A Flock of Blue Parakeets

article image
ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
Unable to distinguish one from another, the author accepted all of the blue parakeets brought to her not knowing if any were her Boy.

It was one of those busy-about-the-house days, and since my little blue parakeet–Boy–loved to stretch his wings, I let the bird loose to fly around while I went about my chores of cake baking, dress remodeling, and sorting out items to take to the Goodwill Industries.

A few hours later, my sister came by to add her own donations to my Goodwill bundle, and–as she carried the awkward package in–she propped the door open with her foot for a few seconds. You can probably guess what happened next. The bird saw his chance and suddenly was gone!

Somewhere … Blue Parakeets Fly

I was frantic. I raced around the front yard, the back yard, and up and down the street calling out, “Boy! Boy! Come here, Boy!” No response. After several futile hours of hunting, I telephoned a few of my neighbors and asked them to please be on the lookout for my pet. Finally, I called the local newspaper to place an ad in the “Lost and Found Pets” column, promising a reward for the parakeet’s return.

That night (as any pet lover will understand), I slept very little. I kept thinking about my lost friend shivering and hungry in some tree or bush. The following day was equally sad. I tried to keep busy, so I wouldn’t picture poor Boy alone in the world (at the mercy of the elements and the neighborhood cats), yet the sight of his empty bird cage would bring tears to my eyes. I hoped that someone would find and take good care of him, even if I never got him back.

  • Published on Sep 1, 1981
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368