RainFields
Walking the driveway
I've only just become an owner of a little cockatiel, quite by accident, but that's another story. Since being on this forum I've stayed away from this species thread because it simply causes me to cry. At this point of my life, I guess my heart will never heal. I feel like I have to tell his story....please, I hope you don't mind...and I cry as I type.
His story...
It was 1965, I was a 7 year old little girl, I lived on a farm with lots of animals and 4 brothers and sisters. My oldest brother was 16, he had a job at drive-in, his boss had a yellow headed amazon parrot and he was getting a divorce, he wanted to get rid of this bird, he gave him to my brother. His name was Pedro. My brother brought him home in his cage, we all gathered around, we'd never seen anything like this before. His boss had told him to just let Pedro out of his cage and he would choose whomever he wanted. He did this, we all sat on the floor of our den and waited. I have to admit, I was a little bit scared of this bird, he looked mean to me. Slowly, Pedro made his way out in the middle of the room, soon he was coming toward me. My brother kept saying, "don't be afraid Susie, just let him come close to you". When he was standing beside me, my brother told me to put my arm down so he could climb on it, I did and he did, he went directly to my shoulder. And we fell in love. From that day forward, Pedro was my bird. What we knew about Pedro, he had some bone removed from his wings so he couldn't fly, that's it. We went to the library and found books to get an idea about what we should do for this bird, very little information. Pedro would bite and bring blood to almost everyone, only myself and an older sister could handle him. He talked a lot when he came to us, mostly cuss words, soon he started saying what he heard around our home. If I was at home, Pedro was out of his cage, he went where I went. We told each other secrets, we laughed, we cried, we were best friends. If I rode my bike, he was with me, if I rode my horse, he was with me, if I watched tv, he was with me. I always shared my food and he expected me to, he loved fresh veggies, he loved apples and oranges. When we would have to leave to go on vacation, he would have to stay with friends, I knew he wouldn't be allowed out of his cage, but they would feed and water him. I would miss him, I would worry about him and I couldn't wait to return home to him. We really knew so very little then. But this great love between us lasted for only 10 years.
The summer before my senior year in high school, I was working, I'd gotten up to get ready for work but took Pedro out of his cage for some time with him first. But something was wrong with him, he was acting very strange, he couldn't seem to even walk or sit on my shoulder. I called my mom and told her something was wrong, she watched him a minute and said she would take him to the vet. She called my older sister, she was married by this time, because she would need someone to handle him...she was making me go to work. I argued with her but lost, I did as I was told, when my sister arrived, I handed Pedro to her, I looked at her and said, "Laura, don't let anyone hurt him, please?". Later, about 3 hours, my mother and sister showed up at my work, Pedro was gone. My life has never been the same since, sounds crazy huh?
That's why I will seldom tell this story, no one can understand how I could possibly still mourn for Pedro. The vet told my mom Pedro had been poisoned, she didn't tell me this because she was afraid she had accidently done it. About six months later, she opened the plastic bag that his seed was in, you could smell the insecticide very strong. She went to the feed store where she had purchased his seed for many years and told them what had happened. They apologized and offered to replace Pedro, when she told me this I was shocked! They or no one else could ever replace my beloved Pedro. Many times, because of my feelings for Pedro, my mother has wished she would've made them buy me a new parrot, she believes it would've helped me to get over him. I don't think so. When this little cockatiel came into my life, I told my mother I had to get him a new cage. She said I could have Pedro's old cage, yes, she still has it but she also knows I refuse to even look at it, to be around it, I simply can not. I told her, no, I would get this little bird a cage of his own.
That's Pedro's story, I still miss him, I still love him and I'm 51 years old, I'm crazy, I know. Thanks for listening.
His story...
It was 1965, I was a 7 year old little girl, I lived on a farm with lots of animals and 4 brothers and sisters. My oldest brother was 16, he had a job at drive-in, his boss had a yellow headed amazon parrot and he was getting a divorce, he wanted to get rid of this bird, he gave him to my brother. His name was Pedro. My brother brought him home in his cage, we all gathered around, we'd never seen anything like this before. His boss had told him to just let Pedro out of his cage and he would choose whomever he wanted. He did this, we all sat on the floor of our den and waited. I have to admit, I was a little bit scared of this bird, he looked mean to me. Slowly, Pedro made his way out in the middle of the room, soon he was coming toward me. My brother kept saying, "don't be afraid Susie, just let him come close to you". When he was standing beside me, my brother told me to put my arm down so he could climb on it, I did and he did, he went directly to my shoulder. And we fell in love. From that day forward, Pedro was my bird. What we knew about Pedro, he had some bone removed from his wings so he couldn't fly, that's it. We went to the library and found books to get an idea about what we should do for this bird, very little information. Pedro would bite and bring blood to almost everyone, only myself and an older sister could handle him. He talked a lot when he came to us, mostly cuss words, soon he started saying what he heard around our home. If I was at home, Pedro was out of his cage, he went where I went. We told each other secrets, we laughed, we cried, we were best friends. If I rode my bike, he was with me, if I rode my horse, he was with me, if I watched tv, he was with me. I always shared my food and he expected me to, he loved fresh veggies, he loved apples and oranges. When we would have to leave to go on vacation, he would have to stay with friends, I knew he wouldn't be allowed out of his cage, but they would feed and water him. I would miss him, I would worry about him and I couldn't wait to return home to him. We really knew so very little then. But this great love between us lasted for only 10 years.
The summer before my senior year in high school, I was working, I'd gotten up to get ready for work but took Pedro out of his cage for some time with him first. But something was wrong with him, he was acting very strange, he couldn't seem to even walk or sit on my shoulder. I called my mom and told her something was wrong, she watched him a minute and said she would take him to the vet. She called my older sister, she was married by this time, because she would need someone to handle him...she was making me go to work. I argued with her but lost, I did as I was told, when my sister arrived, I handed Pedro to her, I looked at her and said, "Laura, don't let anyone hurt him, please?". Later, about 3 hours, my mother and sister showed up at my work, Pedro was gone. My life has never been the same since, sounds crazy huh?
That's why I will seldom tell this story, no one can understand how I could possibly still mourn for Pedro. The vet told my mom Pedro had been poisoned, she didn't tell me this because she was afraid she had accidently done it. About six months later, she opened the plastic bag that his seed was in, you could smell the insecticide very strong. She went to the feed store where she had purchased his seed for many years and told them what had happened. They apologized and offered to replace Pedro, when she told me this I was shocked! They or no one else could ever replace my beloved Pedro. Many times, because of my feelings for Pedro, my mother has wished she would've made them buy me a new parrot, she believes it would've helped me to get over him. I don't think so. When this little cockatiel came into my life, I told my mother I had to get him a new cage. She said I could have Pedro's old cage, yes, she still has it but she also knows I refuse to even look at it, to be around it, I simply can not. I told her, no, I would get this little bird a cage of his own.
That's Pedro's story, I still miss him, I still love him and I'm 51 years old, I'm crazy, I know. Thanks for listening.
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I don't know what to say. Pedro was so lucky to have you. As sad as it was loosing him like that you gave each other so much more during his life. You couldn't replace him and you don't have too because he's still in your heart. I see now why you're so worried about doing things exactly right with Boomer. I don't know what your beliefs are but maybe you should consider that Pedro helped you and Boomer find each other.
