THE BIRD SONG OF MOMBAI
I was reading a lovely story today about a couple who have
grown up children who have left home with their busy lives leaving behind their
parents who also had busy lives but because their lives had been longer, they
had become bored and miserable, not only with their jobs, but with each other.
One day he proudly showed her an ugly contraption he had
bought on line. Sturdy plastic it was at first, she wasn’t sure what it was,
but he told her it was to feed the birds. She replied. “we live in Mumbai,
where there are no birds and people are starving so how can we feel good about
feeding birds?” he said the birds belong to the world and they will come. It’s
up to the world to feed them.
On their tiny balcony of their apartment, he fitted the bird
feeder. Filled it with bird food and waited. Nothing for a couple of days but
then one morning he quietly whispered to his wife. Look, pointing to the balcony
where to her surprise there was the brightest green parrot sitting near the
feeder staring into the window and with caution, he placed his beak into the
food and enjoyed a lovely breakfast.
The lady was shocked. The husband was delighted, fuelling
his desire to learn as much as possible about birds, what to feed them
different kinds and so on.
Over the weeks they had songbirds who they learned they sing
up to 2000 times per day and other kinds of birds. Then one day, the birds
stopped coming. Her husband became very depressed again. No purpose in life.
every day was the same. Working hard at the same old job. He had got used to
chatting over breakfast to his wife again like they used to when they had not
learned about forgetting about how to communicate with each other. Before life
got in their way.
One day through tears, she was writing at her desk. Trying to
beat the deadline whilst worrying about her ailing father. Her husband was
working long hours as always. Then suddenly she saw something out of the corner
of her eye. It was the green parrot back for food. He looked into her soul as
if to speak with her. She tried to get close to him. He looked as if to say,
come any further lady, and I’m gone…
Her husband came home from work they went to bed and she
reached out for his hand. He asked what was the matter, she told him of their
friend who visited. He was so happy. So proud. He once again had a purpose in
life. he and his wife continued to learn about birds and enjoyed their new
study, their old conversations! Something happened between them. A new spark
was ignited.
I don’t think this story is as simplistic as it seems. I think
the moral of it is a distraction away from every day life can be a good thing. You
just have to open your mind and heart and do something you have never done
before. What did that parrot say to the lady that day?
27 June 2019
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