The gift

"Hello, Leta. Hello, Leta."

Leta stopped what she was doing, still holding several hangers of clothes in her hands, and quickly looked around her bedroom. At first, she wasn't sure whether or not she was hearing things. The cackling high-pitched voice seemed otherworldly.

As she paused to collect herself--and her sanity, as she told her sister the next day--she heard the light and cheerful chirping from the living room and smiled.

Her little Budgie, as she called the green parakeet in the other room, was a gift from heaven. He was an unexpected gift, a housewarming present from a lady friend from church, a particularly observant woman. After the death of her husband, Leta had become sullen and was slowly withdrawing into her own grief. Yes, she had her family--her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but losing her husband and being alone again was hitting her pretty hard.

The afternoon sun whispered through the bedroom window as she finished organizing the closet. Of course, it was smaller than the one she had been occupying in the house that she had shared with Richard for four years, but it was too large a place for one. Besides, she didn't want to live there alone after her husband died so unexpectedly and quickly. She harrumphed ruefully. One night they had been talking about plans for New Year's Eve, but before the sun rose the next morning, he was gone. So she and his children sold the house, and she moved into the second floor of this duplex.

At age 70, she would have preferred to live on the first floor. Climbing the stairs on a regular basis would be very strenuous, but that apartment was occupied by her niece and nephew-in-law. And he had more mobility problems than she ever would. Still, she liked to walk, so the stairs would keep her healthier, at least she hoped so.

A wave of loss and change had her absently sitting on the bed. Because she hated most of her clothes, she saved the closet project for last. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. In her marriage, the closets were Richard's responsibility, or domain as it were. And she was happy to let him merrily sort out their contents and organize them. She called him her "clothes horse," not only because he had far more than she, but also because he was just as interested in what she wore. He made sure they both looked good, and of course, she liked to look nice.

Then she heard the eerie voice again: "Hello, Leta. Hello, Leta." The sound sent a chill up her spine. It was again followed by the friendly chirping. This time she distinctly heard it coming from the living room, so she stood to investigate, walking deliberately from one room to the other.

Since the windows of the living room faced north and east, the room was darker than the bedroom, which created a few shadows. Leta never believed in ghosts, but the change in light and the sound of the strange voice was making her apprehensive. After she looked around, her eyes and heart fell on the little cage in the front window.

She smiled and approached the little Budgerigar. He was hopping about his home, playing with the two balls she had given him for such a purpose. These birds liked to be active and play.

“Hello, Budgie,” she said in a sweet voice. “How is Budgie? How is my little Budgie?”

The bird hopped onto its perch to get a better look at her, which made her smile even more. He looked right at her, she thought, and she was startled by the attention.

Yes, this was a terrific gift. The church-friend knew exactly what she needed. But that made sense. After all, she had lost her own husband two years earlier and was basically in the same life station. “For you, Leta,” she had said. “For the loneliness.” At first, Leta was tempted to refuse. It was an extravagant gift, and she knew nothing about caring for a little tropical bird. But the woman gently clutched her hand and looked her right in the eyes. “I know,” she concluded.

And Leta was grateful. After only a couple of days in her company, he had become a special friend.

“Hello, Budgie,” she said to him.

“Hello, Leta,” Budgie said.