The Strange Bird From Down the Lane

Painting by AK.

The Strange Bird From Down the Lane

There are rumors of a strange bird inside the strange park at the pedestrian neighborhood. Well, they say it's a bird, a crow to be precise, with black ruffled feathers and a strange type of look in its eyes. But some people say it's a girl. 

The path to the park isn't normal either. I remember someone saying that you have to walk down a certain lane while closing your eyes, but I haven't tested it yet. The last time someone tried to enter the park through the entrance, however, they came back bloodied and bruised.

Yet nobody saw a thing.

Nobody is allowed to go there, not even the mayor. They say that visiting the quiet place makes one contemplate about the complexities of life, and in our neighborhood, such a foreign thing isn't allowed. We're only suppose to follow the rules and lead a perfect life.

It was one day that I decided to see if the rumors were true themselves. I walked down the lane closing my eyes, and to my surprise there really was a girl amongst the birds.

She told me that I was the one of the few who actually followed the rule of entering the park. She apologized for the boy that came back bloodied and bruised, since the crows didn't like people entering nonchalantly. We began conversing.

The life of a crow is strange, she said. People take their caws for omens and misfortunes or for luck and serendipities. But she didn't mind. She said it was grand to see the world in the sky. She tends to pity those who can't fly.

I asked her about her existence.

She told me she was simply was.

After a nice chat about birds and humans, I left the park with a promise of reunion. When I turned around, however, the park wasn't there anymore.