Flight of the Sparrows

by Annie Jones

  But Charlene seemed in no hurry to get to the secret conversation. She was upbeat and fun as they walked together down the block in the scenic downtown. She was wearing a thermal top again, with another loud print shirt—a stereotypical tourist. But Charlene wasn’t the least bit stereotypical. She waved to strangers on the street and paused to stare longingly into the window of Emma’s Ice Cream, the old-fashioned soda and candy shop between the beauty shop and the Mercantile.

  While Charlene and Bonnie reminisced about places from their youth that reminded them of Emma’s, Kate’s attention wandered to the larger scope of their setting. She loved the downtown area, no matter what the season, but today she thought it was especially lovely with the tinges of autumn color here and there.

  The late-September day was unusually brisk. Often at this time of year, people still could get away with short-sleeved shirts or even shorts. But this year, the cool weather had come early, which meant that people had to delve into their closets and pull out warmer clothes.

  When Kate and her companions reached the red-brick Mercantile, Kate nodded in greeting to the collection of retirees who often gathered on the rockers on the porch.

  Charlene smiled brightly at the men. “My, don’t y’all have the best seat in town for sitting back and watching this fine fall day unfold?”

  Both Bonnie and Charlene stopped short the minute they entered the store. Kate smiled at their reaction. People who came from larger cities probably didn’t even know that places like the Mercantile still existed. Copper Mill’s general store was where people came to pick up everything from juice to jewelry, clothes to camping supplies.

  “Isn’t this something?” Charlene sounded sincerely impressed. “I’ll definitely have to bring Dud by to check this place out. We didn’t expect cool weather, so he had to borrow a pair of overalls from ol’ Artie to keep warm.”

  Bonnie paused and cocked her head. “Whenever I go out birding, I pack for every circumstance I can imagine.”

  “Oh, me too,” Charlene assured Bonnie. “Dud told me he’d done the same. Packed for anything he could imagine. Guess that means that Dud just doesn’t have that good of an imagination.”

  The two women shared a congenial laugh.

  As they browsed the racks, Charlene motioned for Kate and Bonnie to come stand close to her. She lowered her voice, and they leaned in to be able to hear what she had to say. “I just wanted to let you know I haven’t been able to get that map and what you said about there being so few birds out by Artie’s place out of my mind. I think you’re right, Mrs. Mulgrew, that there are fewer birds around Best Acres than anywhere else. Now, I don’t know about you two, but that sure has my curiosity piqued about what’s going on and just what—or who—might be behind it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kate and Bonnie exchanged a look at Charlene’s words.

  “Interesting,” Kate said. Charlene’s emphasis on “or who” triggered a thought she’d had earlier. “I hope you don’t mind my asking, but if you can talk to us here in the open, then do you have someone in mind that you don’t want to talk in front of?”

  “Guilty.” Charlene held up her hand.

  Her boldness and honesty impressed Kate.

  “I won’t try to pretty it up for you, Mrs. Hanlon. My husband would pitch a fit if he knew I said anything at all about this to you.” Charlene moved past the two women and began sifting through a rack of T-shirts. “He says it’s none of our business.”

  Kate and Bonnie followed her, intrigued by what she would say.

  “We’re outsiders here,” Charlene went on, “so we don’t have the big picture.”

  Kate rested her hand on the cold metal frame of the display of scarves and bandanas and waited to see where Charlene was going with this.

  “Dud would say we should just tend to our own knitting, or in this case, birding, and leave the rest for others to sort out. Normally I’d agree with him and do just as he asks.”

  “But?” Bonnie prodded the woman to finish her thought.

  “But...” Charlene stopped shuffling through the clothes. She paused a moment, as though trying to decide what to say. Finally she whipped her head around and said, “But you two got my curiosity up with that map and your ideas about missing birds.”

  She stepped closer to Bonnie and Kate and spoke in a conspiratory tone. “I’ve been thinking it over. Can’t think of much else, and my thoughts keep coming back to the same conclusion.”

  She paused as if she expected Kate to pounce on that and supply her own answer. Kate didn’t and instead asked calmly, “What conclusion is that, Charlene?”

  Charlene glanced around them, then whispered, “Artie Best.”

  “What about him?” Kate asked.

  Charlene narrowed her eyes, and her lips thinned to a tight line as she murmured, “He’s a mighty interesting fellow, isn’t he?”

  “I try not to gossip about my neighbors, Charlene,” Kate said, gently touching the stranger’s hand to make it clear she wasn’t chastising her, just making her own feelings known.

  “No. No, I didn’t mean that as gossip, Mrs. Hanlon.” Charlene raised both hands and stepped back slightly. “Most birders are, um, interesting, when you get right down to it, don’t you think, Mrs. Mulgrew?”

  “Interesting?” Bonnie smiled at that description. “Yes, that’s one way of putting it, I suppose.”

  “I don’t mean it as an insult.” Charlene laughed out loud and waved off the simplicity of the statement with both hands. “It’s just that how else would you describe someone who would plan weekends and whole vacations around the chance to sit out in the elements with binoculars for hours? Or would come to Tennessee just in hopes of seein’ a migrating umber-throated mountain sparrow the way a star-struck fan might go to Hollywood to see their favorite celebrity?”

  Bonnie chuckled. “All right, I confess. I’m personally guilty of all of those things, and as a character description, interesting sounds pretty good.”

  “Exactly!” Charlene shook her head. “Like I said, we’re all pretty interesting. I was just trying to find a way of saying it, without saying it.” She paused and looked at them. Finally she sighed and concluded, “I’m only saying this because I feel like I know you both, and I know how interested you are in birds. So if this is something you’re planning on following up on, I’d keep an eye on Artie Best. There’s definitely something wrong out there,” Charlene whispered. “And if you’ll pardon the pun, I wouldn’t rule out foul play.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  She actually said that?” Paul stopped Bonnie that evening as she finished sharing the story of their encounter with Charlene. “That she suspected foul play?”

  “Well, somebody had to say that,” Kate joked as she stood behind her husband with both her hands on his shoulders. “At some point, somebody was going to go there and say that cheesy line. I’m just glad it wasn’t one of us.”

  “And to her credit,” Bonnie said as she fussed with her new burgundy-colored scarf with gold leaves, “she did ask us to pardon the pun.”

  Kate patted Paul’s shoulder and straightened up. “I’ll get the salad and check on the corn bread.”

  Kate thought about Charlene’s theory, which gave her the impression that Charlene thought Artie knew more about the missing birds than he had volunteered.

  As Kate set down the salad and bread on her much-loved oak table, she said, “So, all that drama, just to end up right where we were before we spoke with her.”

  “Where were you?” Paul prodded for a more definite answer. He reached for the salad bowl and lifted it toward Bonnie, offering to serve her.

  “Where we were,” Bonnie said, letting Paul fill her salad bowl, then setting it on the place mat in front of her, “was smack-dab in the middle of a bona fide mystery.”

  “Mystery?” Paul stopped with the large salad bowl poised above his own empty bowl. Good humor glinted in his eyes as he stole a look at Kate, then looked back to Bonn
ie. “Thinking that there aren’t as many birds as you assume there should be in a small stretch of the Tennessee countryside is hardly the kind of thing you alert the media over.”

  Bonnie nodded. “I can see that, but if I’m right about something being wrong with the birds, we can’t totally exclude the human element.”

  “The human element?” Paul leaned over his salad bowl.

  “Charlene’s so-called foul play,” Kate said, her eyes on her former teacher for confirmation.

  “Yes.” Bonnie folded her hands in front of her. “What if someone is dumping toxic chemicals in the area? If that’s the case, one has to wonder how long it will take for that to start affecting larger animals or to work its way into the water supply.”

  Paul’s concentration intensified, his usually relaxed dinnertime demeanor growing somber.

  “Or what if somebody is using those sweet, helpless birds for target practice?” Bonnie looked from Paul to Kate to Paul again. “You’d want to know if someone that cruel was skulking about, wouldn’t you?”

  “I’d certainly want to know about that.” Paul served up some salad for Kate, then himself. “You make some really thought-provoking points, Bonnie.”

  They all bowed their heads, and Paul said a simple but heartfelt grace. He offered his humble appreciation for all that they had each been given, including the good food. Then he added another round of thanks for their sharp minds, their hunger for finding the truth, and for seeking what is best and finding the right balance in life for all of God’s creatures. He concluded by asking God’s hand in guiding them and those they loved.

  “Amen,” Bonnie sounded out.

  After the salad, Kate brought out the main course. The aroma of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fried okra, and green beans filled the small kitchen.

  Paul praised Kate for her cooking skills as he filled his plate. She sat back, enjoying her husband’s compliments and the engaging conversation of her dear friend.

  Paul paused before digging in. “You’re so right, Bonnie, in saying that we need to be about God’s business, and that what’s important to him should be important to us.” He looked thoughtful as he continued. “But that can also create a slippery slope. When something’s very important to us, it’s not always easy to be objective. Sometimes because of our own emotions and priorities, we can’t imagine that God might have set other plans in place.”

  “Hmm. Do you think the missing flocks are an act of God?” Bonnie asked.

  Paul shook his head. “I don’t know. But ever since the organization in Pine Ridge set a date for people to gather at a certain place to try to spot those birds, I can’t help thinking that’s like deciding the exact day the leaves will all change color. Can you make a good guess? Sure. But knowing those kinds of things with any certainty? That’s definitely God’s business.”

  “It’s as though we’ve gotten a bit spoiled.” Kate lifted the basket of corn bread and offered a second helping to her husband, who happily took a piece. “We’ve treated God’s creation like a party we can schedule for our own convenience.”

  Bonnie swallowed a mouthful of chicken before responding. “That’s why I came a week ahead of time. I’d hoped to spend some quiet time in observation, to allow the umbies a larger window of opportunity, as it were, to appear.” Bonnie held her hands out, palms up, as if to say, “See, we all agree on this point.”

  “Actually, this is a bit off topic, but, Bonnie, I was hoping you could help me with something.” Paul set his utensils down and tented his fingers. “My grandmother and people of her generation made such a fuss when they spied a redbird landing in the yard. Something about an old belief that it meant the Holy Spirit was with them. I want to remind our congregation, using that illustration, that God is always with us, even when we don’t see him, and that he shows himself to us often in ordinary ways.” He looked to Bonnie. “My only hesitation is that I couldn’t find any written reference to that legend about the cardinals. Have you ever heard anything like that?”

  “Not that one specifically, but the cardinal is an important symbol in many cultures,” Bonnie confirmed. “Some say that seeing one was a message to take care of your health. Others look to it as a portent of good news. Many people find Christian undertones in the beauty and the bright red color of the male bird.”

  “Thanks. I think I can work with that.” He patted her hand, then stood, picking up his plate. “And to show you both how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me, I’m going to do the dishes.”

  “Thank you very much.” Kate reached up to kiss his cheek. “And since you’re being so helpful, I’ll return the favor and take your research books back to the library on Monday.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” With both hands full, he turned and motioned with his head for her to follow. “But don’t think I don’t know that you have your own reasons for making that offer.”

  “You mean because it’ll give me a chance to visit with Liv?” When Kate had first arrived in Copper Mill, she’d felt a special connection with Livvy Jenner, the town librarian. They often spent time together doing research and offering each other support in their lives and faith.

  “That and the fact that despite my conjecture that the birds are probably out there or will be in due time, you can’t resist a good mystery.” He settled the dishes on the counter, then turned and grinned at her.

  Even after all these years, he still made Kate’s heart flutter. She loved his kindness, his intelligence, his sense of fun, and the fact that he saw right through her, especially when there was a problem to be solved.

  “You got me.” She carried the platter with a few pieces of chicken left on it over to the counter. She knew that Paul would have those cold for a snack later, probably that night, as he went over his sermon one last time before giving it the following morning.

  She wrapped up the chicken and said, “I want to go to the library anyway. I wouldn’t mind talking through this with an objective party.”

  “I knew it, Kate, my dear.” He stole a quick kiss on her cheek as he headed back to gather more dishes. “There’s a hint of mystery in the air, and you won’t rest easy until you’ve figured it out.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next day they arrived at Faith Briar a bit earlier than usual so Kate could show Bonnie around and introduce her to some of the parishioners. Bonnie oohed and aahed over every charming detail in the small church. She admired the cozy entryway with its stained maple floors and the simple wooden oak pews and pulpit. She complimented Kate’s skills when she saw the stained-glass window of an oak tree that Kate had made for the church when it had been rebuilt after a devastating fire. But nothing compared to her reaction when she looked out the windows, which had a breathtaking view of the Smoky Mountains.

  The members of the church all welcomed Bonnie with open arms. Livvy Jenner and her husband, Danny, made a special point to make Bonnie feel at home. Kate and Bonnie spoke briefly with Livvy about how their efforts to find the cause of the missing birds had been going, and Kate let her know that she’d be in on Monday to do some research. Kate looked for Charlene and Dud, but they’d obviously been unable to make it to the service that morning.

  Although Bonnie had told Kate that she was taking the day off from birding for the sake of her hair, she seemed open to a compromise on that matter after Paul’s sermon.

  “Wonderful sermon, Paul,” Bonnie said as the last of the congregation waved good-bye, and they’d started walking toward the car. “I want you to know that it has me open to the notion that I’ve overreacted to the birds not behaving according to my plans.”

  “Thank you, Bonnie. But I don’t want you to give up on something you believe in because of what I said. I was only presenting another view.” He opened the back door of Kate’s Honda Accord for Bonnie. “Just as we shouldn’t decide we know the answers, but we should stay open to God so that we can be ready when he shows his answers to us.”

  Paul took the driver’s
seat to allow the ladies to chat as he drove.

  “Now,” Bonnie said as she put her hand on the back of the seat, “I don’t know what your usual routine is on Sunday, but if it includes a lunch someplace out of the way, I’d so love for it to be my treat.”

  Kate folded her arms and tipped her head to one side. “Were I to analyze that sentence for theme and motivation, Mrs. Mulgrew, I’d have to wonder if by the phrase ‘out of the way,’ you meant out of Copper Mill.”

  “Ever the A-plus student.” Bonnie laughed. “I confess I was thinking we might take the short trip over to Pine Ridge to have our meal.”

  Paul chimed in, “How about making that short trip slightly longer than usual, maybe meandering a ways down Best Acres Line Road?”

  “Extra credit!” Bonnie pretended to hold a pencil and make a check mark in the air. “But you only have yourself to blame for this. You’re the one who believes the birds will show up in their own time. So the only way I can know if that happens is to spend as much time as I can in the places where the birds might turn up.”

  On the way to lunch, they took the direct route after Bonnie pointed out that they would be better bird-watchers on full stomachs. Paul heartily concurred, and they all enjoyed their time together at a Chinese buffet. By three o’clock, they were on the meandering back road home.

  The occupants of the car fell silent for a moment, until Kate remembered a game she’d played with her three children on car trips. “I spy with my little eye...something black.”

  “A crow!” Bonnie called out. “I see it on that fence. Now let me try.”

  Before long, Paul had slowed the car to a crawl, and they were scanning around them and finding all sorts of things, paying special attention to birds, though as they passed the land nearest Best Acres, the bird sightings slowed to almost none.