White Bars

by David Dagley

  Wayne stopped climbing down, and began climbing back up onto his shelf. A snake pressed its face in the corner, with his tongue flickering close to Wayne.

  Fife had just completed another trade, ten sunflower seeds for his beak board to the Parakeet Progressive Partnership. Four mice carried the beak board to the parakeets.

  “I’m still short. I don’t have enough seeds. This is no good. Juliet! Trade me something for five sunflower seeds; it’s almost nine bells,” pleaded Fife.

  Juliet said quickly, “How about for a promise?”

  “Sure, anything within reason,” answered Fife.

  Juliet whistled two notes, one high and one low.

  Max, the clerk mouse, Juliet’s friend, came running down the line of cages. Tye skidded around the corner and swung off a cage, bumping Max off the shelf. Tye ran to Juliet’s cage. “Yes, Juliet, what can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to talk to Max,” remarked Juliet.

  “He’s busy. I just saw him heading to the floor. What can I do for you?” asked Tye.

  “Here, give these five sunflower seeds to the older myna bird and that’ll be all. Oh, and here are two for you.” Juliet grabbed seven sunflower seeds and dropped them outside of her cage at Tye’s feet.

  Tye shook his head and explained, “If it’s not a trade for Dram and trade match, then I need a reason. You understand.”

  “It is a trade, but I need the five seeds first!” yelled Fife angrily.

  “Please do this for me, Tye. I would appreciate it and Romeo would appreciate it too, if he were here,” charmed Juliet.

  Tye picked up the seeds, took five of them to Fife’s cage and ran off out of sight.

  Nine bells rang.

  “I have just fifty. Thank you, Juliet. I’m in your debt,” said Fife, gratefully.

  “I have fifty-two! I’ve done it! We’ve done it!” exclaimed Soren.

  The mice began to leave the pet shop when Dram hopped up on the display table near the two myna birds. “That’s quite a bounty for a pair of blackbirds.”

  Soren turned around and said confidently, “We’re not blackbirds!”

  “Oh, it speaks,” Dram exclaimed in sarcastic shock. He walked over near Soren’s cage and asked, “Why all these changes! Speaking, trading, even consorting with neighbors,” he said bitterly, looking at Fife. Not waiting for a response, he continued, “As I recollect you don’t even like sunflower seeds!” Dram reached in towards the pile of sunflower seeds in Soren’s cage while Soren was preening some new feathers that were coming in on his wings and not paying attention.

  “Watch out, Soren!” squawked Fife.

  Soren spun around and grabbed Dram by the arm with his beak. Dram held two sunflower seeds, one in each hand. Soren looked Dram right in the eye and bit down slowly.

  Dram released the seeds and they dropped back into the pile. “Okay, you win. It’s all right. Forget it, I was just testing. They’re yours. No harm. Let go, please.”

  Soren paused for a moment before he released Dram.

  Dram instantly withdrew his arms and inspected his forearm for injuries.

  Fife watched proudly as Soren began piling his seeds in the center of his cage, so that even the longest arms couldn’t reach in and take them.

  Dram walked over to Fife while rubbing his wrist, and said, “You are obviously behind this change in –” He looked over at the young myna. “Soren, is it? Is that his name?” Dram pointed at the young myna bird. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what’s going on around here, or what all these seeds are for?” This time, Dram waited for an answer.

  Soren ignored Dram and continued moving seeds to the middle of his cage. Fife stood between his pile of seeds and Dram, just looking at him.

  Dram gave up in frustration, jumped off the counter and returned to his matchbox. He packed it up, hid it in its usual place, walked to the crack in the wall and slithered through it by himself. Hidden from sight, Dram peered back through the crack to have a look at the two myna birds. He decided to curl up in the shadows and wait out the night to see what would happen.

  VI

  ALL WAS QUIET. Headlights of cars driving by swept through the pet shop like searchlights. The moon was slow to rise.

  “I can’t sleep,’ whispered Soren.

  “I can’t either,” replied Fife. “I keep counting these blasted seeds to make sure that I have fifty.”

  “I keep thinking that I hear something in the attic like footsteps. How long do you think we’re going to have to wait for the pack rat?” asked Soren.

  “I don’t know. I think the pack rat is doing it on purpose. I think he wants us to wait for him and spend the night here. It gives him time to set up a trap or an ambush,” assumed Fife.

  “My feathers are all on end,” stated Soren. “Is this what adventure feels like?”

  “Sometimes, but what I think you feeling is more excitement than adventure. I really don’t know how to explain it,” admitted Fife.

  “I feel like I’m intruding before friends. May I?” asked Juliet.

  “Your conversation could only be a compliment,” praised Fife.

  “Would you mind discussing a promise?” reminded Juliet.

  “Oh yes, indeed, a good time, before the cage doors are opened anyway,” agreed Fife.

  “Good. I think you’ll agree that Soren is going to need some guidance once he reaches the outside world, at least for awhile. You know, to learn what you learned, how to deal with the changes in his life. I would like you to help Soren get acquainted with his new surroundings. For five seeds, I want you to promise to help our young friend until you think he’s ready. Competent,” proposed Juliet.

  “Juliet, for five sunflower seeds, I promise to help Soren if he wishes, for as long as he wishes,” replied Fife. “But there is still so much I should tell you, Juliet.”

  In the dark attic, the pack rat slipped and gonged his head on a four-inch metal water pipe.

  Juliet murmured quickly, “There isn’t time, he’s coming. Be quiet and let me do the talking.”

  The pack rat emerged scratching his head and squinting one eye in pain and impatiently asked, “How did we do tonight? Successful, I hope.” He passed irritably below the cages.

  Fife and Soren said nothing.

  The pack rat jumped to a bag of dog food and rebounded onto the display table. “Well?” He looked over to Juliet. “Juliet, I trust all is well with you?” He continued to rub his head feverishly. A knot was forming on his head.

  Juliet calmly whispered, “Yes, all is fine. I’m going to miss my friends.”

  “Yes, I suppose you will.” The pack rat suspiciously offered, “Perhaps you would like to join them and venture into the outside world?”

  “Juliet, I think it’s a good idea,” advised Fife, ignoring her request for him to be quiet.

  Soren agreed with a nod.

  “I think not. I shall spend my remaining days here with my memories of Romeo and,” she paused in thought before continuing, “maybe learn to sing the blues.” Juliet coughed softly to clear her throat and capture the pack rat’s attention. She cooed, “And I quote, ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T; that’s what love means to me.”

  The pack rat irritably grunted. “Huh. Interesting. Yes, well, I was sad to hear that you gave some seeds to this bird so he might go free; that he didn’t trade for these seeds. Is that true?” the pack rat inquired knowingly. His gold tooth sparkled as a car flashed its lights through the pet shop window.

  Fife responded defensively, “It wasn’t stated how I got the fifty sunflower seeds, only that it was fifty seeds for the door to be opened. And if you must know, I did trade with Juliet. As soon as the cage doors are opened, my side of the trade begins.”

  The pack rat grabbed Fife’s bars, squinted meanly and growled at him, “Are you going to babysit this young myna bird out there? He’s never been out there. Have you told him how dangerous it can be away from the comforts of his cage?” The pack rat moved between the t
wo myna birds’ cages, sneered at Soren and said, “I have a confession to make.” He began to salivate and admitted, “I eat road kill and that’s just what you’re going to be, road kill.” The pack rat spun around and sniffed at Fife. “And I’m suspicious of you, myna bird. You’re too much like a crow on the outside named Reo. If you were Reo, I would see to it that you never left this pet shop, unless chosen by natural selection to a bird-dog’s house as a plaything, or stuffed and glued to a piece of varnished driftwood.” He stared at Fife for a moment. “Do you have enough seeds, fifty sunflower seeds, each?” He looked over his shoulder at Soren.

  Soren said proudly, “I have fifty-two.”

  The pack rat lunged at Soren’s white bars. He peered into the cage and began counting the seeds. As he counted, his hands drifted into the cage, finishing his count with outstretched arms. Realizing he couldn’t reach the seeds from his position, he scrambled around Soren’s cage, reaching in as he went. He couldn’t reach the seeds no matter where he tried. The pack rat stopped at the entrance, looking into the young myna’s cage, noticing all the other seeds all over the floor. “I don’t suppose you’ll be having any use for the other seeds in your cage when you’re gone, will you?”

  “Once my door is open and I am freed, you can do as you please with the inside of this cage. I’m through with it. Open up, please,” answered Soren.

  The pack rat laughed softly and unlatched the door. “And so polite, too. Contract complete.” He shouldered the latch open. The door popped and sprung wide with a squeak.

  Soren hopped onto the threshold of his cage door. He took one hop to the countertop, and with a flutter of his wings jumped across the abyss towards Juliet’s cage.

  The pack rat reached in through the entrance, scooped up all the seeds in the cage and stuffed them into an old short sock he had brought with him. “Reminds me of old times, eh, Juliet? Clearing out empty cages. Remember?” The pack rat snickered at his past. He looked over to Juliet and Soren standing next to her cage. “Pardon me, I didn’t mean to be so rude.” He gave an evil chuckle. When he finished cleaning out Soren’s cage, he sneered at Fife. “And you, how many do you have?”

  “Fifty.”

  The pack rat looked at Juliet again and remarked, “This one is going free for you.” He counted the seeds quickly and opened the cage door for Fife. “I don’t trust you, myna bird.”

  “Right now, I do not trust you either. Will you let go of the door and back up, or better yet, go away?” said Fife.

  The pack rat released the cage door and put his hands up in the air, one hand open and the other gripping the top of his sock sack. The pack rat backed up and grumbled to himself.

  In one hop, Fife jumped to the door entrance and took flight. He landed on a top shelf well out of reach of the pack rat.

  The pack rat moved to the entrance, reached into the cage and loaded all the seeds into his sock, suspiciously looking over his shoulder. He con -cluded bitterly, “My job is done here. Good luck getting out of the pet shop, jail birds. I should let you know that if you do get out, I’ll be waiting for you.” He jumped off the counter and vanished into the shadows.

  Fife flew down to Juliet’s cage, and the two myna birds slapped wings.

  “He hasn’t left yet,” whispered Juliet.

  The three birds strained to hear noises from the attic.

  “I think I hear him,” said Soren.

  “Yes, he’s crossing the pipes,” confirmed Juliet.

  “What’s next?” asked Soren.

  Fife now surveyed the pet shop from a different perspective. “The pack rat was right about one thing; we still have to get through the front door.”

  “That shouldn’t be too difficult. Just wait by the door; when Ms. Roberts opens the door, scoot out and fly away. Simple enough,” said Juliet with a shrug.

  “Juliet, why didn’t you take the pack rat up on his offer to let you out?” asked Fife.

  Juliet was shocked by the question. “Why should I have? There’s nothing for me on the outside. Here I have food, water, and a perch to sing from if I feel like it. You said it yourself; I too was raised as a bird in a cage. It’s all I know. I wouldn’t last outside alone.”

  “I wish I had the time to explain some things before the pack rat showed up,” apologized Fife.

  “To tell me what? There is nothing you could have told me that would change my mind,” said Juliet.

  “Juliet, your Romeo is alive. He’s outside waiting for us, the three of us,” explained Fife.

  “That’s impossible!” protested Juliet. “If this is your idea of a funny joke I think it’s in poor taste.”

  “It’s no joke. He’s alive and outside right now,” said Fife.

  Juliet pointed to the floor of her cage and said, “He lay on the floor of this cage all night. Ms. Roberts wrapped him up in newspaper and threw him in the garbage bin outside.”

  “Yeah, I heard how he got out of the pet shop, but what you don’t know is that he got out of the newspaper and waited for the lid to be picked up, and he flew away. When I first saw Romeo he was hunting along the shore of a pond on the golf course creek. I have an eye for detail, and noticed that he too was a bird from a cage. I washed off my disguise downstream, and flew up to him and introduced myself. He took one look at my markings and told me a story of a young bird with the same markings. Romeo also explained how the young myna came from an incubated egg taken out of a nest from the mountains east of Inle Lake, in a country called Burma. He said he heard Ms. Roberts and a bird person talking about it. Yes, Juliet, Romeo is very much alive.”

  “That’s right. Romeo and I heard the whole conversation between Ms. Roberts and a bird broker making a trade. Romeo asked me to tell Soren about his history and culture. There’s no way you would know that unless Romeo told you.”

  Fife nodded in agreement and looked at Soren. “I keep telling you; that’s why I’m here. Soren is a bird stolen from his rightful place in the jungle. He is a bird with no family and no way home. I am in the same position. I want to return to where I belong but I don’t know where that is; it could be Sri Lanka, the mountains of the Malaysian peninsula, or Burma. Soren goes to Inle Lake. I want to take him there and warn those that remain of the dangers surrounding them outside the forest. Humans go to great lengths to capture us and take us unimaginable distances from where we are caught, to put us in a cage. For what? Carleton helped educate me in my own history as a Hill Myna bird. He’s also trying to help me find my way home by giving me city names to help me navigate through Southeast Asia.”

  Soren’s head was swimming in shock.

  Fife was very serious. “Soren, you and I are in great danger. The birds outside these walls consider us invaders. Many of them compete for food with us and are afraid of us. They will want to run us off. But we have a window of opportunity which is open, and we must fly through it.”

  Soren said nothing.

  Fife turned his attention back to Juliet. “If I wasn’t able to get you out, I’m supposed to tell you that Romeo would try again soon, and not to give up hope.”

  “And the pack rat? How does that pack rat know you? He does know you, doesn’t he?”

  Calmly, Fife explained, “The pack rat and I had never met face to face. He’s seen me flying away from a few of his hiding spots where he puts items that he can’t fit into his home in the El Paseo. I’ve seen him hiding out for someone or something to happen a few times. He tried to catch me once, when I was young and trusting. To the pack rat, I am Reo, the crow.”

  “But you’re not a crow!” exclaimed Juliet.

  From the floor, Dram interrupted quietly with a disbelieving laugh. “Ha! You’re Reo, the crow, a myna bird, sent in to free the young myna bird and Juliet and go out into the world to meet up with Romeo, a dead guy. This is too much. I can’t support it. Talk about delirium.” Dram’s fat flat feet flapped forward as he ordered, “Get back in your cages and I’ll close the doors for you. Come on, in you go. We’ll for
get this nonsense all together. It never happened.”

  Thinking fast, Fife flew down into the darkness and quietly called out, “Dram?”

  “Stay away from me!” warned Dram.

  “Dram, Juliet has enough seeds in her cage to make you a very wealthy field mouse.”

  “You’re off your perch, myna,” scoffed Dram. “And stop with this crazy idea. Get back in your cage, now.”

  Fife replied, “You can have it all. It’ll be your profit and our secret. You can be bigger than you ever imagined. All we want from you –”

  Dram bent towards Fife and rasped, “You’ll get nothing from me, no way.”

  “Don’t be foolish. Opportunity comes knocking very few times in this business, so at least allow yourself the possibility,” reasoned Fife.

  Dram thought for a moment, looked sideways in disbelief at Fife, and slowly whispered while tapping his head, “Your egg is a little sunny side up.” Dram looked around the pet shop to see if any of the other animals had woken up. He relaxed when he saw nothing.

  “Come up and look,” persuaded Fife as he flew up to Juliet’s cage entrance.

  Dram shook his head. “No.” He folded his arms and stood still.

  Fife looked down to see if Dram was moving. “Just look.”

  Dram paused and looked up at Juliet, who was straining from behind her bars to look down. “Okay, I’ll look, but stay away from me.” Dram muttered to himself, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He silently raced up the bag of dog food at the end of the shelf and scurried towards Juliet’s cage.

  Soren was surprised by how easily Dram climbed up the bag of dog food, and said as Dram passed, “You’re as nimble as a cat.”

  Dram smiled and took it as a compliment. “Thanks, kid.”

  “You’re just a big fat faker,” announced Soren.

  Dram half-turned, “Oh, hush.” He looked at Juliet and asked, “Okay, Juliet, how much seed do you have?”

  “Enough to pay for your silence, but I’m not sure I’m going anywhere yet.”

  Dram’s mood was changing. He was at Juliet’s cage door with a grin, “Let’s see anyway. Come on, hurry before I change my mind.”