Short Lived

Allie found an abandoned baby sparrow the summer after the summer Sugar died. She named him "Birdie" and made sure he had plenty of food, fresh air, and sunshine. He slept in her room in a homemade, shoebox nest, following her everywhere as he begged for food.

For two months that summer, I had been staying with our neighbor's elderly mother on the weekends while she recovered from a broken hip. So, the afternoon Birdie developed an alarming condition, Allie brought him over for me to have a look-see. I hustled them into the bathroom in order to exam him in better light.

What I observed was a large, swollen place on Birdie's neck. It was not so much a swollen place as a distended protrusion. I covered my eyes, uncovered my eyes, and looked again. The little bird's thinnish neck skin had ballooned out like a.................balloon. A transparent balloon with shadowy images pressing into the freakishly strained membrane.

Peering as closely as I dared before engaging my gag reflex, I whispered, "Is that broccoli?"

After assessing the situation further, I told Allie that if my years of medical training had taught me anything, it was that something with Birdie had gone horribly awry.

Allie has never liked the joke about my years of medical training. She has a way of staring at me when I make it. And since this afternoon she was obviously looking for a real answer, I earnestly searched my mind for a real answer to a goiter made of broccoli.

My search led me to ask, "Have you been feeding Birdie broccoli?"

She said she thought broccoli was good for everybody.

By then, I did not want to look at Birdie's "problem" anymore - I was worried it might explode. Failing to fathom how his meals had diverted from their correct destination, I said I thought it would be best if she took Broccoli home. I mean Birdie.

Allen called later to inform me he and Allie were going to find some actual worms so he could teach her to feed Birdie properly. Thankfully, I was clipping my elderly charges thick, overgrown toenails, and would be unable to witness this lesson.

However, that night in Allie's room, Birdie began an incessant cheeping campaign. Obviously suffering, despite being treated to good, honest bird food, he kept Allie awake nearly all night with his cries. Near tears and stretched to the limit, she took Birdie outside; placed the lid on his shoebox nest; poked holes in the sides; and plopped a rock on top to ensure his safety. She then slogged back in the house and sank into an exhausted, worried sleep.

The next morning she told of how she ran down to check on Birdie first thing, only to find the rock gone, and the box completely empty.

Oops.