by Stacey Ritz
Milo scribbled a note on the paper and tucked it beneath her windshield wipers. His hand lingered on the note for a few seconds before he tossed the pen back in her Jeep and turned to leave. The note read: “I miss you, Rainie. Please come back to me.”
12
CHAPTER TWELVE
EMERSYN / GOOSE
Emersyn was rescued after she was found badly injured. A group of teenagers pelted her with rocks and Emersyn had been left unable to move. Once she was taken to safety at the sanctuary, Emersyn received medical treatment and now remains at the sanctuary for lifetime care. She has since recovered from her injuries, although one of her legs is permanently wounded, making her movements slow and methodical.
FACTS: Geese are highly social animals. They bond forever to the first living being or object they see. They have a strong affection for their group. If a goose becomes ill or injured, other geese in the group will stay with them until they are healed. Geese are protective of their loved ones. Geese always fly in the shape of a V for efficiency. When the lead goose grows tired, another goose will take over the position.
“I’m heading home today.” Rainie told Rebecca before ending the call. She tossed the phone onto her bed and looked at her room. Her bags were still in the Jeep from the night before. She walked into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste. Was she forgetting anything else? She scanned the bathroom counter and then the nightstand. Her eyes caught a miniature statue of a brown Robin. How had she not noticed that little figurine before? It must have been sitting on her nightstand since she’d arrived. Her mind drifted to her childhood, remembering the walk with her dad. She had been pulling Ronnie in that old red wagon when Ronnie pointed and said, “Bird!”
Rainie watched the memory replay in her head.
“Dad, we have to help her. She needs our help.” Rainie had pleaded, watching her dad walk away. “Come back, Dad! Look at the bird’s mom, she’s waiting for us to help. She needs our help.” Rainie’s young eyes filled with tears as she watched the helpless hatchling chirp loudly on the ground. The baby bird reached her neck, desperately longing for her mother who sat high above them on the tree branch.
“Leave it, Rainie. Come on.” He shouted back at his daughter. They’d gone on the walk after he’d been missing for several days. When she had asked where he’d been, he’d told her he’d been working at the North Pole, delivering letters to Santa. She shook her head at the memory now. She had believed him at the time. She had believed everything he said at one point. Her mind drifted back to that day.
“Please, Dad. Please. Please can you help? It will only take a minute. I’m not tall enough. Please?” Rainie stared at the helpless baby bird chirping on the ground, its mouth wide open, begging for her mom. She was a newborn with translucent skin and only a few small tuffs of feathers. Her beady eyes were wide with fear.
“Enough!” Dan was more than ten feet ahead of them now. “Rainie, you can’t save it. You can’t touch a bird because if a human touches a baby bird, the mom won’t take care of it anymore. Leave it be. Let nature run its course.”
“Please.” Rainie’s voice was nearly a whisper as the tears began to fall down her cheeks.
“Bird!” Ronnie called again.
“I know, I know.” Rainie said quietly to her sister. She looked down the sidewalk once again and saw that her dad had disappeared around the corner. He wasn’t coming back to help. And she wasn’t tall enough to get the bird back to the nest. She looked at the side of the tree and realized she couldn’t climb out that far on the limb, either. Looking up at the mother Robin, Rainie apologized. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. I’m so sorry.” And then, looking down at the baby bird, she said the same. “I hope you’re okay.” But Rainie knew hope wouldn’t be enough to save the fallen hatchling.
When Rainie arrived home, she parked the red wagon back in the garage and held Ronnie’s hand as they walked in the front door together. “Did you have fun, Ronnie?”
Ronnie nodded. Although Rainie was glad they’d gone for a walk, she couldn’t stop thinking about the baby bird and its mother. She felt terrible that she couldn’t help. She knew the bird wouldn’t survive the night and the sun was setting. Walking through the front door, holding her sisters hand, Rainie watched as her dad plopped back into the reclining chair, opening a new drink and gluing his eyes back to the television. After walking Ronnie to her room, she went to her own and slammed the door behind her. She couldn’t stop the tears. She should have saved that baby bird. Her dad should have helped her. They shouldn’t have left the bird alone on the ground with its mom begging for help above them. It wasn’t okay.
But her dad said it had to be.
Her dad said there was nothing they could do.
And that’s what they’d done.
Nothing.
They’d all come back home after their walk to be warm in their own beds while that baby bird was alone, scared and undoubtably cold. Rainie thought, if you have a patch of bad luck in life, you should never be alone.
There was no chance she was going to be able to sleep that night. Rainie pulled out her animal books from beneath her bed and frantically began to read. She quickly turned the pages, scanning them for information about baby birds. After a few minutes of searching, she found what she was looking for. The book read: “A baby bird that is featherless must be fed every fifteen to twenty minutes from sunrise to approximately ten p.m. Finding naked birds or birds with beginning feathers: If you find an uninjured nestling that has fallen or been pushed out of its nest, replace it in the nest.” The book went on to detail how to place the baby bird back in its nest properly.
Look for the nest. Once you find it, look in the nest to find out if other babies are there who look the same as the one you found.
If there are, place the baby gently in his nest. It’s OK to use your hands. (It is a myth that parent birds will not feed their babies after they have been touched by human hands.)
Check nearby on the ground for more babies who may have fallen out. If so, put them back in the nest.
Watch from a distance of around 80 feet (you’ll need to use your own judgment) or, even better, from a window inside, to see if the parents return and feed the babies. Don’t stand too close: If you stand too close, or if you are easily visible through the window, you will be preventing the parents from returning to feed the babies. This is a very common mistake; birds have excellent eyesight, and they can easily see you.
Once Rainie heard her mom in the shower, she tip-toed out of her room. Ronnie’s door was ajar and she could see her playing contently with her Barbie dolls on her bed. As usual, her dad was parked in front of the television and oblivious to the world around him. Rainie went through the garage, sure the door had been left open. Her tiny hands grabbed the oversized metal ladder and she began walking confidently in the direction of the baby bird. It wasn’t yet ten p.m., she reasoned, the bird would still get a meal from her mom when Rainie reunited them. She marched on until she reached the fallen hatchling.
Crouching down to her knees she looked at the little bird. “I’m back.” She smiled. “I’m going to get you back to your mama where you belong.” The bird chirped, her mouth wide with hope.
The ladder was more than double the size of Rainie, she realized, as she pressed out the legs and secured it in place beneath the tree. She climbed to the top, making sure the ladder was stable and that she could reach the nest. She had to climb to the very top rung to reach, but she would make it. She climbed back down from the ladder as she watched the mother Robin hop higher in the tree, wildly chirping, fearful Rainie was going to take her carefully built nest and the other little ones that were resting inside. “It’s okay.” Rainie whispered to the mother Robin. “I’m here to help. I promise.”
Crouching back down to her knees she held out her hands to the fallen hatchling. The little one was too young to hop. She must have only been a day or two old. “I’m going to scoop you up and take yo
u back home.” She whispered, wincing as she carefully scooted her small hands beneath the bird’s frail body. She stared at the baby bird, in disbelief at how small she was. Her eyes darted from the baby bird in her hands, to the careful steps she took up the metal ladder, to the nest waiting above her, to the angrily chirping Robin watching her. Slowly, one step at a time, Rainie made her way up. When she reached the top rung of the ladder, she stretched her hands above her head and prudently placed the baby bird back in her nest. Her eyes widened as she saw an additional hatchling waiting with her mouth wide open in the nest. She looked up at the mother Robin once she was done, “They’re safe now.” She smiled and quickly climbed back down the ladder, folding it up and placing it quietly beneath the pit of her arm. The ladder was heavy, but she was so pleased with what she’d done, she didn’t care about its weight. Although the sky had grown dark, the porch lights from the neighborhood allowed her to see. She stood a few feet away in someone’s front lawn, triumphantly looking back at the nest. A few minutes later, the Robin hopped from branch to branch and eventually hopped right back in her nest, happily greeting her two little ones. Rainie turned and headed home.
She didn’t care what her dad had said. He’d told her that nothing could be done. But she’d known in her heart that something could be done and she’d done it, no thanks to his help or encouragement. She’d reunited a fallen baby to her family through one simple act.
Every day after that, Rainie walked beneath the tree that held the Robins nest. In the coming weeks, she saw the nestlings grow and learn to fly. After that, she saw the empty nest. She’d hated it when they’d left, but she was at peace knowing they were safe. They hadn’t perished under harsh circumstances, rather, they’d grown stronger every day and eventually learned how to spread their own wings. Her dad had told her to let them be, that sometimes things were tough. But, she realized when she went back to save the little bird that night, sometimes we can do something about a bad situation. We don’t have to watch and shake our heads. Sometimes we can change it and make it good. Sometimes we can save something that’s forlorn.
〜
She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into the driveway of the sanctuary, her home. She was greeted by the massive round wooden sign that barred the name: Kentucky Farm Sanctuary. Lindy, a three-legged Siamese cat, laid lazily at the base of the sign, opening her eyes as Rainie drove past her. Her window was rolled down, blowing the breeze through her loose hair. Rainie waved, “Hi, Lindy.” She smiled as she continued on.
The second she hopped out of the Jeep, she was greeted by Rebecca with a hug. “Thank you.” She patted her back.
“Welcome back!” Rebecca smiled. Her eyes were red with fatigue. Rainie knew how exhausting the work was and she knew Rebecca had worked especially hard while she was away. Rebecca had volunteered at the sanctuary for three years before becoming the farm manager four years ago. Rainie didn’t know what she would do without her. “How are you doing?” Rebecca asked, her eyes full of concern. Although Rainie immensely respected and trusted Rebecca, they’d never shared much of their personal lives with each other.
“I’m fine.” She nodded. “The real question is, how are you?” She placed her hands on Rebecca’s shoulders.
“I’m good. But I’ll admit, I’m glad you’re back.” She let out a sigh.
“It’s good to be needed.” Rainie laughed.
“Oh…you’re definitely needed here.”
Rainie looked around. “Everything looks great. I know you did a wonderful job, Rebecca. I’m proud of you.”
Rebecca stood taller from the compliment. “Jackson has been asking about you.”
Rainie raised her eyebrows. “Is he hanging in there?”
She nodded. “He is. He’s actually doing pretty well. He’s starting to interact with the other volunteers…he’s really bonding with the goats. I don’t know what it was, but he has really sparked to life lately.”
“I think he has a good heart. He had a tough life and needs another chance…I’m glad he’s found that here.”
“Me too.” Rebecca agreed, feeling proud of what she had accomplished in Rainie’s absence.
“I’m going to go check on everyone, say hello…” Rainie already had her work boots on and nearly jogged to the barn to greet the animals.
“We can meet up later to go over financials and…” Rebecca called after her.
Rainie waved her away. “Yep, later.” She laughed, happy to be home.
Rebecca knew Rainie loved her work. Everyone who knew her knew that. But she had never seen her so lighthearted before. Generally, she was tough and to the point. She was plenty compassionate, but her focus was always on tasks and checklists. Although she’d known Rainie had gone to the coast for “family issues”, Rainie’s words, she thought the beach must have awoken something more playful in Rainie. She enjoyed this side of her. She was different. She was blissfully happy. She wasn’t sure what had caused it, maybe it had been the time away. The work here was demanding and hard. There was never time for a break. Whatever had caused the change in Rainie, she knew it would be good for her and for everyone at the sanctuary. Rainie ran a tight ship and that was great for productivity and efficiency, but happiness couldn’t be overlooked. Rebecca thought about it for a minute, our lives, she thought, were entirely dictated by emotion. And who couldn’t benefit from more happiness?
〜
Rainie threw herself back into her work with ease. Rebecca took four days off to recuperate, thanking Rainie profusely for the much needed break. She called her mama and Ronnie two weeks later, inviting them to come and stay the weekend with her and see the sanctuary. They both eagerly agreed and arrived the coming weekend. Neither woman had ever met a farm animal in their life. And neither brought the proper footwear for the visit, either. Ronnie enthusiastically went out to buy them each a pair of what she called “farm boots” and once their boots were in place, they were off to meet the animals and tour the sanctuary. Ronnie fell particularly smitten for Peggy, the pregnant pig. Sarah-Jayne bonded with Sparkles the cat. The night they stayed reminded all of them of their time in Corolla, although the scenery was much different. There was a large pond at the farm, but no ocean waves, no salty air and of course, no Milo.
“I can see how the animals are such a comfort to you.” Sarah-Jayne told her oldest daughter.
“And to the kids, too.” Ronnie added, mentioning how she’d met Jackson that day and asked more about the program Rainie ran for teens aging out of the foster care system.
“Thanks.” Rainie said proudly. “I’m glad you’re both here.”
“It’s a great place, really, Rainie.”
Ronnie nodded. “I got some amazing photographs of the animals today. I’ll send them to you once I edit them. Do you like black and white images?”
“Sure. Thanks!” Rainie answered.
“Who’s up for chocolate cake?” Sarah-Jayne asked, her eyes widening.
“Mama, I don’t cook much and I don’t think I have all of the ingredients to make a cake.”
“No worries, honey…I brought one with me.” She smiled warmly.
“Do you travel everywhere with chocolate cake?” Ronnie teased.
Sarah-Jayne waved her hand. “I thought…well, I thought chocolate cake was kind of our thing.” Her face grew to a light shade of pink.
“It totally is our thing.” Rainie agreed, not wanting her mom to feel embarrassed. She hadn’t had chocolate cake since she’d left Corolla. She doubted Ronnie had either.
“Where are your plates?” Sarah-Jayne stood, eager to share her dessert.
They sat around the large oak dining room table in Rainie’s kitchen. The newly installed bay window overlooked the backyard, where animals roamed freely on the property. The grass was a rich, dark green and the sky emulated a tranquil painting, the perfect hue of blue with a few light puffs of crisp white clouds. They enjoyed their cake quietly until Ronnie spoke.
“Andrew was che
ating.”
Rainie put her fork down, letting it clink against the plate. “Oh Ronnie, I’m so sorry.”
Sarah-Jayne reached her hand across the table and grabbed onto Ronnie’s, squeezing it once.
“He’s moved out. I’m in that house all alone now.” She shook her head. “It’s awful. I can’t sleep in our bedroom. I’ve been sleeping on the couch.”
“Are you going to put the house up for sale?”
“I have to. I can’t afford that place on my own and I don’t want to be there anyway. I mean, he was cheating with our neighbor. I can’t stay there…”
“Where are you going to go?
She shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I’m trying to figure out what will be best for us.” She placed her hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently up and down. “The good thing is, with my work, I can go anywhere.” She paused. “Maybe I’ll move to Corolla!”
“Really?” Sarah-Jayne’s eyes widened.
“Doubtful. The cost of a house there would be astronomical…but imagine the photos I could capture throughout the seasons.”
“And we could come and visit you…very often.” Rainie winked.
Ronnie’s face grew serious. “It’s beautiful there, but I want my baby to be near family. That’s too far away…unless you both plan on moving there?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Not with this crew.” Rainie laughed and looked out the window as they watched a horse gallop across the grounds, two goats cheerfully chasing him.