Photo of and by the fancily footedCarrie Thomas
They loved with a passion befitting a trashy romance novel.
Though I was happy for them, it brought out my jealous side, which is never pretty.
Eventually though, I became accustomed to their being around and didn't know how I could live without them.
Chloe was a beauty, the kind of girl who wins the homecoming crown but still has a heart of gold. You want to hate her but you can't. She has great bone structure and will grow old gracefully. Her feathers were whiter than freshly fallen snow with little speckles of brown that said, "hey, I'm Cindy Crawford, I have a beauty mark."
Ferdinand was a dancer. He could puff his chest up with best of them. His tight muscular legs supported a beefy body that somehow floated gracefully above the ground when he would come courting the ladies.
These two exceptional creatures found each other in a city where I'm sure it's hard to find a good pigeon, let alone one with whom you could settle down and raise a family.
The heat in our little apartment on 12th street was always too high, so we kept the window in the kitchen cracked a few inches. I had noticed the birds flying around outside the window, which wasn't that unusual. I didn't notice however that two of them had begun to build a nest on our window sill. It wasn't until I went into the kitchen one morning and saw Chloe, beautiful Chloe sitting on the nest that I realised a pair of lovers had moved in. At first, I would go to the stove, which was right by the window, and Chloe would frantically fly away. She was never gone for long though, fearing her eggs would get too cold.
Eventually, we came to an understanding that I was not going to bother them. In fact, I quite enjoyed the company. I would cook my breakfast and chat with Chloe. I'm sure she appreciated the chit-chat with Ferdinand off foraging for food. Of course one day, Chloe was gone and Ferdinand was sitting at the nest, and I must admit that we didn't have a lot to talk about.
As spring began to thaw the winter, three of the ugliest little creatures you've ever seen busted out of that nest. Let me just say that there is nothing more awkward looking than a baby pigeon. However, over time these gnarly little munchkins grew fuzzle which began to form into feathers and they were adorable.
It was about a week until the pigeons would fly. They were testing their wings. Unfortunately this was the week when we had to move out of the apartment on 12th street and into the place on 3rd avenue. I decided to have a conversation with the girl who was moving into the place to make sure she let the pigeons live.
It was a sad day, when I found out from a downstairs neighbor that the nest had disappeared and the window had closed as soon as the girl moved into the apartment.
My heart went out to Ferdinand and Chloe. I had grown so fond of them. I had watched all of their dedication, love and hard work. It hurts my soul to realize the cruelty that resides in the human heart. A woman's hand ruined in moments what had taken months to build without a second thought. We often refer to animals as savages. Most animals only kill to survive or to protect themselves. Men kill without need, without regard and without reverence for the beauty that each life holds, whether it be an Iraqi child or a baby bird.
