Omens

I round the corner before my office to a fluttering of black wings, and a sparrow flies towards me. I freeze, bike in hand, and the sparrow wheels past and lands on the handle of my office door again. When I approach, slowly, it takes off, rushing for the stairwell at the end of the hallway. It hesitates before flying through the door, deciding instead fo come back towards me.

By this time, I'm ready, and lean my bike against the wall while pulling off my shirt. It aims to cross over my head, and I net it gently. It struggles in my hands for only a moment before falling still, and I carry the parcel to the back door.

It doesn't move when I spread my shirt on the grass, and I worry that I killed it in the process of trying to catch it, but I can see its eyes darting and its chest heaving. It only takes a few gentle nudges on its wing and tailfeathers before it takes off into the sky.

---

I called my mother to wish her a happy mother's day, and she answered the phone in her sleep. I said she could call me back later, but instead, she mumbled packing instructions for our trip next week until I convinced her to hangup.

She called me back later anyway, and informed me of a list of personal items she would pack for me because she didn't trust that I would pack them for myself.

11 May 2014 16:17