Birds

"Mommy, mommy. What kind of bird is that?" I said as I pointed to the funny-looking bird painted with blue all over and a nut in its beak. She smiled at me with her hazel eyes and red lips as she pulled me into her matching tan shorts and blue button shirt. She said to me in a soft, sweet voice,

"That Sophia is a Blue Macaw." My eyes opened wide as I turned to her and said,

"Like the bird in the princess story. When she met her prince." She smiled at me and then looked up back at the bird.

"Yes, sweetheart just like the princess and the prince." She looked down at me and said, "Did you know that it's a true story?" I placed my hands over my mouth and opened my eyes really wide. "Yeah. It's a story of me and your father." I shook my head no and she shook her head up and down, "Yes it is. We met right here, in this very spot of Rio." I placed my feet on the ground and let the grass fill in between my toes.

"What are my favorite two girls talking about now." I jump out of mommy's arms and rush to daddy. His voice is deep but kind.

"Daddy. Daddy." He picked me up and threw me in the sky. He caught me and squeezed me tight. His white shirt now had my footprint on it. "Sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to." I put my head down and then he placed his thumb under my chin and said in a soft voice,

"Hey, birthday girls aren't supposed to cry." I smiled into his warm green eyes as he said, "Now give daddy a great big kiss on the cheek." I laughed and gave him a kiss on his cheek that always tickled my nose. "Daddy's beard is itchy right?" I shake my head up and down. Mommy comes over to me and daddy. She has her arms crossed and daddy says, "Uh on. I know that look. What's wrong?" She let a teardrop and daddy put me down. He places his hands on her cheeks as he kisses her softly. He wipes away tears and I walk over to them. The grass feels cold and wet and the jungle gets quiet. I grab on to mommy's leg tight and she pats me on the head. Daddy gives her a big hug. I hear him whisper, "I love you Indigo."

"I love you too Theo. And I especially...love...you...Sophia." Mommy drops into daddy's arms and I back up.

"Indigo, Indigo, Indigo! That's it, honey, keep your eyes open. Let me see those beautiful hazel eyes." She reached her hand out to me.

"Mommy. I'm scared." He clutches onto mommy's body and I rush over to her. I wrapped my small body around her's not wanting to let go. I look up at her and she smiles at me. I turn my head and see daddy crying with his head down. I close my eyes and cry.

*****

"Flight 269. Flight 269 to Rio is now boarding." I take a deep breath in and let it go. It's time for me to follow in my parent's footsteps in becoming a conservationist. I just hope Aunt Lily is ok with this. I look down at my phone and see that I have an unread message.

Sophia. Where are you? – Aunt Lily

Oh, Aunt Lily, I can't right now. I put my phone into my pocket and walk to flight 269. I hand the woman my ticket as I head to the plane. Seat 4F, 4F, 4F. Ah, 4F. OOOOOOHHHH. Chill. Laughing.

"That's the cutest thing that I've ever seen." I look down and see this man with green eyes and red hair. I smile and push my curly brown hair behind my ear. He smiles at me as he stands up and I sit down by the window. "I'm Eric by the way." Wow, he has a nice smile.

"Hi. My name is Sophia. It's nice to meet you, Eric."

"Why are you going to Rio?" I turn my head to Eric and say,

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I'm going to get closer to my parents."

"That's not crazy."

"Oh, well um, after my mom died when I was four life started to get dimmer. My dad wasn't the same anymore. I mean he tried for me, but I knew he missed my mom more than life itself. One day he took me out for a drive and for just that moment I had my dad back. Until we got into a car accident. He pulled me out of the car and the woman was yelling for help. I told him not to go, to stay here with me and wait for help. But my father was too good for that. When he went back to the car, it blew up. His body flew 6 ft in the air. I yelled out his name and ran after his body." Tears started falling down my face. I laughed and whipped away the tears. "Sorry for sharing my whole life story." When I looked at him, his face was filled with so much concern. "Oh, please don't tell me that you are feeling sorry for me. Because I don't, I believe everything happens for a reason. When both of my parents died it was during happy moments and I will never forget them. Why don't you tell me why you are going to Rio. I feel like I'm the only one talking." His face went blank and his jaw got clenched. "You know what, just forget about it." I turn towards the window and I closed my eyes. I try to think back to my birthday. The smile on my parent's faces and the amount of love I felt that day.

                                                                                                *****

"You have now arrived in Rio." I open my eyes and screech in the seat. But to my surprise, I was asleep and curled up under Eric's arm.

"Sorry. I didn't, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." He smiled at me and said,

"It's fine. We were on a 9-hour flight that departed at 1 in the morning. It's fine." I looked down into my lap and then back at him. He reached his hand out in front of me and said, "Shall we?" I took his hand and said.

"We shall." We laughed and exited the plane. We walked through the aisle still holding hands until I pulled back and mouthed sorry. He smiled and mouth back, it's ok. I laughed and continued walking towards the exit. I saw a cab and got into it.

"Hey!" I turn my head to the voice and realized it was Eric coming closer to me. "Will I see you again?" I shrugged my shoulders and said,

"I don't know, maybe? We'll see if the universe will say yes." I smiled and then got into the car as I watched him fade away from the backseat window.

"Where too?"

"Can you drive me to Estr. Maj. Archer?"

"Ok." We drove in silence as I looked out the window watching the world dance across my view. This world is filled with so much color, life, joy, and happiness. This is a place I would stay forever. Everything began fading away as everything turns green. My heart began racing with excitement. This is it, this is the moment I get to explore the world I was meant to see. The place where they first met once again. I said thank you to the man and paid him. The view was breathtaking. No tree was the same size, but the amount of green that burst through your eyes was perfect. The sun was able to dance upon your sink, giving you tattoos that moved all over your body. Cargo pants were definitely a good idea. I grabbed my backpack tighter and walked deeper into the forest.

All the animals joined together sound better than the recordings that you hear over audio. Birds were flying everywhere, up and down. Through trees and vines, colors of the rainbow flying through the sky. I start to follow them as they draw deeper into the rainforest.

I dropped my backpack by the trunk of a strong branch and walked towards the birds. The body of water which they were flying above. I took off my shoes and dipped a toe in them, which was cold. I continued walking deeper into the water which was now up to my kneecaps. The birds stopped all around me and I just spun in a circle with my hands in flying out from my arms. I closed my eyes and started singing the melody of pure imagination from Willy Wonka. As I slowly raised my arms higher and higher. When I opened my eyes the birds were swarming around me. I felt free, happy, higher than cloud nine. I closed my eyes once more until everything grew silent following a gunshot. I open my eyes and all the birds began to scatter from me. I look down and touch my stomach. When I pulled it back slowly I saw blood, my blood. I stumbled back into the water and fell into the water backward. As I laid there gasping for air a few birds flew by me but two blue macaw birds appeared to me. They morphed into my mother and father.

"Mom...Dad." I smiled at them. They reached out to me as I reached out from them. Is this where I was destined to be, to die on the same ground my mother did?

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. SHIT. Sophiaaaaaaaa!!!!"

"Eric?"

* Fade Out*