4.
Early in the morning, Rocky, who had brought back some fresh, soft snails wrapped in a fragrant leaf after a walk along the Hudson River, handed them to Ash and said, "What's the matter? Why do you seem so lost and sad this morning?"
"Rocky, I was just thinking about something."
"Whatever you're thinking about, just tell me quickly. Things don't get done by just thinking!"
"Wow! You're really philosophical this morning. Who have you been meeting with?"
"Who would I meet? I don't have anyone."
"Why, didn't you meet Katie today? I thought you went to see her."
"Even if I did meet her, what would it matter? She doesn't even look at me. She's always wandering around some apartment looking for milk."
"Have patience, Rocky. Keep following her around. Once she's had her fill, she'll definitely talk to you. Love always blossoms after a full stomach," Ash said.
"But by then, my fever's already gone," Rocky said, disappointed.
"You're right. It really is just a fever, not love. Listen, Rocky, I think we should do something big in our lives," Ash said.
"We did do something big. How much bigger do you want? You were the one who suggested we start a business. We made so much money. Then you said making money isn't a big deal and ruined the whole established business," Rocky said with a hint of resentment.
Ash, hearing this, started thinking and then said, "Listen, Rocky, I feel that we only get one life. We should do something that the world remembers even after we're gone."
"That's why I say you should marry me. I'll lay eggs in your belly. We'll have lots of kids. Then, even when we're gone, the world will remember us by looking at our kids," Rocky said with a smile.
Ash, hearing this, got irritated. "Get lost! Talking about laying eggs! You lose your nerve just by seeing Katie from afar, and now you want to put lots of kids in my belly!"
Rocky felt embarrassed.
"Listen, leave the jokes aside. What I'm saying is that our parents flew thousands of miles to get here. We should do something like that too. Think about how much effort they put in!"
Hearing this, Rocky said, "There you go again! And what did they do after flying thousands of miles? The same thing I'm talking about. Let's do it here. Why go wandering around for it?"
"Shut up! You're always thinking about the same thing. I'm not saying we should fly thousands of miles away to have kids and come back. I'm saying we should go out under the sky like our parents. But instead of going together, we'll go in different directions, travel the whole world, and find out what 'love' really means. We'll return here after a year and bring back the perfect answer to that question!" Ash said proudly.
Yawning, Rocky replied, "Why don't you just say clearly that you want to go away from me?"
"No, no, don't misunderstand me, Rocky. I want to find out what love is. Truly, I want to discover it. And you'll see, one day, I will find it for sure. Just support me," Ash's eyes gleamed with determination.
"As you wish. But think it through, don't regret it later," Rocky said.
"Why are you saying that? Won't you come back?" Ash asked with some doubt.
"Why wouldn't I? Where else would I go but back to you?"
"Then why talk about regret? Why would I regret it?"
"Because by then I'll be old. Don't come back and say, 'lay eggs, lay eggs.'"
"Get lost, you naughty rascal!" Ash said, narrowing her eyes.
The clouds were as white as cotton. Ash had seen clouds in New York many times while walking on the ground, but this unique experience of flying through the clouds was a first for her.
To be honest, when had she ever flown this high before? She had talked about her parents' high-flying adventures with her friends thousands of times, but she had never even imagined flying at such heights herself.
She was amazed at her incredible ability to fly. After all, she was the daughter of a mother who had flown thousands of miles to give birth to her. She felt a sense of pride in the agility of her wings.
She thought to herself, whatever happens, happens for the best. If she had married that dog in blind love, would he have ever let her soar so freely? Never.
Men have always had the desire for their wives to be lesser than them in every way. He couldn’t even jump three feet high, and he would have restricted Ash from flying. Hmph! Is that even love? It's good that she got rid of him.
But she suddenly started missing her Rocky. Where would he be? Maybe he was flying in the heights just like her. Poor thing, he had left his love at Ash's urging and set out into the world to find love.
Ash looked down once. All she could see was water. Perhaps their entire flock was flying over some ocean. She felt a little uneasy for a moment. Who knows how vast this ocean was? They would have to keep flying for hours.
Then she remembered how, once in her childhood, she had asked her mother how they ate while crossing the ocean.
Her mother had patted her cheek with her beak and said that while flying over the ocean, they would come across many ships. The whole flock would silently decide which ship’s mast to land on. They would all settle down, eat their fill, rest a bit, and then take off again.
As she was thinking this, she saw a massive ship playing with the waves in the distance.
Their leader signaled everyone with his eyes, and they all loosened their wings and began descending.
Ash missed her mother a lot.
The whole group swooped down on the long railing of the ship's high deck.
Ash asked an elderly bird sitting beside her, "Uncle, when we take over any ship like this without asking, don't the people here object? Doesn't the captain try to shoo us away?"
"Oh, dear, travelers of the sea are not so narrow-minded. Besides, they are also bored from seeing the salty waves of the ocean for weeks. Seeing us here lightens their hearts for a while. In fact, they lovingly try to feed us their leftovers. And if we start eating what they offer, they get happy and take pictures of us. They love us a lot!"
Ash perked up her ears.
She thought, so is this love? Look, the love that Ash left her home and friends to find was right here!
She tried to learn more about love from the elderly bird. She asked, "Uncle, do they really shower us with love? Then why should we go any further? Why not stay with them on their palace-like ship?"
"Oh no, dear. Never even think of that. You can’t trust them. If they run out of food and water tomorrow, they wouldn't hesitate to roast us and make kababs. Their love is only temporary.
It’s better to keep your distance!"
All the birds in the flock were busy pecking at the scattered grains. Ash quickly started moving her beak too.
Aish had seen many small and large, colorful boats and ships on the Hudson River, but this was her first time boarding a gigantic ship. She was more focused on admiring the beautiful ship than on food and drink.
She noticed an elderly woman cleaning on the deserted stairs at the back of the ship. The woman had likely brought the covers from the ship's dining tables to wash there. After putting them in a large machine, she began cleaning the stairs.
Aish felt like she should at least thank the woman for her hard work, even if she couldn’t offer any help. People often get so lost in enjoying their food that they don’t pay attention. Food spills, soup overflows—no one cares! But this old woman was diligently scrubbing away each stain with great care.
Aish softly approached her and said, "Good morning, ma'am!"
The woman looked up, startled, and replied, "Good day, dear birdie."
Seeing her respond so kindly gave Aish the courage to talk to her more. She wanted to cheer her up and asked, "Why are you working so hard? Don’t you have any help here?"
"I love this! I love my work. My helper is up there, see?" The old woman pointed to the sky.
"Oh, so this is love," Aish thought. She was amazed. She started thinking that love doesn't necessarily mean having a boyfriend or girlfriend; you can love anything—even your work.
Just then, a stout little man came clattering down the stairs and said to the woman, "Hurry up, sister, there are sheets to clean too... hurry up!"
He was about to turn and leave when the old woman muttered, "What a nuisance! There's not even time to breathe. Just watch, I’ll quit it all!"
Aish began to feel that this wasn’t love; perhaps it was the old woman’s compulsion... poor thing.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Aish walked away. Besides, her groupmates were already getting ready to take flight.
Light rain began to fall. Aish flew off in the opposite direction with her group. The cool winds seemed to wave goodbye to these wandering birds.
After this rest, flying felt enjoyable again. As she soared in the pleasant weather, Aish felt as if her flight was happening effortlessly, with no strain on her part. In such a state, her thoughts began to wander.
She noticed the old heron whom she had addressed as uncle lagging behind repeatedly. Perhaps it was due to his age.
But still, Aish admired his determination in joining this group of young birds despite his age.
They say that elders are a treasure of experience. Often, the young have energy, but when trouble arises, energy alone isn't enough. At such times, someone experienced can show the way.
"Seeing is believing," Aish had just seen it for herself when that elderly uncle had advised her to stay away from humans. It made sense. If people plan to roast and eat birds when food supplies run low, what good is friendship with them?
Aish felt a sense of reverence for the old uncle. She also began to pity his hard work. She made up her mind that whenever they stopped to rest again, she would groom his feathers. Serving elders brings blessings, so why hesitate? Just look at him, trying so hard to keep up with the group, even though he was constantly out of breath.
The rain had stopped now. With the raindrops washing them clean, everyone’s feathers gleamed.
It looked like a procession of clean, freshly bathed birds.
Aish blushed at her own imagination. She began to think of Rocky. Poor Rocky had been so eager to bring a wedding procession to her door.
It was pitch dark. There was a small cluster of two or three dense trees that,in the wilderness of the night, appeared like on Oasis in the desert to the birds flying in the sky. All of them landed there to rest.
As soon as they arrived, Aish fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps it was the result of not being able to sleep properly for several days. Silence enveloped the area. The only sounds were the murmures of the travelers in the group.
It was like what happens sometimes at late night train stations when passengers board a train. When they board, it is dark all around, and every one is asleep. They avoid making loud noises but still need to find their seat, arrange their belongings and make sure not to wake anyone up. After a brief period of whispering they too succumb to sleep leaving only sound of the train running.
It was that kind of noise the sound of waves. The sound of water gently lapping against the land. And the sound of the birds that had arrived there in the evening, resting until morning.
Suddenly, even in her deep sleep, Aish's eyes opened. She was startled. When she realised what was happening, she felt a bit ashamed of herself and some what remorseful about what she had done.
The old uncle was top of her, turning his neck and spreading out her disheveled wings, as if searching for something among them. It was this sharp, tickling sensation that had woken her up.
She quickly slipped out from under him and fluttered a nearby branch.
Uncle looked at her with helpless eyes.
Look at this old man! Aish had been patting his feet and wings thinking he must be tired after flying all day, but he had taken advantage of the darkness and was preparing to plow right over the her body.
Who would believe he was old? He was ready to make a sharper move than the young ones. It was a good thing Aish woke up just in time, otherwise his arrow would have hit the mark.
Aish regretted sitting near him. She began to feel disgusted by the slimy oldman's slippery actions.
At the same time, she couldn't help but think of Rocky. That poor fellow had been waiting for Aish's consent for who knows how long, but despite being close, he had never tried to touch her body without her permission. There had been so many apportunities when Rocky could have easily done as he pleased. After all, they lived in the same shelter. Rain, storm, darkness, solitude - Rocky had endured all of it Aish. But never once had he dared to press against her stomach or back.
And look at this one. Aish showed him a little sympathy because of his age, and he jumped right on top of her while she was sleeping. The audacity!
But Aish's heart trembled within. Are old men are not weaker than the young ones in every way? Oh, what was uncle hiding? She had escaped just in time.
If something had happened, Rocky would have lashed out at her. He would have scolded her - "Oh, so you fancy this old king, do you?"
Aish felt embarrassed with herself.
Even after moving to another branch, Aish couldn't fall asleep again. Who knows when she might drift off and when the uncle might pounce on her again?
But the old bird was so ashamed of being ignored by Aish that he flew to another tree and despite the darkness, hid his face in the leaves and sat there. He forcibly tried to close his eyes and sleep.
He feared that Aish might complain to one of her young male friends, who would beat him up and chase him away from the group.
Young female's friends become immediate allies, even with strangers, and are ready to do anything to win their hearts.
The next morning, when the flock of birds took flight again, the silent and desolate trees stood there, stunned. Droppings, excrement, urine, broken and sick feathers, nibbled fruits and flowers, and who knows what else was scattered around. But it was as if those desolate trees had experienced life in just one night.
Now, the flock was passing over a dense forest. The sky was clear. Everyone was lost in the imagination of their own destinations, flying onward.
Suddenly, there was a commotion. Something like a whizzing arrow, like a meteor, shot past. Along with it, the cry of a bird echoed in the air. Before the others could understand what had happened, the bird was already fluttering and stumbling, rapidly falling downwards. Perhaps a hunter's arrow had struck its chest. It didn't even get two moments of mourning from its companions because everyone was concerned for their own lives.
Aish's heart trembled. Oh God, do such obstacles also arise during a journey? Once again, a memory of his mother flashed in Aish's mind, who had flown thousands of miles to give birth to him on the banks of the Hudson River.
While flying, Aish glanced down at the ground, where the hunter was now running, searching for his injured prey to catch it.
Tears welled up in Aish's eyes. He suddenly remembered his brother, who one day had been taken away by an old fisherman, tossed into his basket along with the fish.
Oh, is this the fate of all of us?
In thinking and observing all of this, Aish had lagged behind his group a bit. He quickly flapped his wings and sped up to rejoin the group.
The forest was quite dense. Yet, after a small murmur among the birds, a debate began. Some wanted to descend once. At least try to find out where their companion was and in what condition. Perhaps he hadn’t died even after the hunter's attack. He might be lying somewhere, writhing in pain. In such a situation, reaching him could be like a life-saving herb for him. Maybe his life could be saved!
"No, no, this is extremely risky. Don’t you see how dense the forest is? There may not be just one hunter, but many. In such a situation, any of us could lose our lives. Who knows who might attack from where!"
"Then, if the hunter had already shot an arrow and killed one of our companions, he wouldn’t have left him alive until now. Even if he wasn’t dead, the wicked human would have strangled him by now. Perhaps by now, he might have even been roasted over a fire. It doesn’t take them long to throw our lives into the furnace!"
Everyone was expressing their different thoughts and doubts.
"Alright, even if the hunter didn’t find him and he is lying wounded somewhere, what could we do by reaching there?"
"At least we could bid farewell to our companion," said a tiny, innocent bird who had just left childhood and embarked on his first journey of life.
At that moment, an elderly bird, who was leading the flock as their leader, said, "If this is how you all feel, then be patient. Look, there is a mountain visible some distance away. We can stop there for a while to rest, and we’ll also devise a strategy for safety for the rest of our journey!"
"What do you mean? What can we do for safety?" Aish asked.
He replied, "First of all, we’ll observe a moment of silence to remember our deceased companion, and then we’ll decide that two of us will take turns flying ahead to keep an eye on the dangers coming from the ground, so that no one loses their life so suddenly."
Aish quietly muttered, "Dangers don’t only come from the ground."
Everyone was startled by his words. The leader said, "The dangers coming from the sky are visible to us in time — when it will rain, when it will get dark."
Aish smiled silently to himself.
"But who has died? Who will we observe silence for?" asked a young bird.
And at that moment, Aish looked around — the old uncle bird was nowhere to be seen!
Aish was in a strange state of mind. She couldn't quite understand how to process the incident. The old uncle who had come to express his love for her in the darkness of the previous night was suddenly killed by a hunter's arrow.
"This is life, nothing more," thought Aish. Expressing love to someone isn't a crime. The truth is, deep down, everyone craves love; no one really minds it. The reason Aish had felt bad was that he had suddenly, without any warning, gone straight to the peak of physical pleasure while she was asleep. At the very least, he should have known if Aish was willing or not.
But would Aish have thought the same if it had been a young, handsome male instead? Maybe not! Maybe yes! Who knows? Aish doesn't really know. After all, she's still on the quest to find love herself. At least this isn’t love, playing with someone’s body.
The old uncle lost his life, but Aish didn't feel like crying. Of course, she felt sympathy for the loss of a companion. It’s a natural instinct of a living being.
The flock of birds moved on and settled at a beautiful spot. It was a lake at the base of a mountain, surrounded by small rocky islets. As soon as they landed, the flock got busy. Some began swimming in the lake, while others perched on dry and green trees around, resting.
Aish noticed a boy slowly walking toward the water. At first, she became alert, thinking he might be a hunter intending to harm the innocent birds, but she quickly realized that the boy had nothing to do with the bird flock. He was just a shepherd, and his flock of sheep was grazing a little distance away. The sheep were engrossed in their grazing.
Aish continued to swim in circles, playing around. The boy was a guardian of living beings. Since he had his own animals, why would he harm others?
So why was he approaching the water, leaving his flock behind? The answer soon became clear. The boy had sat down some distance away to relieve himself, and now he was coming closer to wash himself. As the boy squatted down to wash, Aish’s attention was naturally drawn to him. For a moment, it seemed to her as if the boy was holding a bird similar to her in his hand. The neck looked just like hers. But no, the boy quickly stood up and turned to leave.
As he tied his waistband, the boy walked towards his sheep, which had wandered far ahead while grazing. Along with some other birds, Aish’s attention was drawn when they heard one of the sheep bleating loudly. A sheep, with both feet propped up on a dry bush, had gotten stuck and was now crying out. The boy saw this and, with lightning speed, rushed to free the sheep. The sheep, grateful, looked at him and then joined her flock.
A stork swimming alongside Aish said, "Look how lucky these animals are. They have a human wandering around protecting them. We have to take care of ourselves."
Another stork perched on a stone chimed in, "This isn’t love or care for them. This human isn’t protecting them; he’s protecting himself because he’s going to benefit from them. Tomorrow, he’ll sell their wool and milk."
"Why their wool?" a young stork asked.
"That’s what makes wool. When it gets really cold, we huddle in our feathers and hide in tree hollows, but humans flaunt their fur and woolen clothes."
"They have all the virtues, except for one flaw," an older duck said, "...they are selfish!"
"Who?"
"Humans! Who else?"
"Don’t say that. Even if humans benefit from them, they still take care of them. They domesticate them and keep them in their homes. They provide them with food, water, and safety. If a wolf came and tried to eat them, who would save them? This boy would!"
"We have to search for our own food and water, protect ourselves. Look how that butcher killed one of our companions!" said a stork.
Just then, they all flew towards the shore where one of their companions had just pulled a branch out of the water. There was plenty of food on it.
* * *
