I looked around and saw that no one was near me, and there weren't any other birds. I smiled at it and was about to move on to look at another plant when it flapped its wings and landed on my wrist. It then proceeded to walk up my arm and arrive on my right shoulder where it began to coo and preen itself. 

I missed the company of birds and how unusually social and loving they could be. I let it sit there for a minute or two while I decided to stay where I was and look for other flowers. I looked around again to see if perhaps someone had lost their pet or if anyone else was looking for an escaped parrot... but I was still alone.

I smiled at it again, put my pointer finger underneath its feet, and gently placed it back on the shrub in front of me. It quickly flew right back onto my shoulder.

"No sweetie... I don't know where you're from... but I don't have a home for you."

I reluctantly put it back again... and it quickly returned to my shoulder.

"Ugh... whelp... I don't suppose it'd hurt if you stayed with me while I'm here at the garden."

I put my finger on one side of its head and gave it a little scritch. It turned its head over my finger, closed its eyes, and puffed out its feathers. Sigh... what on earth was I gonna do with this silly thing?

I continued to walk around with the bird on my shoulder, and I felt like everyone was looking and smiling at me.

"It's so pretty," said a little girl. "Where'd you get it?"
"I... I brought her with me... she's... my best friend."
"What's her name?"
"Her name... yes... it's Laurie"
"Can I pet Laurie?"

The girl's mother looked concerned, and I too wasn't sure if Laurie would bite. I picked her up with my left hand and stroked the back of her head with my right one and again she just closed her eyes and puffed her feathers.

"Sure."

I then put out my hand in front of the girl, and she pet Laurie on her head and both of them smiled.

"OK... we should let this nice woman go," said the mother.
"OK... bye, Laurie!"
"Bye, sweetie"

And off they went.

I spent another hour at the garden and tried several times more to put Laurie back... but she insisted on staying with me. Great, I thought to myself... I have a pet now. I pulled out my iPhone from my purse and summoned a Lyft. One arrived about in about ten minutes.

"Hey, nice bird!"
"Thanks."

I realized at that point that _everyone_ was going to say that same thing to me. After being dropped off, I searched for a pet store to get some food. I had no idea what I was going to do with this bird... and I knew that I should probably look for a place like a sanctuary or something to drop it off for proper care... but I sort of didn't want to. I actually starting liking its company.

I got some food and decided to go back to the hotel to figure out what I was going to do for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I wasn't sure if the hotel folks would have approved my bringing a bird into the building, so I tucked Laurie in my bra, which it happily nestled in. I forgot how cuddly parrots could be, and it started making that murmurmurmurmur sound that they make when they're comfortable.

I got into my room, gently took the bird out from my chest, and set her onto the bed. I walked to the desk to put my purse on it, and Laurie followed me to the edge of the bed and waited. I forgot about the food so I just opened the bag and put out a handful for her on the bed, and then I flopped down and sighed. 

After a few minutes of laying there, I sat back up and opened up my MBP and started checking to see if anyone had gotten back to me. As soon as she saw it, Laurie started towards the keyboard and attempted to get on it.

"Oh no you don't," I said half giggling, and I quickly moved it away. I've seen the results of a parrot left alone near a laptop; half the keys were removed from my ex's one time.

I checked Twitter and a couple of Slacks, and no one seemed to be around for anything today. I slowly closed my MBP, and just stared out the window, and wondered what the rest of the week, and indeed what the rest of my life, would be like... and started weeping again like I was this morning. 

Laurie crawled up the front of my dress with her beak and feet, and then onto my shoulder. She started licking the tears from my cheek. I rubbed the back of her neck with my thumb and pointer finger and she just sat there with her eyes closed and her feathers ruffled out. I was suddenly tired and decided to take a short nap. Laurie nestled next to me and started grinding her beak as I fell asleep...

I woke up about an hour later and felt relaxed but still sad. Oh well... I thought... it's still quite warm and light outside... I'm gonna go to a cafe to code for a while.

I brought Laurie with me and I sat outside after getting a mocha. I seemed to draw quite a bit of attention from the others, with lots of people smiling at me, or saying OMG IT'S A REAL BIRD as they walked past me. Laurie seemed to enjoy the attention too and didn't move from my shoulder.

I seemed to time things perfectly as the rest of the tables quickly filled up. I put my head back down and starting writing. I typed furiously for about thirty minutes until I hit a brick wall. I didn't know how to get unstuck and so I looked up to take a break... and I spotted a woman entering the cafe. She was absolutely gorgeous, with long flowing purple and turquoise hair... and uuuugggghhhhh she was tall too. Swooooooonnnnnnnnn...

I looked down to avoid being spotted, and also snapped myself back into reality knowing that nothing would happen. I checked on Laurie who was happily preening and cleaning herself still. I gave her a little pat on her head, and focused again on my code. I closed and rubbed my eyes wondering what I was going to do next.

"Nice bird you have there."

I was still deep in thought.

"I said, 'Nice bird you have there'."

I looked up and it was her... and I... I just started stammering.

"Oh... oh my goodness... I am _so_ sorry... I didn't... I didn't think you were speaking to me."
"It's ok... do you mind if I sit down here? There aren't any other chairs available."
"Oh, sure... please do."

OMFG I was nervous.

"Do you live here?"
"Oh," I giggled, "no... I'm here on vacation."
"Oh. And you brought your bird?"

Oh god, she thinks I'm weird.

"No, " I laughed again, "it's kinduva long story but I literally found this bird when I visited the botanical gardens earlier today."
"You... just found it?"
"I kept trying to put it back on a bush or a tree, but it kept flying back to me!"
"OMG!"

And she laughed. Whew.

"Yeah... I have absolutely no idea where to find a home for Laurie. I guess tomorrow I'll start googling for a place."
"Laurie, huh?"
"Yeah," I said sheepishly, "I guess I get attached to things kinda quickly... and I used to have birds years ago."
"Really?"

And we just started talking and talking... and I slowly forgot about how nervous I was. She too was an engineer and a runner... and we talked about everything from music to movies to how horrible the world is right now to cooking to sour beers OMG SHE LIKES SOUR BEERS. And then... I ran out of things to talk about... and there was that awkward silence...

Finally she said, "So... what are you doing tonight?"

I was dumbfounded... and petrified again.

"I... I have nothing to do tonight."

And then... I realized something. I realized that my shoulder felt different from before. I put my left hand on it... and nothing was there. I looked around to see if she fell or was anywhere else around me... and I couldn't find her. 

"Do you see her anywhere?" I asked.

She too started looking under the table and around herself.

"No... I don't see her anywhere."
"Gosh... I hope... I hope she's ok." And I started crying.
"You ok?"
"Yes. I mean... I think so." I paused. "I actually miss her." And I started crying a little harder.

And she reached her hand over to mine and just held it. I just sat there and held her hand back, felt her warmth, but looked away because I didn't want her to see me.

"Hey"
I couldn't look at her.
"Hey... it's ok... I'm still here."
And I looked over to her and gazed into her eyes... and just felt safe.
"Come on... let's get some dinner."

And off... we went...