Timothy Heron

Morning came and Timothy woke up to the sound of birds calling to one another. He stretched his blue and white wings and shook off droplets of dew that fell on the large tree branch below him. His best friend, Bobby, yelled up at him, “Cut it out, Timothy! I’ve already had my shower for the week.” He and a group of his friends flew down to the corn fields near the pond.  Bobby signaled for Timothy to take the lead in hunting  mice for breakfast. Between the four of them, they had just enough mice to give  to those with disabling injuries.

After breakfast, the group of young herons slowly walked down to the edge of Eagleman’s pond. They used their long , skinny toes to dig into the mud. They waited for their prey to come closer to the edge. The day was hot and humid.

While he waited, his mind went back in time to  the days when his mother was alive. They had a good relationship and she had taught him many skills. Most of all, she gave him knowledge that enabled him to survive. He mourned the loss of her and his heart still hurt with the pain of her death. He heard the group stir, and he walked into the pond with the water touching his belly. He heard a big splash and grabbed a huge fish with his bill. It was so big, he could hardly carry it to the bank of the pond. He could not resist swallowing it whole. He could not help himself and felt the fish slide down his throat.

The giant fish caught in his throat. It was choking him, and he could not breathe. He struggled to force the fish down his neck. He thought to himself,” If I could just fly, the choking will stop.” He took to  the air and spread his wings . He flew a short distance,  and spiraled out of control. His body hit the water hard. Water closed around him and he felt like he was drowning. Panic arose in him so great, he could not think or function. He could feel he was sinking. “Mom, I’m coming to find you,” Timothy said and he let go. (Continued in Part Three.)

Yu/stan/kema.