He has never returned since he went away that day, even if I can still hear the sound of his whistle as I come home with my grandmother’s cow.
“Am I wrong?” I can’t help asking myself after his leaving.
I moved from a dirty, crowded factory town to my grandmother’s home after being chosen to help her on her farm in Vermont.
It is my job to bring our cow home to be milked.
One day, I spent longer time than usual to find my cow.
When I waited the cow to drink, I put my bare feet in the cold, fresh water of the stream.
It was my first time that I had been alone in the forest as late like this.
The air was soft and sweet, and the silver leaves were moving in the evening breeze; I felt as if I was a part of the gray shadows.
It was such a lovely place, and I really enjoyed being here.
After the cow finished drinking, I hurried to home again.
Suddenly, the air was cut by a sharp whistle not far away.
I was so frightened that I hid in some bushes, but it was too late.
A young man greeted me and asked how far it is to the main road.
“Two miles,” I whispered with trembling voice and came out of the bushes.
He explained he had been hunting for birds but lost his way, and asked if he can spend the night at my home.
When we reached home, my grandmother agreed with a smile and provided dishes for him.
“Sylvie knows a lot about birds, too,” my grandmother said it proudly after he explained he was a scientist, who collected birds.
So he asked me to help him to find out a tall, strange bird with soft white feathers and long thin legs.
My heart began to beat fast after he said that.
I had seen that birds before!
“I would give ten dollars to the person who showed me where the white heron is,” he added. Ten dollars!
That’s really a great deal for me.
I’m so excited that all night my dreams were full of the wonderful things I and my grandmother could buy for ten dollars.
We spent the next day in the forest and he told me a lot about the birds we saw.
I couldn’t understand why he killed the birds he seemed to like so much.
I felt my heart tremble every time he shot an unsuspecting bird as it was singing in the trees.
But I still watched him with an unknown excitement; he was such a charming and lovely guy.
We drove home together, but I didn’t fall asleep that night.
I came up early the next morning, quietly left the house and hurried through the forest.
I climbed hard to the top of a huge pine tree, from which I could see the whole forest.
Suddenly I caught a flash of white that grew larger and larger.
A bird with broad white wings and a long slender neck flew past me and landed on a pine branch below me.
I knew the wild bird’s secret now.
I began my trip down the tree, and tried to forget my fingers hurt and my feet were bleeding.
All I wanted to think about was to tell him where the heron’s nest is.
However, I was silent when my angry grandmother asked me where I had been.
I kept silent when I caught his kind eyes.
I didn’t want to let him down, but I just couldn’t say a word!
The fresh air, the clear water, the sliver leaves, the melodious birds…All the beauty kept appearing before my eyes.
They were so priceless that even 10 dollars couldn’t buy, and I really didn’t want to see anyone destroy it.
I’m sad about his leaving, but I know I’ve made the right choice.
December 2013
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