Chapter Twelve
I sat in my cage, bored. I'm going to miss Polly. In fact, I do already.
"Hello?" I chirped quietly, hoping to meet some new friends. No one answered.
"Hello??" I chirped again, louder, this time.
"Hi!" Said a cheery cockatiel in a cage next to me.
"I'm sort of new here, and I was hoping..." I stopped, not knowing what to say.
The cockatiel looked like she understood, "My name is Pepper, what's yours?" she chirped.
"Apple," I said, more confident this time, "Who is that?" I looked at a green pacific parrotlet two cages away from me.
"That's Itty," she replyed
"Ooh," I said, "Do you know everyone here?"
"Well, yes, I've been here for a few months"
"A few months ?" I was surprised.
"Well, yes, you see, the people who come here only take the fancy mutations, or the ones who can talk, and stuff, and see, I'm just a normal grey cockatiel," She stopped, "A pearl cockatiel was sold just yesterday, Shelly. It may really take a while for someone to want me," She squealed sadly. I really felt bad for her, but I didn't say anything, just looked at her.
"W...who else has been here that long?" I asked carefully when I recollected myself.
"Well, that's the thing, no one else has been here half as long as I am.
"Oh," I said softly, "Well, I hope someone adopts you soon"
"I'm not sure that's going to happen."
I was silent.
"Oh, sorry for being so negative," She quickly chirped, "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine, just how long do you think it would take for someone to adopt me?" I asked.
"Well, it says on the piece of paper on your cage that you can talk,"
"REALLY?" I asked, more interested in the fact that she knew what it says than anything, "How do you know?"
"Well, it's sort of complicated, but those squiggly things mean something," she paused, "My former owner used to read to me every day,"
I listened with interest and empathy.
"And I guess I picked up a few words. that thin piece of wood says, 'I talk'"
"You are very talented. If only the humans knew..."
"Oh, they don't, and there isn't a way to tell them."
"Or is there?" I whistled mysteriously.
