“View
From the Back Porch” Episode Two
By
Nita Wilson
Part 1
Amy
Birdheart was now known as the hero of the back yard, and was taken much more
seriously than before. When she spoke,
creatures listened. When she sang,
people listened. When she flew in to the
backyard from jaunts around other neighborhoods creatures applauded her home
coming. Bomber positioned herself as Amy’s
protector, friend and security patrol.
When you saw Amy, you saw Bomber and nothing was so important as to
tempt Bomber to leave her side. Now, for most birds this adulation would go to
a feathered head, make them conceited or in some cases, unbearable to live
around… but not Amy. She was as nice as
ever and always available to give advice to her favorite ‘peeps’ or comfort them
when they were down. Amy still had
trouble landing on certain branches, but as a rule the trees helped her out as
best they could, and Bomber had been seen positioning herself directly under
Amy’s missing leg to support a safe landing.
Bomber had given up her own life to tend to Amy. Amy bided her time, she would speak to Bomber
soon about her obsession but hopefully time would play a part in dispelling the
adulation. Most of the creatures noticed
Bomber’s obsession with the Robin, but some were so grateful, they would have
done the same for their hero if Bomber had not gotten to the job first. Amy was a real hero and deserved to be
worshiped in their collective minds.
Bill
The Great Chinquapin Oak
Bill
has nothing to say about the goings on in the backyard. He watches and turns his leaves to the sun
and rain in a gesture of peace and goodwill to all he shades. He’s been badgered by Hot Head, the red
headed woodpecker of late and it’s given him a permanent bark ache, but in
Bill’s soul that is just part of being a tree. Of course he’s no spring sapling
and has weathered many storms including the horrible Camille of 1969 when he
was only a small willowy baby of a tree.
He bothers no one and pretends the ants who invade his bark are guest at
his tall bed and breakfast. Bill is the master of the backyard and is respected
by all who reside among his branches. Of
course some complain when he undresses in the fall and his leaves fall like
idol words in a bad paragraph; but most of his guests love the extra layer of
warmth his soft brown leaves make for nests, or the tasty large acorns that
fall among the leaves. The light that plays off his light green leaves in the
spring is a joy to the backyard and heralds days of warmth and plenty for
all. Creatures have been known to wait
for years to get the best branches for their nests, but none would be so
disrespectful as to fight or complain over who lives where.
He
is most interested now days in the great yellow cat known as Big O, who sneaks
around the yard with hideous self confidence day and night looking not so much
for dinner as a living play toy for his giant ego. The furry feline doesn’t even wait for the young
and helpless who may’ve strayed too far from a nest he is a democratic serial
killer and will torture and play his deadly game with anything smaller than
himself. The only warning a creature may
have is the cat’s smelly dragon breath. Bill
especially dislikes Big O as once when he was still a kitten, the poor creature
climbed to Bill’s highest branch and was so terrified, Bill had to work all day
moving his branches in order for the ungrateful cat to crawl down to safety. And
once he was down he had the effrontery to sit casually under the big tree
licking his paws with nary a thank you or by-your-leave. Big O has been circling the pond lately keeping
a watch on Zelda and Scott and not to play with, oh no, this would be dinner.
Bill
watches all and does what he can, but usually that means letting God’s
creatures work out their lives the best they know how. He’s never liked to see empty nests in his
branches especially the ones left tragically littered with the soft down of
Hannibal’s menu, but he is now grateful to Amy and Bull and even Lil Bit for
putting the big owl in his place. He
would be dipping his branches down to the pond today to show Amy there was
trouble brewing with Big O.
He’s
stronger than most Oaks and has weathered many bad things, but he has the joy
of being respected and nurtured by the human and all who live among his homey
limbs and so he lives his days shading, waving and watching. Along with Big O, Bill has been watching
Justin Bubbles the big turtle crawling slowly around the yard keeping one
serious eye on Bomber. Bill has wondered
when this would come to pass. Bomber
should never ever have pooped on Justin Bubbles’ shell. It was a foolish thing for her to do and
mighty disrespectful, yes sir, mighty disrespectful. Justin is one of the oldest creatures in the
yard, second only to Bill himself and by George, age should command respect if
nothing else. Everyone knows Justin can
be a bit too much with his fake British accent and faux knowledge of everything
in the Universe, but hasn’t he earned his own story to tell? When a turtle has lived as long as Justin, he
may know a whale-of-a-lot more than people think, and if he doesn’t, he’s
earned the right to say he has.
Between
Big O and Justin, things were getting mighty interesting in the back yard, yes
sir, mighty interesting.
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