A Bird Called Marie (standard:Fan Fiction, 1302 words)
Author: Robson59	Added: Nov 01 2020	Views/Reads: 1091/732	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A widower becomes engrossed in a nest of Peregrine Falcons

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

Frank stood diligent as ever like a sentry soldier guarding his post.
Then one by one each of the youngsters stepped to the edge of the nest 
and jumped off into the wild beyond. There was no fluttering or 
hesitation as they soared in the air as if they were meant to be. 

I watched and waited as they flew away from the nest free to go as they
pleased. That was the last I seen of the youngsters. Frank stayed at 
his post guarding an empty nest. But Marie never returned. Four days 
passed and still no sign of Marie. I resolved to the fact that Marie 
had been killed by the gun shots I had heard days earlier. 

I watched Frank as he stayed at his post and I wondered what was going
through his mind. Surely he was wondering where his soul mate was, and 
how long would he stay and wait before leaving. 

The ordeal of the youngsters leaving and Marie being gone had me feeling
sad and lonely. I wanted to tell someone what had happened. I 
desperately missed my wife Marie. I got up and walked into the living 
room staring at the box that had been left by the church ladies. I sat 
down on the couch and dragged the box over in between my legs. I began 
going through the box inspecting each item placing things to keep on 
the table and things to throw away on the floor. I picked up a stack of 
old photographs and looked at them slowly. Some I had seen already 
others I had not. I came across one that made me stop and pause as the 
hairs on the back of my neck stood up. 

It was a picture of my wife probably at the age twelve or thirteen with
her father. There was this big grin on her face as she held this big 
bird on her hand. It was a Peregrine Falcon that looked so much like 
the female one in my nest. I had never seen this photo before or heard 
mention anything about a falcon. 

I jumped up immediately and ran to the deck with my binoculars in hand.
I hadn't seen Frank in days at the nest. But today there he was looking 
chipper and tweeting more than I had ever seen him. Then out of nowhere 
a young female falcon swooped into the nest and they started doing some 
kind of head bobbing mating dance. “(I learned from the internet)”. 
Seeing Frank appearing to be happy and back into this thing called 
life, made me want to join in too. I don't know why but I felt so 
relieved for Frank. 

I went in and took a shower, put on some of my best looking attire and
headed out of the house. Somehow I felt this was Marie's way of telling 
me to get back to living, even though I'll never stop loving her or 
forget our life together it was time to move on.


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