Winner

 Foreword:

“A winner never whines”, Paul Brown.

It is not enough to have only the winner mentality or the winner attitude alone, sometimes one also needs constant motivation from outside sources.

This story is about the travails of a bird, based on an amalgamation of inspirations, one from a true life event experienced by me, and the other from a  children’s book titled ‘Coming Home’, by Michael Morpurgo.

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Craaaccckkkk...... finally I peeked out of the darkness. While I was ensconced in my shell, I could only see the darkness and feel the warmth of my mother, she tried her best to keep me warm and safe from the preys hovering around. " Oh No! Another egg", I had heard a lady shriek while I was inside the egg, I could feel the flutter in my mother's heart each time the lady came closer. "Woof woof", I could hear ferocious sounds, oh my god, it was so loud and horrible. "Aaji look, another egg", I had heard the excited voice of a little girl and felt so safe.

The day had dawned when I was ready to see the outside world and come out of my comfort zone. My mother helped me and my siblings to crack open the egg. I was born a scrawny little bird, pale yellow in colour with no feathers. I was born in a potted plant kept in the balcony garden on the window grill. It must've been a flowering plant, as I could feel the soft fragrant petals fall on me. It was so comforting until the lady of the house came to water the plants." I can't even water my jasmine plant, all because of you, you stupid little bird", she would say and go away without watering the pot. I would heave a sigh of relief. My mother would keep hovering around me, especially when Aria, the little toddler would return from school." Aaji, look, the little birdie has grown", she would spend hours watching me and my siblings and feed us with rice, talk to us and teach us how to sing." Say tweeeet tweet", she would say. Gradually, we grew bigger and stronger, and so did our bond with Aria. My mother taught us all how to flap our wings. We grew up to be beautiful Indian Golden Orioles with a beautiful mellow yellow breast, with a yellowish black tail, black eyes, shiny black wings, interspersed with yellow streaks, and a red beak. All in all, I felt very beautiful, especially when little Aria would come running to the window, calling me "Cutie" and singing Tweeet tweet. Our daily meals with Aria continued, she would sit by the window side and have her lunch while feeding us with grains of rice. Gradually, one by one, my two brothers flew away, leaving me alone, sad, and desolate. My mother continued to hover around me while little Aria would console me, " Don't worry, Cutie, one day you will also emerge a winner and fly away like them" I tried very hard each day to flap my wings and fly, but the farthest I could go to, was the next potted plant, in the balcony window. My mother would look at me with her eyes sad and concerned, the song from her tweet was gone, and she was worried for me. I too had lost hope of ever being able to fly. I would look at all the birds flying high in the sky and would think about my future. My mother would visit me daily bringing me food, but gradually her visits also became infrequent. I was scared, scared of the crows, the barking dogs whom Aria fondly called out to as Leia and Glee. One day I didn't see my mother and realized that she had probably abandoned me, I was so sad, I just slept tucking my head under my wings until Aria came and said " Cutie, Tweeet tweet", she called out to me. "Are you sad? Are you waiting for your Mamma? Don't worry, she will come in the evening, she's probably gone on an assignment like my Mamma does." " Aria, Cutie is sad because she is unable to fly like the other birds", said her Aaji. " She is not yet strong enough to fly", said Aaji." Cutie, don't worry, we will help you till you can fly on your own, come flap your wings. You will emerge a winner", little Aria would innocently say to me. She would sit by the window side, feed me rice grains and water and keep saying "Cutie , you are so beautiful, you will fly high in the sky and emerge a winner". I tried hard each day, and soon I started landing in the last potted plant on the balcony garden and one day, I eagerly waited for little Aria to come home as the time had now come for me to say bye to her. " Cutie Tweeet tweet", I heard her voice and saw her at the window side, I flapped my wings hard,"yayyyy, you can do it, Aaji, look , Cutie is ready to take flight", Aria gleefully exclaimed clapping her hands. " I told you, you are a winner, go Cutie, go higher till you reach the clouds."

Reach the clouds, I did. I would swoop up towards the sky and down again, the Winner that I was. I loved my newfound freedom, loved scavenging for food sitting on the lush green branches and treetops, and each time I took flight, I thought of Aria, her words would ring in my ears" You will emerge a winner"!

Soon it was that time of the year when all the birds needed to migrate to a more conducive and favourable environment. I was so excited at the thought of flying high, flying afar, over trees and woods, over rivers and oceans. I found my way to Aria’s balcony garden, sat on the grill, and called out to Aria, "Tweeet Tweet', I sang as loud as I could and soon heard her tiny feet running towards me," Aaji, look, I think its Cutie" together Aaji and Aria looked at me in awe, I too paraded around especially for them showing off my beautiful wings, the mellow yellow breast and red beak and sang Tweeet Tweet, one last time, before I embarked on my long flight to a land unknown to me " See you soon my little Winner", I heard Aria say as she clapped her hands with joy.

Having said my goodbye, I eagerly started on my long flight, excited to see the adventure unfold. I joined my flock and together we would fly high in the sky during the day and rest on treetops at sunset, ready to take flight again at sunrise. The leader of the flock was smart, strong and fearless and would lead us in the correct direction. We flew over hills and gales for several days... but alas.... my weak wings started tiring out and soon I got left behind from the rest of my flock. I would remember little Aria and tell myself every day, ' Have faith, you will emerge a winner'. The flight never seemed to end, I was flying above a vast ocean with no treetop in sight, only huge angry waves. 'Fly Cutie fly", I would hear Aria's voice. Battered by the strong winds, my wings were tired, I tried to soar and before even I knew it, I had entered the eye of a storm. Strong winds were lashing at me, making me tumble and fall while the torrential rains battered my pretty wings. I had given up, I tweeted in fear, in the hope that someone would rescue me, but there was no one for miles to come, I had to travel alone in the rough skies. "Please dear wings, don't let me down", I would tell them. Unable to bear the agony, I closed my eyes and resigned to my fate, while mentally, I kept hearing little Aria's voice," Cutie, don't give up, you will emerge a winner". I kept soaring, kept getting bashed and swept away by the rains and winds, but didn't give up, until one day, I saw a pretty island, bathed in the golden light of the sun. The trees were green as green could be, full of flowers, a gentle breeze flowing, and the different birds chirping, making music, each singing their birdsong. I also saw my entire flock and heaved a sigh of relief. My battle was over. I settled comfortably on a treetop, feathers fluffed up in pride, and joyfully sang Tweeet Tweet, I had emerged a true winner.

Somewhere in the far-off land, little Aria came up to the balcony window and exclaimed with joy " Aaji, look, another cutie is born"