Lou has escaped.
I think the idea had been percolating in her tiny little head for some time, and on that day last week when the split-second opportunity presented itself, she made her mad dash for freedom.
Lou is a bright blue parakeet. Her powers of camouflage are nil, of course, in a neighborhood peopled with brown, tan and gray treetop animals.
Her cage hung outside on the back porch on nice days and over the years she had learned to imitate the calls of the wild birds, chattering and singing as if she were a fluffy blue mockingbird.
One Carolina wren in particular visited Louís back porch regularly and they sounded for all the world as though they were having a conversation. Were they comparing situations? Sometimes it did sound like an argument ó the merits of being warm, dry and well-fed vs. the thrill of the wild, the freedom to soar, and lots more variety in the diet.
Lou also picked up some bad habits from the neighborhood toughs, the jaybirds. She would scold the squirrels by chattering, shrieking and bobbing her head up and down with her shoulders hunched and her feathers fluffed. No doubt she meant to convey an uncompromising take-no-prisoners attitude but to the squirrels, who barely threw a glance her way, she probably just looked like an angry ball of dryer lint.
I suppose itís possible that Lou is still out there, hanging out with her little brown wren friend, learning the ropes, but Iím afraid thatís not very likely.
So all I can do is hope her soul is with God.
Since man has a soul distinct from God, he gets the choice of returning to him after death, or remaining separate. Animals, lacking that capacity to choose, enjoy a more intimate relationship with God. I think, though I canít find a source to cite, that it was St. Francis of Assisi that believed animals share a soul with God, so that during their lives on earth they are always in touch, always in communication with him ó quite a logical explanation for animal instincts, actually ó and at death, their souls simply become part of his again. No judgement day for critters necessary.
I do hope that Louís brief burst of freedom filled her little heart with joy. Maybe, as she shot from the cage and rocketed toward the treetops, she just kept on going, a tiny blue blur against the sky, until she got to heaven and landed chattering on Godís outstretched hand.
Cindy Hesprich works for The Salisbury Post.