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Sam's Big Day

© Mary Wilson

After a grueling ten hours at work today, I came home, planning on spending the evening with the men in my life -- Sammy, Braynon, and Alex. I walked into the door. I heard silence, just the jingling of the tags on my cat Nerm's collar. I turned to look at Sammy's cage to see why he hadn't greeted me with his usual squawk of delight, and I saw the door was open. My heart pounded in my chest. I peered inside, but no big green pionus sat on the perch, peering out the door. My worst fear had come true! I'd been so caught up in the drama of the night before (my oven wouldn't work and I had to do something for supper), that I'd left Sam's cage open by accident and now he was gone.

I instantly looked at my cats -- surely they wouldn't, but I knew when push came to shove, instinct would far outweigh any fear they had of me.

"Sammy," I called out as I walked towards his cage. "Oh, Sam Sam" My voice rang through the living room.

Silence. I really began to worry. Before, Sammy had stayed on his perch on the cage, and yes, as red faced as I am to admit it, this had happened before. I looked around his cage, under the chairs, under the couch, then began working my way through the dining room calling Sam's name the entire time.

He has to be here, I told myself. After all, surely there would be signs of a struggle if he - gulp - weren't around anymore. I looked viciously at my cats.

In the bedroom and bathroom, I met with silence. Then, a chirp, from somewhere behind me. I turned around, retracing my steps back to the cage, never ceasing in calling for Sammy. Now, I thought, would be a perfect time for Braynon to start screaming. He does that occasionally for attention, and I ignore it, but sometimes Sammy chimes in. Surely if he screamed I could find him. Braynon didn't scream, and I started toward the hall.

Luckily, there wasn't much house left, and I found Sam sitting calmly on top of an empty bird cage in my second bathroom (affectionately dubbed the "bird bathroom.") He went readily to my hand and I carried him back to his cage, crooning over him and his successful rescue.

I can only imagine, and maybe I don't want to, what he went through today, but he received carrots and baby food, his two favorite treats, and thankfully, survived his big day.

The copyright of the article Sam's Big Day in Small Hookbills is owned by Veronica Armstrong. Permission to republish Sam's Big Day in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.