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Bernadette could bring
someone back to the shores of Ireland with her looks and personality. She
was quick of wit and intuitive too. Little escaped her in the world
around. Perceptive eyes could catch an event before it happened just from
careful observation. Sometimes when she is sad her forlorn far away gaze
seems to reach into another world no one else can see.
But this isn't Ireland. It
is America. If the little people found a way over they are certainly
careful to keep to the very far out places where no one goes. The early
immigrants are gone now with only sparkling sprinkles of their customs
upon their descendants, nothing else. There remains in some of the far
out places stone houses built for the fairies but no one knows what they
are unless an older person happens to remember a grandmother taking food
and flowers out to them. We have all been educated to understand about
the laws of physics, mathematical equations for understanding the
circumference and all that has been proven. There is not much of a place
left for the dreamer of dreams and lovers of the little people. Still and
all Bernadette found something almost as much fun as the little people.
These are the things one
thinks about when there is a conversation with Bernadette. So much of our
world is busy with what has to be done, or what we believe has to be done.
The brief sweetness of a quiet way and time seems to be wound up in the
fiber of the girl and it is pleasant.
“Since you have mentioned
some things about birds you must hear what is going on around my
neighborhood. I'm telling you it is the funniest thing. I believe the
Mockingbirds have all moved to town this year. It is plain to see they
all have their territories. You know how they do.”
“Oh yes. World War Three
in Mockingbird. Actually it is like tiny airplanes in flight the way they
zip around, up and down and skim through the air with one on the tail of
the other. I've often thought I should keep my video camera handy just to
record the reality of it. I don't think people actually believe the story
about how they aggressively defend their territories. I've seen them come
together in mid-flight with their wings flailing at each other. Actually
they will be beak to beak in the air. All the fluttering is like two kids
scuffling over a toy. Finally one must win because the other one will
break loose from the threat swiftly and in a hurry. His adversary is just
as quick to follow until the battle is won and victory is sweet.”
Bernadette continued to
tell about her city Mockingbird's. “I'm up late sometimes and I'm
listening to what sounds like a bird. All at once here is a burglar car
alarm directly in the middle of the song. No sooner have I almost
accepted this when there will be a song of at least three different video
game sounds.”
“What? Are you telling me
your city Mockingbird is doing this? That is so incredible!” The older
woman was a believer since she had experienced some really strange
happenings with the songs of these birds even in the country. For one
bird it was the shocking wolf whistle. Another mocking the starter of a
car was really a taunting memory of a car that was so obstinate with
starting. It would have been pleasantly forgotten if that Mockingbird ane
her descendants didn't remind them anew each season. Sometimes a song
was so intriguing. She knew it wasn't another bird call. Was it a blender?
Bernadette smiled. “I think
the most startling sound was something sounding like a machine gun. That
so surprised me when it was late at night I was determined to find out for
sure what it was. The next day I walked around the yard making myself
conspicuous. Those birds were very aware of my presence. They must have
felt I was a threat to their nests. All the machine guns, video games,
and car alarms to come out of the old Elm tree on my yard was so amusing.”
“Well after all when a bird
grows up in Rome, you do as the Romans do.” The older woman also
found the Mockingbird's habits to be fun. |
