Flight of the Sparrows

by Annie Jones

  The weather seemed to reflect the light mood as the sun shone down to highlight the loveliness of the world around them. And all the while, the game helped them keep sharp and focused on things they might otherwise have missed.

  Paul saw a lady cardinal. Bonnie saw what she at first thought was an indigo bunting but turned out to be a candy wrapper. Upon that realization, Bonnie had promptly insisted they stop the car so that she could collect the trash and throw it away.

  “All right, now it’s my turn again.” Kate shifted in her seat. “I spy with my little eye, something...”

  She froze, then craned her neck to get a better look into the sunlit field to her right. She squinted, shook her head, then held up her hands in a sign of surrender and concluded, “I spy something very strange!”

  “What?” Paul pulled to the side of the road and stopped. “What do you see, Kate?”

  “Dot Bagley creeping around in that field wearing oven mitts.” Kate tried to imagine any scenario where that would be needed and simply couldn’t. Then she thought of how strangely Dot had acted in the diner and decided the whole thing deserved further investigation. “Let’s see if she needs any help with...whatever it is she’s up to.”

  Paul unlocked the doors, and Kate was the first one out, followed by Bonnie. Both women picked their way through the rustling weeds and brush, then hurried across the field, helping each other negotiate the terrain in their dress shoes.

  Paul stayed back, leaning on the car.

  Kate and Bonnie crossed the field without drawing the chubby, gray-haired woman out of her intense state of concentration.

  “Dot?” Kate kept her voice soft so as not to startle her. “Is everything all right?”

  “Kate!” Dot threw up her hands, then seemed to suddenly remember the oven mitts. She tugged them off and tucked them behind her back in one hand. “What are y’all doing out here?”

  “Paul and Bonnie and I were just taking a drive, looking for birds. You remember my former teacher, Bonnie Mulgrew, from the diner the other day, don’t you?”

  Dot acknowledged Bonnie with a smile and a nod.

  “We saw you out here and wondered if you needed any help,” Kate said.

  “Help?” Dot seemed totally taken aback by the idea, then a rustling in the grass drew her attention away, and she brought the padded gloves out again. “Well, since you’re here, I guess you can help me. If you’re not allergic to cats, that is.”

  “Cats?” Kate looked more closely in the direction that Dot had dipped her head. There, in the tall grass, she spotted two black ears and the tip of a gray and black tail twitching.

  “Just one cat,” Dot said quickly. “Just one. That one. Right there. I need to get it. So I can take it home. With me. Just that one cat.”

  The halting way she spoke made Kate feel she was improvising as she went along, trying to say just enough to alleviate curiosity but not enough to actually tell them anything.

  “Glad to help,” Bonnie said, as she began to step lightly around to the far side of the waiting kitty.

  Kate followed her cue and did the same, moving in the opposite direction.

  Dot crouched low, whispering loud enough to make herself heard above the swish of the grass as it brushed against Kate’s and Bonnie’s ankles and shoes. “Approach with caution. We don’t want to spook the little guy more than he already is.”

  The cat flinched, then lurched forward, saw Kate with her hands out, and zigzagged away.

  Acting more swiftly than one would expect of a woman her age, Dot rushed in the direction of the cat.

  It was headed right at Bonnie. She grabbed the edges of the scarf protecting her hair and stood straight up. “I just remembered I am allergic to cats. I’m allergic to having crazed ones sink their claws into me.”

  Kate completely understood her friend’s sentiment. This cat clearly wasn’t some sweet domestic house cat who wanted to be caught and coddled. What Dot wanted with this one, she couldn’t imagine. And Dot didn’t seem the least bit inclined to come right out and share. Still, the animal was simply reacting to their actions, darting here and there, not hissing or growling or showing any overtly aggressive behavior. Kate hurried in Bonnie’s direction, cutting off the cat’s escape route, laughing as she imagined what Paul must be thinking.

  The animal jerked at her movement, then turned so fast, it practically flipped in the air. When it got its footing again, it darted off toward the open space between the women.

  Kate watched as Dot put those thickly padded oven mitts to work. The older woman swooped in and scooped up the cat. The animal let out a plaintive meow. It twisted and pushed at her with all four paws but didn’t bite, lash out, or yowl.

  Paul waved from where he stood at the side of the road and yelled, “Do you ladies need any help?”

  “No. Any more people out here will only scare this cat more, thank you.” Dot shushed and cooed, then looked up, her round cheeks flushed and her expression exuberant. “Thank you, ladies, so much. I’ve been trying to get this one for days now.”

  “This one?” Kate walked toward Dot and the cat.

  Dot cradled the animal close and marched forward, right past Kate and then Bonnie. “I better get this sweetie to the car. I have a carrier there. Thank you for stopping.”

  Dot’s abruptness might have startled Kate, but something about it all told her not to take it personally. Dot, practically a main branch on the Copper Mill grapevine in her own right, had a ‘pet project,’ as she had called it. So far Kate knew it involved cream, a cat, being outside in places that messed up her hair, and in an area near where birds were disappearing. That put Dot’s behavior on the list of things Kate needed to take into account as she tried to unravel the mystery of the missing birds.

  Chapter Sixteen

  First thing Monday morning, the phone rang in Paul’s office at Faith Briar Church.

  “Looks like a great day to go flying,” Lucas boomed when Paul answered. “Are you up for it?”

  “I wouldn’t want to fly any other way but up,” Paul joked, excitement already building at the thought of another flight.

  Lucas laughed, and they agreed to meet in an hour.

  This time when Paul climbed into the seat next to his friend, his pulse picked up with pure adrenaline. Any anxiety he’d had on earlier trips had evaporated. He wouldn’t be able to identify individual birds from that vantage point sitting in a two-seater airplane in the sky, but he determined he’d keep an eye out for flocks of migrating birds.

  Lucas went through the checklist.

  The prayer was said.

  The engines started, and the plane taxied down the runway, then lifted, lifted higher still, then soared. Paul whooped at the sensation, then broke out laughing at his own unbridled reaction.

  Lucas laughed as well. “Do you see why I love this? Before long you won’t be content to just be a passenger; you’ll want to take the stick yourself and be in the pilot’s seat.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Paul said. As fun as it was, he didn’t see himself wanting more than a ride now and then, just to recharge his sense of adventure and to challenge him to look at things in a new way. “Let’s just take it one flight at a time.”

  “All right. It’s a deal. I’ll ask you to take the stick next time, then.”

  “I didn’t mean...” Paul paused to consider for a moment. He looked out at the endless expanse of sky before them and imagined what it might feel like to be his to explore, piloted by his own hand. “It’s a deal. Ask me next time. Who knows, I might take you up on it.”

  Lucas set the plane on a slightly different flight pattern than they had taken before. He told Paul he’d spoken to the Sparrowpalooza organizers since then. They had wanted him to give Best Acres a wider berth than his original run, so this time he made a wide sweeping maneuver that took them away from Pine Ridge Road.

  Paul loved the new sights. The area they now found themselves flying over had more trees than their previo
us path, which was a series of hills and meadows outlined with thick stands of trees. The leaves made a breathtaking display but didn’t offer much variety.

  “Hey, Lucas, I have a question for you.”

  “You want to try your hand at piloting so soon?” He gave the steering control a wiggle. The wings dipped.

  Paul had to catch his breath, then he laughed. “No, thanks. Not yet. I was just curious, what about birds?”

  “What do you mean?” Lucas asked. “Are you worried about bird strikes?”

  “No, not until you mentioned them.” Paul had to shout to make himself heard over the engine of the older aircraft. “I was thinking more about whether you make any special preparations for migrating flocks out here in the countryside, and if you’d noticed there were fewer flocks around this year?”

  “You know, I’ve been so fixed on plotting a flight path, I didn’t even think about bird flocks. I mean, if I’d have seen one, I’d have been ready to react, but...” The engine sputtered slightly.

  Paul tensed.

  Lucas made an adjustment, then went back to speaking as if nothing unusual had happened. “Of course, I know there are always birds around, but I don’t make any special preparations for them.”

  “Not even when you’re flying over an area that would usually have a lot of them, like Best Acres?” Paul tried to be more specific, but the roughness of the sounds coming from the engine made him less interested in bird safety and more in safe landings.

  “Like I said, I’d know what to do. But now that you mention it, I haven’t come across any big flocks, not around Best Acres. But then that might have more to do with the time of day I’m out, the noise from the plane’s engine scaring them off or the migratory patterns, things like that.”

  “I see.” Paul sat back and tried to relax. He did notice, however, that as they got closer to Pine Ridge, he did sometimes see flocks of birds dipping and swerving through the sky. If he had seen those when they were anywhere close to Best Acres, he’d certainly have noticed it.

  KATE WENT TO THE Hamilton Springs Hotel to have breakfast with Bonnie. Then she helped Bonnie load up her little Volkswagen with all the supplies she would need for a day of bird-watching. Bonnie tied her pretty scarf around her bouffant hairdo, waved good-bye to Kate, and motored happily off, ready to give the wayward birds a chance to show themselves to her in God’s time.

  After taking care of some household chores, Kate dressed in stylish gray jeans, a lightweight, pink, fuzzy sweater, and black-suede ballerina flats. She gathered up the library books Paul had checked out and headed off to return them.

  Kate also wanted some time to bounce her thoughts off Livvy without Bonnie’s input. She often found that having a good listener who wasn’t directly involved in a situation helped to open her mind. It allowed her to work through things that the give-and-take of discussing a problem with a less objective person never could.

  As she got out of her car and walked to the library entrance, a stack of books clutched in her arms, her cell phone rang. She juggled the books and pulled out her phone. It was Bonnie, so she decided to linger outside a few minutes and talk. “Hi, what’s—”

  “I saw one!”

  “One?” Kate stepped into the shade of the lovely old building and ducked her head as if that might help her hear better. “One what, Bonnie?”

  “An umbie! An umber-throated mountain sparrow.”

  “No! Really?” Kate couldn’t help grinning at the joy in Bonnie’s voice. “That’s so wonderful. Where was it? Did you get a picture?”

  “Wouldn’t you know, it was hopping around on the ground just as I got out of my car, then flitted off so I didn’t have my camera or binoculars with me. I took off after it and tried to grab a shot with my camera phone. No luck.”

  “Aw. So you called me to tell me about it instead?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. That’s great news. Where are you?”

  “Not far from where we saw Dot trying to corral that cat.”

  Interesting. “Then not near the border of Best Acres?”

  “Well, the umbie did go in that general direction, and I’m about to take off after it.”

  “Best of luck, and keep me posted.” They said their good-byes, and Kate put the phone on vibrate, so if Bonnie did call back, the ring tone wouldn’t disturb anyone in the library.

  As she walked through the doors, there was a spring in her step. She passed the maroon love seat by the front window and approached the horseshoe-shaped counter. Though Livvy had an office, today she was standing in front of the counter looking over a metal cart with an index card taped to the side of it, which read: Repair, Restore, or Replace.

  When Kate entered the foyer, Livvy looked up and smiled brightly. “Hey, stranger! I haven’t seen much of you around here.”

  “Sorry about that, but I’ve been busy with Bonnie’s visit. You know how that is.”

  “Wanting to make a good impression on a teacher who made a difference in your life? Absolutely, I understand.” Livvy leaned to the right, then to the left, her auburn hair swaying, as if she was making a big show of looking past Kate. Then she planted one of her fists on her hip and asked, “So, where is she?”

  “Bird-watching.” Tired from lugging the awkward stack of various-sized books, Kate set Paul’s selections on the counter with a thump. “But don’t worry. I’ll bring her in to see the library before she goes back to Texas.”

  “Good. We didn’t get to talk much after church yesterday, but she seemed fascinating.” Livvy, naturally cheery and upbeat, said, “What a terrific adventure to have the freedom to hop in a car and travel across three states to see an old friend and get to experience rare birds in the bargain.”

  “Old friend, rare birds, adventure, and a little bit of a mystery in the bargain,” Kate added.

  “Mystery?” Livvy leaned one elbow on the counter and aimed the full measure of her attention on Kate. “Do tell.”

  “That’s the problem. I’m not at the stage when I have much to tell.” Kate let her fingertips trail down the edges of the books she had returned. “Bonnie feels very strongly that given the time of year and the migration patterns, whole flocks of birds are missing, and they seem to be missing mostly around the area of Best Acres.”

  Concentration intensified the look on Livvy’s face. “Missing, how?”

  “That’s the part we need to figure out. I mean, really, how do you prove that something that isn’t always in a certain place isn’t presently in that place? Or is in the wrong place?” Kate put her hands to her head and groaned at her own inability to explain it better. “I keep thinking of that old joke: Why do elephants paint their toenails red?”

  Livvy put her hand under her chin and played along, appearing quite serious. “I don’t know, Kate, why do elephants paint their toenails red?”

  “So they can hide in cherry trees.”

  “But I’ve never seen an elephant in a cherry tree,” Livvy shot back, knowing her part.

  Kate grinned. “See, it works, doesn’t it?”

  “Ba-da-boom.” Livvy made a gesture as though she were hitting the drum and cymbal for the punch line of the corny old joke.

  Kate laughed. “Okay, that was silly, but you get the point.”

  “The point? That there are elephants in the trees near Best Acres?” Livvy joked.

  “That we’re basically working backwards here. We don’t see birds, so we think there has to be a reason, a mystery. But frankly, Liv, at this point, thinking that they’re camouflaging themselves to remain undetected sounds almost as good a theory as any.”

  “You sound frustrated, friend.”

  “I am, a little,” Kate admitted. “I feel like this is potentially a very serious situation. If the cause of the birds vanishing is natural or manmade, it’s important to know, of course. But the real issue is, does whatever has happened to the birds pose a risk to people?”

  “That would be serious, K
ate.”

  “And, of course, Bonnie and I are just worried about the birds themselves. Anyway, I’m returning the research books Paul checked out.” Kate gave a little bow with one hand on the stack of books on the counter.

  “Ooh, perfect timing.” Livvy slid the books over toward the edge of the counter and gave them a pat. “I’m glad to have these to put back out for people whose interests in birds and bird-watching have been piqued by the Sparrowpalooza Weekend over in Pine Ridge. It’s been a popular display all month.”

  Kate looked at the places around the library where Livvy sometimes displayed collections and selections and suggestions for patron reading. Here and there she saw children’s books about birds, art books featuring birds, and resource books about bird-watching.

  “I’d venture to say that almost everyone who has come through the doors in the last month has picked up at least one of these books. I’m so pleased with the response, I’m thinking of contacting local organizations to see if they have any other upcoming events I can tie into with my displays.”

  “Good idea! But I think Paul ended up with more than he needed, especially after hearing his sermon and how much he relied on family folklore.” Kate winked.

  “Paul did a great job tackling a topic that so many people in the congregation were already talking about.” She began checking the books back in one at a time. “I love how he used people’s sudden interest in the local birds as a means to help us connect to God in our everyday life.”

  “I hope I didn’t make it sound as though he didn’t rely on the books. I don’t think he left a one of them untouched.”

  “Some got touched more than others.” Livvy paused, her eyes growing wide. “Now, I know Paul did not do this.”

  “What?”

  Livvy held open the book Flights of Fancy: Fun Facts and Folklore on Our Fine Feathered Friends for Kate.

  Immediately Kate saw the problem. The page wasn’t simply dog-eared; it was bent down so far that it obscured half of the black-and-white illustration of a man blowing what looked like a large whistle, the kind a gym teacher might use.